Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government on Friday signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with four state-run corporations to strengthen agricultural development and improve farmers’ welfare during the financial year 2026–27. The agreements were signed between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and the Odisha Agro-Industrial Corporation (OAIC), Odisha Agriculture Promotion and Capital Investment Corporation Limited (APICOL), Odisha State Seeds Corporation Limited (OSSC), and Odisha State Cashew Development Corporation Limited (OSCDCL).
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the department, Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, who is also the Chairman of the four corporations. The Managing Directors of the respective corporations signed the agreements on behalf of their organisations.
Addressing the gathering, Singh Deo called upon the corporations to work in close coordination with the department to accelerate agricultural growth and enhance farmers’ incomes. He also reviewed the performance of the corporations and their action plans for the current financial year.
Under the MoU, OAIC has set an ambitious target of procuring 54,000 tonnes of fertilizers, supplying 8,400 tractors, 1,200 power tillers and other agricultural implements during 2026–27. The corporation will also implement 6,240 electric-powered lift irrigation points and 1,200 shallow tubewell projects under the Jalanidhi scheme. Besides, it aims to achieve horticultural input sales worth about Rs 24 crore and an overall business turnover of Rs 1,200 crore. The Deputy Chief Minister advised OAIC to adopt advanced technologies to improve efficiency and service delivery.
APICOL, on the other hand, plans to facilitate the establishment of 1,659 agri-based commercial enterprises with a Capital Investment Subsidy (CIS) target of Rs 330 crore during FY 2026–27. The corporation has earmarked Rs 300 crore for the Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY) and Rs 30 crore to support cold storage infrastructure.
To boost cashew cultivation in the state, OSCDCL will undertake hybrid cashew replantation over 500 hectares during the current financial year. It will also carry out third- and fourth-year maintenance of existing plantations covering 761.22 hectares. Singh Deo stressed the need for the corporation to strengthen branding and marketing initiatives to improve the market value of Odisha’s cashew produce.
The Odisha State Seeds Corporation Limited (OSSC) will focus on strengthening the state’s seed production and distribution network by promoting high-yielding and climate-resilient seed varieties. The corporation will also organise joint training and capacity-building programmes for government officials and seed growers. The Deputy Chief Minister directed OSSC to give special emphasis to the production and promotion of short-duration crop varieties to help farmers better cope with changing climatic conditions.
The government said the MoUs are aimed at improving institutional coordination, enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting agri-entrepreneurship, and ensuring timely availability of quality inputs to farmers across the state.
