Bhubaneswar: Taking advantage of Odisha’s favorable soil and climate, a state-level conference for horticulture officers was organized today at Krushi Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, by the Directorate of Horticulture under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment.
The key objectives of this conference were to advance agricultural development, boost farmers’ earnings, and strengthen nutritional security across the state. The program was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister (Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy) Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Director of Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman, and other senior departmental officials.
During the event, Deputy Chief Minister Singh Deo instructed officers to visit the field regularly, engage directly with farmers, understand their genuine challenges, and offer tangible solutions. He emphasized the necessity of monitoring whether government schemes are reaching the ground as intended and advised officials to implement the knowledge acquired from government training sessions directly into field operations. Furthermore, he issued strict orders requiring all officials, including the Director, to submit monthly field visit reports to the office.
The conference addressed several vital priorities, including expanding oil palm cultivation to reduce the shortage of edible oil, improving crop quality to target international export markets, and encouraging the cultivation of high-value crops alongside commercial floriculture to maximize return on land. Technical sessions covered modern farming practices, adoption of advanced technology, effective scheme implementation, post-harvest handling, and facilitating direct sales from farmers to consumers.
Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ‘Khety Agro Pvt. Ltd.’ and the Directorate of Horticulture to advance climate-resilient agriculture, marking a major step toward modernizing horticulture and enhancing farmer livelihoods in Odisha. A vote of thanks was delivered by the Additional Director, Geetashri Parhi.
