Bhubaneswar: The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment in Odisha today signed six key agreements aimed at advancing rural prosperity and transforming the agricultural landscape across the state.
The signing ceremony took place in the presence of the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment and Energy, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo alongside the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of DAFE, Shri Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav.
Chief Postmaster General of the Odisha Circle, the Principal Scientist and Global Head of Seed Systems at ICRISAT, and the Area Director of MSSRF were also present in the agreement signing ceremony.
Strategic partnerships under these agreements target specific developmental milestones. ICRISAT has engaged in four transformative projects centered on strengthening seed systems and implementing speed breeding techniques specifically for pulses and oilseeds. Additionally, a collaboration with MSSRF aims to enhance food, nutrition, and livelihood security for small and marginal farmers in the Nayagarh district by deploying a Farming System for Nutrition model.
To bridge the digital divide in rural areas, the department also partnered with the Department of Posts, Government of India. This alliance utilizes the extensive postal network to deliver critical digital agriculture services directly to the doorsteps of farmers, including AgriStack Farmer Registration, CM KISAN registration, PM KISAN e-KYC, and National Payments Corporation of India seeding.
State leadership emphasized that these strategic interventions will significantly accelerate non-paddy crop production. By diversifying agricultural output and leveraging digital infrastructure, the initiatives are expected to foster long-term economic growth and ensure sustainable incomes for farming communities throughout Odisha.