Odisha to introduce new agricultural policy emphasising organic farming

The Odisha government will introduce a new agricultural policy which will aim at boosting organic farming in the state, informed Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister KV Singh Deo on Friday.

Speaking at a workshop titled ‘Advancing Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Odisha’, Singh Deo said that necessary measures will be taken to enhance agricultural production in the State and export farmers' produce to international markets. 

To facilitate the initiative, the Odisha government is mulling to deploy a dedicated cargo flight service, the deputy CM added.

The new agricultural policy will be implemented through a collaborative approach involving all agriculture-related departments. 
Expert opinions have been sought at the workshop organized with contributions from IFPRI, CGARI, and the state government, he informed.

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“We need to introduce a holistic agricultural policy which can help farmers enhance their production mainly organic production. The use of fertilizers can affect health. So we need to move towards organic farming,” Singh Deo stated.

“Our farmers will get maximum benefits if their produce reaches international markets. To export food products, we need to have a dedicated cargo flight,” the Deputy CM emphasized.

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“Odisha’s agricultural policy has been considered as an inclusive policy in the global platforms. We will take the recommendation of the experts during the workshop and accordingly implement the new policy,” said Arabinda Padhee, principal secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department.