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East Zone State Profiles: Assam, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal
 West Bengal has a total geographical area of 8.88 million hectares. Total population of the state is about 8.02 crores with a population density of 904 per sq. km. Around 30% of the state's income is from agriculture. The state produces more than 15% of total rice production in the country. The state accounts for 72% of the country's jute, 34% potato and 22% tea production. Cropped area covers 5.47 million hectares with a cropping intensity of 174.4%. Only 35 percent of the 5.47 million hectares are irrigated. Current foodgrain production of the state is 16.0 million tonnes (Mt). Total fertilizer nutrient consumption at 1.262 Mt during 2004-05 registered increase of 13.1% compared to 2003-04. Consumption of N at 0.625 Mt recorded increase of 7.4%, P2O5 and K2O consumption at 0.343 and 0.294 Mt during 2004-05 recorded positive growth of 12.8% and 27.8% respectively compared to the previous year. NPK use ratio changed marginally from 2.5:1.3:1 in 2003-04 to 2.1:1.2:1 during 2004-05. Per hectare consumption of fertilizer nutrients in 2004-05 was 129.1 kg. West Bengal has maintained a favorable plant nutrient use ratio over the last ten years, but the quantity of fertilizer used per unit area is low. Inadequate fertilization with NPK and deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients are the major constraints of improving the productivity levels in the state. Keeping the population growth rate in mind, substantial increase in yield of crops in the state is an absolute necessity. Nutrient balance calculations for the state supports the need for adequate N, P and K fertilizer use. The magnitude of nutrient removal by the major crops of the state is much higher than the plant nutrient replenishment through fertilizers.
Latest Crop Production Statistics of West Bengal
Parameters | Rice | Wheat | Maize | Total Cereals | Lentil | Total Pulses | Total Foodgrains | Rapeseed
/Mustard | Total Oilseeds | Jute# | Potato |
Area | 5857 | 426 | 33 | 6345 | 61 | 252 | 6597 | 408 | 684 | 620 | 349 |
Production | 14662 | 986 | 86 | 15768 | 42 | 212 | 15980 | 328 | 651 | 8367 | 6902 |
Productivity | 2504 | 2315 | 2359 | 2485 | 629 | 840 | 2422 | 805 | 952 | 2427 | 19761 |
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 West Bengal (1998-99)
*Efficiency factor: N =0.45; P2O5 = 0.25; K2O = 0.7
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