Connect with:
Thursday / April 25. 2024

logo
mobile-logo
HomePosts Tagged "Odisha"
AgroPolicy, Sustainability

Naveen Patnaik, in his inaugural speech, acknowledged the contribution of international experts and scientists from the CGIAR in improving agriculture in the State of Odisha

The three-day Krushi Odisha 2024 conclave organised by the Government of Odisha with the theme ‘Celebrating Women in Agriculture’ was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of the State Naveen Patnaik at Janta Maidan. More than 70 per cent of the participants were women farmers and the lead women farmers were recognised and felicitated at the event.

Naveen Patnaik, in his inaugural speech, acknowledged the contribution of international experts and scientists from the CGIAR in improving agriculture in the State of Odisha.

The pre-inaugural session ‘Gender-responsive and Nutri-sensitive Food Systems – Delivering Nutrition and Health for All’ was led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in partnership with the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).

Commending the Government of Odisha on the initiative, the Director General of ICRISAT, Dr Jacqueline Hughes, underscored the organisation’s commitment to inclusive growth, noting that the empowerment of women in agriculture fosters positive change towards healthier food systems and a sustainable future. 

“Women in agriculture are not just contributors; they are leaders, innovators, and stewards of the land. It’s time to recognize and amplify their role in shaping the future of farming,” said Prof Pravat Kumar Roul.

“We need to work hand-in-hand with female farmers who are critical in shaping the diets of the family – empowering women farmers not only empowers current families but safeguards future families through improved health and nutrition in children,” said Dr Sean Mayes.

Naveen Patnaik, in his inaugural speech, acknowledged

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India

Koraput Kalajeera rice known as the ‘prince of rice’ is an aromatic variety originating from the Koraput district of Odisha

A type of rice called Koraput Kalajeera Rice, grown by tribal farmers in Odisha, has been awarded a Geographical Indications (GI) tag due to its nutritional value and distinct aroma.

The Jaivik Sri Farmers Producer Company Limited at Pujariput applied for the GI registry in January 2022, with the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Odisha government’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment.

Koraput district in Odisha is the origin of cultivated rice, and the farmers of the region have domesticated Kalajeera rice over generations, leading to the conservation of the crop. Known as the ‘Prince of Rice’, Koraput Kalajeera Rice is favoured by consumers for its black colour, good aroma, taste, and texture. It is grown in areas such as Tolla, Patraput, Pujariput, Baliguda, and Mohuli in Koraput district.

Rice has been shown to have several health benefits, such as improving memory, controlling diabetes, increasing haemoglobin levels, and boosting the body’s metabolism. Furthermore, it has antispasmodic, stomachic, carminative, antibacterial, astringent, and sedative properties. Separately, Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal, a brinjal species grown in Nayagarh district, has also recently received the GI tag from the Centre.

Koraput Kalajeera rice known as the ‘prince

Company News, India, R&D

The action research aims to study the effectiveness of biological soil treatments and resistant varieties in reducing the occurrence of bacterial wilt.

East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT), Koppert India, and Koppert Foundation recently launched their first collaborative project, involving action research in India. This research is being implemented at EWS-KT’s Center of Excellence learning farm in Keonjhar, Odisha.

Earlier this year, EWS-KT and Koppert Foundation signed an agreement to work together on biological-control-based or nature-based methods to improve smallholder farmers’ plant health and crop performance. Koppert is a global leader in the research, development, and production of biological crop protection and natural pollination products.

The current action research project at the Center of Excellence focuses on tomato bacterial wilt—the main issue facing farmers in the area during the rainy season.

Conducted from July to December 2023, the project involves two variables—soil application programs (Koppert biosolution versus farmers’ practice) and tomato varieties (susceptible variety versus variety resistant to bacterial wilt)—in four combinations.

