Discerning the interdependence between water, crops and milk production in a study conducted for30 districts of Odisha, district wise three factors namely, irrigation, crop output and milk output were estimated. Positive correlations of 0.86 between irrigation and crop output, 0.81 between irrigation and milk output and 0.69 between crop and milk output were observed, all the correlation values are significant at 1 per cent level. Analysing district wise matching three factors, it was observed that highest association of dataset existed between the factors of irrigation and crop output; in comparison to other two sets. The multiple regression analysis of two independent variables (irrigation and crop output) on the milk output, clearly indicated that irrigation had a strong positive association with milk output and the shift in milk output was affected due to irrigation factor only

irrigation, crop output, milk output, correlation, linear regression, interdependence

Verily water is the principal input for triggering development in agriculture and allied sectors. The study was undertaken for the state of Odisha with an overarching goal of reinforcing the apparently obvious fact that water elicits agricultural growth including milk production. The hypothesis that provision of water through the irrigation systems is the prime mover for higher crop production and productivity. In turn, the generation of increased bio-masses including crop residues in a locality do provide an opportune environment for triggering milk production. Though this well-stated fact of organic linkage does appear obvious, but hardly there was any evidence to reaffirm the interdependence of water, crops and milk in a particular locality. An attempt was made by the authors to collect secondary information from two different sources of Government of Odisha publications available on public domain for all 30 districts of the state; firstly, gross area under irrigation (including all sources of irrigation), secondly, on the value of all crops put together in current price and thirdly, on the value of milk in current price and conduct a meta-analysis. Comparing the positive correlation coefficients between the three factors under study clearly indicated that highest correlation was estimated between factors of irrigation and crop output and the lowest was observed between factors of crop output and milk output. Further, ‘matching’ of district performances based on rank and range of the districts with respect to the three parameters under study, there was a strong indication in majority of the districts that provision of irrigation water triggered crop outputs and simultaneously served as a pathway for milk output in the district. The multiple regression analyses reinforced these evidences that the regression equation of ‘milk output’ as a dependent variable to the ‘irrigation’ as an independent variable is more reliable than the equation of ‘milk output’ as dependent variable to the ‘crop output’ as an independent variable. Hence, considering the above empirical evidences, the policy makers and planners need to comprehend the organic linkage between water-crops-milk as an interdependent continuum; however, more precisely water-led crop output and water-led milk output, for ushering in development in a region/ state

Sanat Mishra, Mahamaya P. Nayak and Dayanidhi Mishra (2023). Water- Crops- Milk Interdependence: A Case Study of Odisha. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(12): 524-528.