About 80 percent of the rural population depends on agriculture, even though some areas are unproductive and some others are unsuitable for more than a single annual crop. Orissa produces about one-tenth of the total rice output of India. Other important crops are oilseeds, pulses, jute, sugarcane and coconut. The nonagricultural classes live by handicrafts by trade and by the rendering of services. Some rural families depend on village or cottage industries, including weaving.

A number of Agricultural families engage in nonagricultural pursuits by way of subsidiary employment. Whatever their occupation, most rural people do not continuous employment the year around. The amount of agricultural land available per person has been declining because of growth of population. The search of new lands for cultivation, the partial abolition of large landholdings, and the distribution of available land among landless families have been some of the acute problems faced by the state government in the late 20th century.