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East Zone State Profiles: Assam, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal
 The largest Eastern Indian state of Bihar occupies an area of 17.39 million hectares, out of which total cropped area is 10 million hectares. The state has a total population of about 8.29 crores with a density of 880 per sq. km. Annual foodgrain production is 11.9 million tonnes (Mt), with an average productivity of 1460 kg/ha. In the last ten years, total fertilizer consumption (N + P2O5 + K2O) increased from 0.76 Mt (1988-89) to a high of about 1.0 Mt in 1999-2000. However, consumption of fertilizer nutrients declined over the next few years to a low of 0.681 Mt in 2003-04. In 2004-05, nutrient consumption by the state increased by 5.3% to 0.732 Mt. The consumption of N, P2O5 and K2O was 0.619, 0.071 and 0.042 Mt respectively during 2004-05. While N slipped marginally by 0.8%, the consumption of P2O5 and K2O had a steep increase of 54.7% and 63.5% respectively during 2004-05 over 2003-04. Availability of potash was in short of demand in the rainy as well as in the winter cropping season. NPK use ratio narrowed significantly from 24.3:1.8:1 during 2003-04 to 14.7:1.7:1 in 2004-05. Fertilizer consumption per hectare of cropped area increased to 92.7 kg as compared to 88.0 kg in the previous year. But it is quite evident from the diagram that fertilizer consumption in the state is still highly skewed towards N. This sub-optimal and imbalanced nutrient usage is causing nutrient mining leading to depletion of inherent soil fertility. An N-driven fertilizer use pattern is a major cause of P, K and S mining in most states of India. Using only, or largely using N, the farmers are making their soils highly deficient in P, K, S and other nutrients, holding back yields, profits and N-use efficiency itself. Besides, weather plays a very strong role in the state where flood and short term drought or drought like situations often prevail. In 2004-05, the North Bihar districts were under flood while South Bihar was affected by insufficient rains. Again during North-East monsoon, the rainfall was deficient at 39 mm. With cultivable land at a premium, balanced and adequate fertilization of crops, keeping in view the nutritional requirement for a targeted yield, should be the priority to improve crop yields in the state.
Latest Crop Production Statistics of Bihar
Parameters | Rice | Wheat | Maize | Total Cereals | Gram | Total Pulses | Total Foodgrains | Total Oilseeds | Sugarcane | Jute# |
Area | 3557 | 2119 | 607 | 6328 | 64 | 684 | 7012 | 149 | 103 | 155 |
Production | 5393 | 3778 | 1440 | 10654 | 67 | 563 | 11217 | 125 | 4222 | 1201 |
Productivity | 1516 | 1783 | 2374 | 1684 | 1047 | 824 | 1600 | 842 | 40990 | 1393 |
Area ('000 ha); Production ('000 tonnes); Productivity (kg/ha); # Production and Productivity in 1000 bales of 180 kg each
Nutrient balance sheet for major crops of Bihar (1998-99)
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