Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated Krushi Odisha 2023 with watering a sapling, a noble initiative of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE) for a greener future. The three-day event is focused on discussing emerging technologies in agriculture and promoting the state’s agricultural sector.
During the inaugural event, the Chief Minister highlighted Odisha’s transformation from a food-deficit to a food-surplus state and shared that efforts are underway to increase productivity through farm mechanization.
Principal Secretary of DA&FE, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, welcomed attendees and shared that under the direction of the Chief Minister, Odisha is emphasizing on farm mechanization, crop diversification, high value agriculture products, and farm entrepreneurship.
Dr. Subroto Bagchi, Chairman of the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA), emphasized the need for the state to prepare around 15 lakh farmers and agri-based human resources in a mission mode to achieve Vision 2036 of being recognized globally in the agriculture sector.
Emphasizing the need of convergence of all departments with DA&FE, Bagchi said Odisha can be developed as a pioneer state through skill development programme. There is need to create a brand ‘Grown In Odisha’ in the next decade.
Skill Development Department is holding a discussion with DA&FE to establish an agriculture-based World Skill Centre & detailed report will be handed over to the government soon, informed Bagchi.
The seminar on “Humble Millets: Hope for Future” was chaired by Dr. Padhee, who highlighted the nutritional and environmental benefits of the climate-resilient and nutritious crop and urged all to incorporate millets in their diets.
The Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) – India, Elisabeth Faure, emphasized the ‘Mapping and Exchange of Good Practices’ initiative for scaling up production and consumption of millets with a focus on nutrition support for children and women.
Faure appreciated the Odisha government for pioneering the Odisha Millets Mission in 2017 prior to 2018 being declared as National Year of Millets. She said that the mission’s key features should be scaled up, and there is a need for investments in research for raising production and productivity of millets with a focus on women farmers.
Director of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Dr. CV Ratnavathi, informed that Ragi is quickly catching up in production and consumption in Odisha. She congratulated the state for evolving from a rice-producing state to a significant millet-producing state and promised 100% technical support to Odisha. Dr. Ratnavathi also shared details of a training program organized by ICAR – IIMR to promote millet start-ups, in which millet entrepreneurs are provided with seed funding of up to Rs 5 lakh.
The Officer-In-Charge of the UN–Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr. Konda Reddy, expressed the intention of the FAO to collaborate with Odisha for seed systems development and as a knowledge partner.
While summarizing the seminar discussions, Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr. Ulac Demirag, said that millets are one of the key solutions to many challenges, such as malnutrition and climate change. The event concluded with a hope that the discussions and initiatives put forward during Krushi Odisha 2023 will help Odisha achieve its vision of becoming a globally recognized agricultural state.
