Coordinated Convergence Policy to help Odisha farmers tackle crop loss in natural disasters

The Odisha government is mulling to bring a Coordinated Convergence Policy in order to arm farmers to tackle crop loss in case of natural disasters.

The policy will be an amalgamation of different schemes under different departments and it will aim to compensate the farmers in case of crop loss in natural disasters.

Informing the same, Odisha Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said, “Our farmers are suffering huge losses every year due to climate change. We have taken it as a challenge. And to fight it off, we will launch a Coordinated Convergence Policy.”

“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had sanctioned an agriculture budget of Rs 7,000 crore in 2013, which has grown to Rs 21,000 this year. The policy will make sure farmers are aware of the new technologies, ways to minimise crop loss in disasters and learn how to increase their production yield,” Swain added.

The Agriculture Department has already sought suggestions from other departments and all the stakeholders in this connection. After all the suggestions are taken into consideration, the farmers will be made aware of the new policy by converging it with Samrudhi Yojana.

The policy will be implemented through Odisha government’s 5T framework.

It is pertinent to mention here that the farmers in Odisha under the banner of Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NKSS) have been protesting State government’s negligence towards crop loss. Recently, farmer agitations have been reported from Kendrapara, Jajpur, Sambalpur and other places.

(Reported By Kapilendra Pradhan, OTV)