Treatment 1: Koppert biological products with a variety resistant to bacterial wilt

Treatment 2: Koppert biological products with a variety susceptible to bacterial wilt

Treatment 3: Farmers’ common chemical practice with a variety resistant to bacterial wilt

Treatment 4: Farmers’ common chemical practice with a variety susceptible to bacterial wilt

Bacterial wilt leads to substantial yield and income losses for tomato farmers, and managing it has proved to be difficult. Chemical control methods may not be feasible due to their high cost and potential environmental risks, and biological control measures are highly recommended for disease management.

Common nature-based strategies against bacterial wilt involve integrated crop management methods such as the use of resistant varieties, healthy seed and seedlings, crop rotation, biological control, and other good agronomic practices. However, there are no universally effective control measures that can address the wide range of plant hosts affected by the pathogen. The goal of this action research is to study the effectiveness of biological soil treatments and resistant varieties in reducing the occurrence of bacterial wilt, thus improving crop yield and ensuring a profitable tomato production outcome.

We are excited to embark on this joint journey, and we look forward to future collaborations to enable smallholder farmers to grow healthy and productive crops with minimum use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

The action research aims to study the

Acquaculture, India, Live Stock, R&D

Between June and September 2022, the project’s fish breeding team produced more than 7 million mola hatchlings

At WorldFish, scientists achieved a significant milestone in June 2022 by successfully inducing the breeding of mola for the first time in India at its partner hatchery, Biswal Aquatech in Odisha, standardising breeding protocol for mola. The breakthrough involved designing breeding tanks fed with a steady shower of oxygen-rich water from an aeration tower to improve breeding and larval survival.

The innovation opened the door for mass mola production with minimal risk of animal disease spread, improving availability and access to nutrient-rich food in rural communities in Odisha.

Between June and September 2022, the project’s fish breeding team produced more than 7 million mola hatchlings, which were either sold or distributed free of charge to farmers, who used them primarily for household consumption and sale. Aiming to benefit women in particular, the project collaborated with the Odisha Government’s Mission Shakti initiative, distributing approximately 15,000 fries to women’s self-help groups for stocking in publicly owned tanks.

“Previously, mola was absent in our gram panchayat tank. After the introduction of mola in our pond by WorldFish and the Department of Fisheries, we are able to harvest and consume mola frequently,” said Gurubari Khilar, a mother of two young children and a member of Maa Manasa Women Self-Help Group that received the mola fry from the hatchery.

“This success has motivated other Mission Shakti self-help groups in the area to take up fish farming in gram panchayat tanks on a large-scale basis. The technical collaboration with WorldFish was very instrumental in the successful implementation of this scheme,” said, Sujata R Karthikeyan, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha.

Between June and September 2022, the project’s

AgroPolicy, Horticulture, Supply Chain, Trade

The government is taking steps to control inflation and meet the demand and check the prices of tomatoes in India

Nirmala Sitharaman Finance Minister (FM) informed the Parliament that the government is importing tomatoes from Nepal due to a record-high spike in prices in the country.

The minister said that the government is taking steps to control inflation and meet the demand and check the prices of tomatoes in India, it has decided to import them from its neighbour, Nepal. Sitharaman was participating in a debate on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha. As per her, the government has removed import restrictions and the first lot of tomatoes from Nepal will reach Varanasi, Kanpur, Lucknow this week.

Sitharaman also said that through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and other cooperative societies, the government has been procuring tomatoes from Maharashtra and Karnataka. These tomatoes are then distributed in Delhi-NCR, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan at subsidised rates. The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd. has distributed 8.84 lakh kg of tomatoes in the aforementioned states. The finance minister added that the wholesale prices of tomatoes in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are already coming down.

Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu are the major tomato-producing states in the country. These states account for 91 per cent of the total production of the country, said FM.

