Bhubaneswar: In a bid to make Odisha self-reliant in potato cultivation, the state government has planned to cultivate potatoes in over 50,000 acres of agricultural land. A high-level meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo to discuss the plan.
Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Director of Agriculture, Shubham Saxena, Director of Horticulture, Kalunge Gorakh Waman were also present in the meeting.
The meeting directed the Agriculture Department to provide potato seeds to farmers in advance to achieve the target. Approximately 3 lakh potato seeds will be supplied to farmers as per their requirements. The department has made arrangements for the smooth logistics of seed supply from the first week of November, which will be distributed block-wise based on demand.
Additionally, the government plans to cultivate 600 quintals of onion seeds in 6,000 hectares, 100 quintals of chillies in 1,000 hectares, and 7,500 quintals of garlic in 300 hectares. Farmers can contact the Agriculture Department’s toll-free number 155333 or the nearest Horticulture Officer for seed requirements or shortages.
The initiative aims to boost agricultural production and reduce dependence on other states for essential crops.
