Bhubaneswar: In light of the impending Cyclone Dana, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo held an emergency pre-cyclone meeting on Monday to assess the preparedness of the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department.
According to an official press release, the virtual meeting, chaired by Deputy CM Singh Deo, took place at 3 PM in the Krushi Bhavan Board Room.
Senior officers, including Principal Secretary Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee and Director of Agriculture & Food Production Prem Chandra Choudhary, along with all Chief District Agriculture Officers (CDAOs), participated in the meeting.
Deputy CM Singh Deo emphasized that all officers must remain on high alert during the cyclone period, advising them not to panic but to be fully prepared for any challenges Cyclone Dana might bring.
In an official directive, leaves of all officers were canceled until October 25, and control rooms have been established at CDAO offices and Krushi Bhavan to maintain round-the-clock communication and response. Officers were instructed to keep their mobile phones operational 24/7 during this critical period.
Principal Secretary Dr Padhee outlined the department’s preparedness strategy, focusing on the dissemination of crop management advisories, particularly for paddy farmers in the coastal districts. Through the Krushi Samrudhi Helpline (155333) and social media platforms, farmers will receive timely guidance on safeguarding their crops.
He also discussed the department’s crop contingency plan and the availability of seed reserves to mitigate any crop loss due to the cyclone.
During the meeting, Director of Agriculture & Food Production, Prem Chandra Choudhary, provided an update on the current crop status. He reported that harvesting of extra early paddy, covering 3.2 lakh hectares, is mostly complete.
Medium-duration paddy is at the panicle initiation to flowering stage, and late-duration paddy is at the panicle initiation stage. Maize is currently being harvested, cotton is in the boll formation stage, and seedlings for Rabi vegetables are being prepared. Ragi has reached maturity and is at the harvesting stage.
CDAOs from coastal districts informed the gathering that respective district Collectors have already held preparatory meetings and shared crop advisories to ensure farmers are alert and prepared.
