Odisha's Agriculture Minister Advocates for Enhanced Support at National Kharif Conference

Odisha's Representation at the National Kharif Conference

In Bhubaneswar, Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo represented Odisha at the National Conference on Agriculture – Kharif Abhiyan 2025, which took place on Thursday at the Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Kendra in New Delhi.

During his address, Singh Deo called on the central government to increase support for the cultivation of pulses and oilseeds, update the guidelines for the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, and merge the PM-KISAN and CM-KISAN schemes.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who presided over the conference, recognized Odisha's proposals and promised to give them proper attention. This national conference gathered agriculture ministers from various states to strategize for the forthcoming Kharif cropping season.

Accompanied by Principal Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Singh Deo highlighted several initiatives from the Odisha government aimed at bolstering the agricultural sector. These initiatives include the Samrudha Krushak Yojana, which offers farmers an additional ₹800 above the Minimum Support Price, a new cold storage policy to enhance post-harvest infrastructure, and the promotion of Farmer Producer Organisations through Agricultural Production Clusters. He also discussed efforts to improve seed quality, utilize rice fallow lands, and support higher education for farmers' children through the Krushi Vidyanidhi Yojana.

Focusing on the state's organic farming initiatives, Singh Deo emphasized the Balabhadra Jaivik Chasa Mission, which currently covers 16,600 hectares across eight districts. He pointed to the use of organic rice at the Puri Jagannath Temple under the Amruta Anna Yojana as a sustainable food sourcing model.