The government is taking steps to control

AgroPolicy, India, Oilseeds, Schemes - Govt

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies are participating in Mega Plantation Drive for Oil Palm Cultivation to cover an area of roughly 7750 hectares

To increase the oil palm production area to 10 lakh hectares and boost the Crude Palm Oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26, the Government of India launched National Mission for Edible Oils- Oil Palm in August 2021. In addition to the marked growth in the production of edible oils, the Mission is also successfully leading India towards an ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ by reducing the import burden. Under the Mission, the State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies have initiated a Mega Oil Palm Plantation drive from 25th July 2023 to further increase oil palm cultivation in the country. Three major oil palm processing companies, namely, Patanjali Food Pvt. Ltd., Godrej Agrovet, and 3F are actively promoting and participating with the farmers in their respective states for record area expansion.

The Mega plantation drive commenced on 25th July 2023 and will continue till 12th August 2023. The major oil palm growing states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh will be participating in this initiative.

The drive started on the 25th of July 2023 in the Rest of India (RoI) states i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Goa and Karnataka, and will continue till the 08th of August and will cover an area of almost 7000 hectares area out of which more than 6500 hectares is targeted to be covered by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing

Acquaculture, Climate, Live Stock, Sustainability

This collaboration, supported by the World Bank, aims to empower smallholder fish producers, introduce innovative technologies and improve the livelihoods of farmers in 15 districts of the state

WorldFish, the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fisheries have joined forces to boost climate-resilient aquaculture in Odisha. In a momentous event, a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed with a focus on climate resilience for smallholder aquatic food producers. The signing ceremony, attended by esteemed government officials, World Bank representatives and WorldFish staff, marked a significant step towards advancing the state’s aquaculture sector. 

Smruti Ranjan Pradhan, the director of fisheries for Odisha, Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, the project director of OIIPCRA and an additional secretary to the Government of Odisha and Arun Padiyar, WorldFish lead in India signed the MoA in the presence of Anu Garg, the development commissioner-cum-additional chief secretary of the Department of Water Resources in Odisha, Suresh Kumar Vashisth, the principal secretary of the Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development in Odisha and Arabinda Kumar Padhee, the principal secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment in Odisha. 

The agreement, facilitated by the Odisha Community Tank Development and Management Society (OCTDMS), aims to intensify and diversify agricultural production while enhancing climate resilience. Under the agreement, WorldFish will provide technical assistance and knowledge support for the Odisha Integrated Irrigation and Climate Resilience Agriculture (OIIPCRA) initiative. 

“Our previous collaboration with WorldFish had a significant impact whereby the seed production in Odisha doubled thus ensuring the state’s self-sufficiency through the adoption of WorldFish’s early breeding technology and facilitation in adopting reservoir cage culture,” said, Suresh Kumar Vashisth Principal Secretary Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Odisha

“In Odisha, the government is particularly focused on promoting climate-resilient aquatic food production systems in these public water bodies. This project serves as an economically beneficial activity and provides incentives to the local community,” said, Arun Pandiyar India Lead WorldFish.

The OIIPCRA project will benefit smallholder farmers across 15 districts, including Balangir, Balasore, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Boudh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nawarangpur, Nuapada and Subarnapur. By focusing on adaptation and mitigation strategies, species diversification and the adoption of new technologies, the project aims to enhance production, increase income and reduce the vulnerability of resource-poor farmers to climate shocks. 

This collaboration, supported by the World Bank,

AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Sustainability

The project is to be implemented with assistance from AOM Group and Centurion University

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship flagged off Gabon’s first Agri- SEZ project from New Delhi. The project will be implemented by the AOM group with Centurion University as the technical and knowledge partner. In the first phase of the program, 30 farmers and 20 B.Sc./M.Sc. Agri and B.Tech/M. Tech Engineering students from the Gajapati district, which is an Aspirational district of Odisha, will be travelling together as agri-technical and technical consultants for the agriculture SEZ which is being developed under this project.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said that the launch will add a new chapter to that relationship, he further added. He also expressed confidence that the establishment of an Agriculture and Food Processing Special Economic Zone in Gabon will be a significant milestone towards enhancing food security and self-sufficiency in the country.

