Assam - Region Profile

Assam is world famous for its tea; however, it also has a major role in the foodgrain production in India, especially in eastern India. Assam occupies a geographical area of 7.8 million hectares of which total cropped area is 4.0 million hectares. However, only 5.4% of the gross cultivated area is irrigated and the average cropping intensity of the state is 145.9%. The majority of the soils of Assam belong to Inceptisols (49.3%), Entisols (32.3%), Alfisols (12.3%) and Ultisols (6.1%). The total foodgrain production in the state stands at 2.7 million tonnes, with average food grain yield of 1763 kg/ha. The average yields of crops are below potential. Along with dependence on traditional cultural practices and traditional varieties, very low use of nutrients is the major reason for stagnation/decline of crop productivity in the state. This is an issue of concern as the population growth rate of Assam has been about 107.4% from 1961 to 1991 as compared to 92.7% in the country. Table 1 illustrates the current area, productivity and production statistics of major crops in Assam.


Therefore, the state has to produce approximately 10.5 million tonnes of rice (Mt), 0.34 Mt of oilseeds, 1.95 Mt fruits, 4.47 Mt of vegetables and 0.33 Mt of spices by the end of this decade to feed this burgeoning population, which is about a 2.5 fold increase from the present level. The targeted production of rice, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables and spices by 2025 is 13.5, 0.751, 3.27, 5.86 and 0.52 Mt, respectively.

Nutrient consumption in Assam in the past decade is given in Fig. 2. The state of Assam witnessed a sharp decline in consumption of total fertilizer nutrients (N+P₂O₅+K₂O) of about 28% in 2013-14 over 2012-13. The consumption of N at 126.2 thousand MT, P₂O₅ at 24 thousand MT and K₂O at 48.1 thousand MT, declined by 16.4%, 51% and 36.3% respectively, during 2013-14 over 2012-13. NPK use ratio changed from 2.0:0.6:1 during 2012-13 to 2.6:0.5:1 during 2013-14. Fall in consumption was noticed both in Kharif as well as Rabi seasons. But decline was more prominent in Rabi season. The Kharif : Rabi share in total consumption changed from 43:57 during 2012-13 to 47:53 during 2013-14. The consumption of total nutrients (N+P₂O₅+K₂O) per hectare of gross cropped area reduced from 66 kg during 2012-13 to 48 kg during 2013-14. Using the area and production of major crops, the total nutrient (N, P₂O₅ and K₂O) removal by each crop was calculated and a nutrient balance sheet was prepared (table 2).

Table 1: Latest Crop Production Statistics of Assam- 2012-13

Parameters	Rice	Wheat	Maize	Small Millets	Totals cereals	Tur (Arhar)	Total Pulses	Total Foodgrains	Total Oilseeds	Sugarcane	Jute
Area	2488.2	33.9	23.7	4.4	2550.3	6	141.2	2691.5	306.2	28.9	65.1
Production	5128.5	44.2	21.3	2.2	5196.2	4.9	84.4	5280.6	186.8	1028.2	558
Productivity	2061	1304	897	494	2038	829	598	1962	610	35613	1543

Area ('000 ha); Production ('000 tonnes); Productivity (kg/ha); # Production and Productivity in 1000 bales of 180 kg each

Table 2: Nutrient balance sheet for major crops of Assam (2012-13)

Crop	Area (in '000 ha)	Production (in '000 tonnes)	Nutrient Removal (kg/tonne)			Total Removal (tonnes)
			N	P2O5	K2O	N	P2O5	K2O
Rice	2488.2	5128.5	20.1	11.2	30	103083	57439	153855
Wheat	33.9	44.2	24.4	8.6	32.8	1078	380	1450
Maize	23.7	21.3	8.2	3.1	15.5	175	66	330
Total Pulses	141.2	84.4	40	5	20	3376	422	1688
Total Oilseeds	306.2	186.8	54	14	46	10087	2615	8593
Sugarcane	28.9	1028.2	1.7	0.2	2	1748	206	2056
Jute	65.1	558	23.5	13	41.7	13113	7254	23269
		Total removal by major crops				132660	68382	191241
		Total fertilizer consumption in Assam				151050	49080	75520
		Consumption * Efficiency factor				60420	14724	52864
		Balance/Deficit				-72240	-53658	-138377

Efficiency of N=40%; P2O5= 30%; and K2O=70%

*Crop production and fertilizer use data are retrieved from Fertiliser Statistics, 2013-14, The Fertiliser Association of India, New Delhi