Odisha seeks Central aid at kharif meet

Bhubaneswar: Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo represented Odisha at the National Conference on Agriculture – Kharif Abhiyan 2025, held Thursday at the Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Kendra in New Delhi.

Addressing the gathering, Singh Deo urged the Centre to enhance support for pulses and oilseeds cultivation, revise guidelines under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, and integrate the PM-KISAN and CM-KISAN schemes.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who chaired the conference, acknowledged Odisha’s proposals and assured them of due consideration. The national-level conference brought together agriculture ministers from across the country to discuss preparations for the upcoming Kharif cropping season.

Singh Deo, accompanied by Principal Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee, showcased several initiatives by the Odisha government aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector. These included the Samrudha Krushak Yojana, which provides farmers an additional `800 over the Minimum Support Price, a new cold storage policy to boost post-harvest infrastructure, and the promotion of Farmer Producer Organisations through Agricultural Production Clusters. He also outlined efforts to enhance seed quality, utilise rice fallow lands, and support higher education for farmers’ children through the Krushi Vidyanidhi Yojana.

Emphasising the state’s organic farming drive, Singh Deo highlighted the Balabhadra Jaivik Chasa Mission, which currently spans 16,600 hectares across eight districts. He cited the use of organic rice at the Puri Jagannath Temple under the Amruta Anna Yojana as a model for sustainable food sourcing.

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