Speaking about the India-Africa relationship, he said that, in the last 9 years, India-Africa relations have gone from strength to strength, recording more than 35 high-level visits from India and more than 100 similar ones from Africa. Anti-colonial solidarity, diasporic goodwill, and the principle of ‘South-South’ cooperation, among others, are also playing a significant role in strengthening the partnership between India and the African continent, he further added.

He also said that development partnership is a key pillar in India’s African policy. Being a trusted partner in the journey of socio-economic development, India has extended concessional loans of over $ 12.3 billion to Africa and $ 700 million of grant assistance with development projects in various sectors.

He said that Gabon and other African countries have a lot to learn from India’s development journey and recent initiatives like the Aspirational Districts Program.

He also spoke about India-Africa’s long-standing relations in the areas of education and skill development.

The project is to be implemented with

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Horticulture, India, R&D, Sustainability

CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) to be set up at Bengaluru, Mango and Vegetables at Jaipur (Odisha) & Vegetables and Flowers at South Goa

Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are being established in various States through Bilateral Cooperation or Research Institutes. These CoEs serve as demonstration and training centres for the latest technologies in the field of horticulture. These CoEs also serve as a source of planting material for fruits and vegetable seedlings for protected cultivation and are used for transfer of technology and knowhow in diverse areas, viz., Post-Harvest management, Irrigation and Fertigation, Plant protection, Introduction of New Varieties, Pollination etc.

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved 49 CoEs till now, out of which the following 3 CoEs have been approved.

CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) by Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, Karnataka at Experimental Station, Hirehalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

CoE for Mango and Vegetables under Indo-Israel Action Plan at Panikoili, Jajpur District, Odisha.

CoE for Vegetables and Flowers under Indo-Israel Action Plan at Govt. Agricultural Farm, Codar, Khandepar, Ponda, South Goa, Goa.

CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) at Bengaluru, Karnataka Centre is to develop the latest production technology as per the international standard & off-season production and demonstration these technologies for high-yield production. The Centre will aim to achieve self-sustenance in Kamlam fruit production, value addition and enhance the economic development of the farming community.

CoE for Mango and Vegetables at Jajpur, Odisha Centre is to generate knowledge in nursery management, cultivation practices, and production of high quality & large quantities of planting material for mango and vegetable crops. The Centre will also focus on the demonstration of new varieties, Israeli Agro technology in irrigation, fertigation & Plant protection technologies along with precision Agriculture and post-harvest management technology. The Centre will prepare a training model based on the focused areas such as irrigation, fertigation, nursery, canopy & value chain for the benefit of farmers.

CoE for Vegetables and Flowers at Ponda, Goa Centre will focus on the demonstration of a Hi-tech nursery management system with advanced production technology through automated irrigation and fertigation system for the production of disease-free and healthy vegetable seedlings of improved varieties of vegetables and flowers suitable for Goa. The Centre will also strengthen infrastructure for the promotion of pre & post-harvest management of quality products and develop protocols/guidelines tailored to the local conditions in the CoE & farmer’s field as well.

CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) to be

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, India, IT, People, Sustainability

It provides personalised help to farmers based on their recorded data

Odisha government has launched an AI-powered ChatBot, to help farmers access, government schemes, and loan products from more than 40 commercial and cooperative banks. Governor of Odisha, Prof. Ganeshi Lal, launched Ama KrushAI ChatBot service in Bhubaneshwar.

Ama KrushAI’s algorithm has a feature on this knowledge set to effectively resolve farmers’ queries on a wide range. It provides personalised help to farmers based on their recorded data in the Krushak Odisha state farmers’ database as well as their historic digital activity recorded on different agri-gov-tech systems.

The state government is planning to launch Ama KrushAI at scale for all farmers in the state after successful pilots. The department also plans to introduce text-to-speech translation to allow farmers to listen to the answers to their queries in Odia, instead of reading them on the app.

ChatGPT, the chatbot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, is capable of generating human-like replies, allowing natural conversation between the user and the virtual assistant. It reached an estimated 100 million monthly active users in January, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application, and has clocked over 590 million visits.

