Keonjhar District Profile

District at a glance

Economy, resources and livelihoods

Keonjhar District is known as the daughter of the State of Odisha because of its similar shape on the map. Agriculture is the main economic activity, followed by mining and quarrying. The district has rich reserves of iron ore and manganese, while deposits of chromite, quartz, quartzite and pyrophyllite are also reported from different areas.

The district has 80 mines and 31 large or medium-scale industries, of which 28 are mineral based. Together, these industries provide employment to about 8,400 people. Forests cover approximately 37.3 percent of the district and support non-timber forest produce activities, including collection of minor forest produce and preparation of sal-leaf plates and cups. Livestock rearing—particularly sheep, goats and pigs—is also an important livelihood for tribal communities.

Paddy is the principal Khariff crop. Pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are important Rabi crops, while mango, cashew, guava and citrus are major horticultural crops. Of the district’s population of 18.01 lakh, about 2.56 lakh are cultivators and 2.26 lakh are agricultural labourers. Nearly 72 percent of the total labour force derives its livelihood from agriculture.

Banks provide short-term crop credit through Kisan Credit Cards. The eligible loan quantum is based on the Scale of Finance decided crop-wise by the District Level Technical Committee for Khariff and Rabi seasons. Agriculture programmes focus on improved seed, farm mechanisation, organic farming, crop diversification, soil management and farmer capacity building.

Crop loans under KCC are covered under the applicable crop-insurance framework for notified insurable crops. Interest rates, subventions and eligibility are subject to current Government and Bank rules; customers should confirm the latest terms with their branch.