The focus of the study is to empirically analyse the climatic impacts on foodgrain yield and its variability across seasons and altitudes in Odisha. The study uses Just-Pope Stochastic Production function by using twostep Feasible Generalized Least Square (FGLS): mean equation estimation and variance equation estimation. The study uses the panel data on foodgrain yield, rainfall and temperature for 13 districts of the state during the period 1984–2013. The results show that an increase in the standard deviations of monthly rainfall during rainy and autumn seasons have an adversely significant impact on the mean yield of foodgrains in Odisha. The changing pattern of temperature has increasing effect on the yield variability of foodgrains during the summer season, whereas it has a decreasing effect on yield variability of foodgrains during the rainy season. Moreover, the positive expected signs of trend variable in both mean and variance equations suggest that foodgrain yield and its variability increase with time. On the other hand, a change in the mean levels of rainfall and temperature during different seasons has heterogeneous impacts either harmful or beneficial depending on the altitudes.
Altitude, adaptation strategies, climate change, foodgrain prodcution, yield variability