It provides personalised help to farmers based

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, Environment, India, People, Sustainability

The main objectives of Sagar Parikrama are to disseminate information on various fisheries-related schemes and programs being implemented by the government

Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, starts the Sagar Parikrama Phase-III from Hazira Port, Gujarat, and proceeds towards the coastal line of Maharashtra at Satpati, Vasai, Versova, and Parikrama will end at Sasson Dock, Mumbai.

The main objectives of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ are to facilitate interaction with fishermen, coastal communities and stakeholders so as to disseminate information on various fisheries-related schemes and programs being implemented by the Government; demonstrate solidarity with all fisher folk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholder as a spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, to promote responsible fisheries with focus on the sustainable balance between the utilisation of marine fisheries resources for food security of nation and livelihoods of coastal fisher communities and protection of marine ecosystems.

The journey of Sagar Parikrama focuses on the sustainable balance between the utilisation of marine fisheries resources for the food security of the nation and livelihoods of coastal fisher communities and the protection of marine ecosystems, to bridge the gaps of fisher communities, and their expectations, development of fishing villages, upgradation and creation of infrastructure such as fishing harbours & landing centres to ensure sustainable and responsible development through an ecosystem approach.

The Sagar Parikrama program is celebrated in all coastal States/UTs through a pre-decided sea route down right from Gujarat, Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands to have interaction program with fishermen, fisher communities and stakeholders in these locations to know the problems of Coastal Fisher folk. A holistic approach has been adopted to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of fishers and fishermen in rural areas and create more livelihood opportunities.

The main objectives of Sagar Parikrama are

AgroPolicy, Environment, Sustainability

The project will be executed in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh government promoted Rythu Sadhikara Samstha

Govt of Odisha is set to roll out a climate-resilient natural farming programme in tribal-dominated areas of five districts in a step toward sustainable agriculture. The project will be executed in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh government promoted Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), to implement natural farming, they said.

The project, covering 3.15 lakh hectares of farmland, will be rolled out from 2022-23 fiscal with an investment of around Rs 312 crore over five years. A cluster approach will be adopted for the scheme, to be undertaken through women’s self-help groups (WSHGs) in Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada and Koraput districts.

The WSHGs will be trained for crop diversification, initial preparation of bio-inputs and pre-monsoon sowing. They will be assisted in the establishment of common facility centres for cleaning, grading, segregation and storage.

The project will be executed in collaboration

Agro chems – Fertilizers

The project is expected to be completed by August 2024.

Pune-based Smartchem Technologies Limited (STL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (DFPCL), a trusted chemicals and fertiliser manufacturer in India, has laid a foundation stone of its Technical Ammonium Nitrate (TAN) complex at Gopalpur Industrial Park on December 9, 2021. CM of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation of the project in presence of Chairman & MD of STL, Sailesh Mehta, and Dibya Shankar Mishra, Minister of Energy; Industries; Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises.

The project is being built with an investment of Rs 2,200 crore and will have a capacity of 377 KTPA. The plant has the best-in-class technology from Casale, that ensures safest plant with lowest possible emission. The project is expected to be completed by August 2024.

On project completion and commencement, Odisha will become a key source of TAN to the entire Eastern Belt where majority of Mining and Infrastructure growth is foreseen in future.  It will generate employment for 1,500 people during the project phase and 325 people during the operation phase.

Sailesh Mehta, said, “STL is partnering with Odisha to support growth in the Mining & Infrastructure Sector and this complex is the first step to accomplish our ten-year-old dream to expand operations in the Eastern Region and come closer to our end users. Technical Ammonium Nitrate is a very important raw material that will fuel the infrastructure, economy, and development of the nation. We are looking forward to reducing our dependence on imports and the Gopalpur Industrial Park’s strategic location may help us do that very quickly in the near future. Tata SEZL can attract ancillary units and become a hub for development.”

The project is expected to be completed