Analysis of Trends, Growth and Instability in Rice Production in Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The study has been taken up with the objective of investigating the trends, pattern of growth and the extent of instability in area, production and productivity of rice crop in Andhra Pradesh state over a period of five and half decades from 1959-60 to 2013-14. Compound Growth Rate and Coefficient of Variation were used to calculate the annual growth rate and instability. The area, production and productivity of rice in this period has increased by 25, 201 and 138 per cent respectively. In this period, the districts were categorised and grouped under different groups based on average productivity of rice. During the study period many of the districts moved from very low productivity to high productivity group. During 1960s, 17 districts are under very low productivity group (<1500 kg/ha) and in 2010s 13 districts are under high productivity group (>3000 kg/ha). During the period 2014-19 in the divided Andhra Pradesh contribution of different productivity groups to the states paddy production was calculated and concluded that 3 districts under high productivity group (>6000kg/ha) contributed 52 per cent of the production. During 2010s annual growth rates for area, production and productivity are 4.08, 4.02 and 1.21 respectively. In all the periods in the past five and half decades, production and productivity growth rates are higher than growth rate in area except in 2010s. Instability was higher in production and area than in productivity.  The annual growth rate and the instability of production and area are higher in 2010s. Suitable crop planning is to be initiated, adoption of sustainable management practices are to be intensified to maintain the growth rate and reduce the instability in area and production.