Bhubaneswar: A review meeting of the Crop Weather Watch Group Committee was held at Krushi Bhavan on Monday to assess the ongoing agricultural scenario in Odisha. The meeting was chaired by Principal Secretary of Agriculture, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, and attended by IMD Bhubaneswar Director Dr. Manorama Mohapatra, among other senior officials.
As per the data shared in the meeting, Odisha has received 16 percent more rainfall than normal so far this monsoon season. The surplus rainfall has created highly favourable conditions for the Kharif crop cycle, particularly for water-intensive crops such as paddy, cotton, and potato.
The Agriculture Department is currently issuing real-time agro-advisories to farmers, guided by the weather updates and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). These advisories, aimed at helping farmers make informed decisions, are being disseminated in Odia and Sambalpuri languages. Dr. Padhee stressed the importance of expanding this multilingual approach, noting that the use of regional languages would be strengthened in the coming days to improve outreach.
Farmers have also been urged to make use of the Krushi Samruddhi Helpline, where they can call to get their queries answered and receive weather-based agricultural guidance tailored to their local context.
In addition, the Principal Secretary directed departmental officers to ensure the timely and sufficient supply of high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and other critical agricultural inputs. He emphasized that all government-backed schemes and benefits must reach the intended farmer beneficiaries without delay or dilution.
The meeting saw participation from senior officials across departments, including Special Secretary of Agriculture Dillip Parida, Additional Secretary, Joint Director of Horticulture, officers from the Cooperation and Water Resources Departments, and senior representatives from the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).
