Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government reiterated its full commitment to ensuring that no eligible farmer is left out of the paddy procurement process, centering its strategy on a clear goal to register at least fifty percent of Odisha farmers for the upcoming Kharif paddy procurement season 2026-27.
To realize this target and build a completely transparent, hassle-free registration framework, an Inter-Ministerial Committee meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Empowerment, and Energy, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo.
The meeting brought together Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Shri Suresh Pujari, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Shri Krushna Chandra Patra, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Shri Rabi Narayan Naik, and Co-operation Minister Shri Pradeep Bal Samanta.
Principal Secretary Food, Supply and Consumer Welfare, Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh detailed out the issues. Principal Secretary Finance, Shri Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra,Secretary Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Shri Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav and Secretary Co-operation shri Rajesh Prabhakar Patil and other senior officers attended the meeting.
To hit the fifty percent enrollment target and ensure complete coverage, the Agriculture, Food Supplies, and Co-operation departments are executing a synchronized plan across all office levels, with crucial administrative support provided by the Revenue Department. Registration facilities have been decentralized across the state, operating through local Primary Agricultural Credit Societies centers, Common Service Centers, and assisted registration modes. Village Agricultural Workers are actively guiding farmers through the application process in every locality, and instructions have been issued to immediately provide applicants with official acknowledgment receipts.
A central priority of the government’s commitment is eliminating administrative hurdles that could prevent farmers from selling their produce. In line with this, the committee clarified that registration on the AgriStack portal is not mandatory for the current Kharif season. Although AgriStack serves as a unified digital platform that issues a unique Farmer ID to streamline access to agricultural benefits and has enrolled nearly six lakh farmers to date, non-enrollment will not affect a farmer’s right to sell paddy. Both AgriStack-linked receipts and standard non-AgriStack receipts are fully valid. The registration timeline has been extended through October to allow every farmer sufficient time to complete the process.
Initial registration momentum towards the target is already taking shape across the state. A total of 94,657 farmers have already registered for paddy sales for the 2026-27 Kharif season, with Balasore district leading the enrollment numbers. To protect farmers from misleading information and encourage maximum participation, extensive awareness campaigns are being rolled out across all sub-divisions and Gram Panchayats. In addition, dedicated guidelines are currently being prepared to address the specific needs of sharecroppers, ensuring that potential issues are resolved smoothly.
This inclusive approach builds on the strong foundation laid during the 2025-26 Rabi season. A review of the previous cycle showed that 20,46,185 metric tonnes of paddy were successfully procured from 3,63,553 farmers, reflecting a steady increase over the 19,18,528 metric tonnes collected in 2024-25. Furthermore, 4,844 crore rupees has been transferred to 3,63,149 farmers towards Minimum Support Price and input assistance. By setting an ambitious enrollment target, strengthening field-level coordination, and offering flexible registration options, the state government is taking definitive steps to protect every farmer’s economic interests during the upcoming harvest.