Bhubaneswar: Dr. Arun Kumar Sahoo, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Fisheries & Animal Resource Development and Higher Education, inaugurated a pilot project on Crop Diversification Programme in Mega Lift Irrigation Projects and DBT input Odisha portal for transfer of subsidy amount to the account of beneficiary farmers.
“Crop Diversification Programme in Mega Lift Irrigation Projects” is going to be implemented on a pilot basis from Kharif 2021-22 through the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Empowerment, Government of Odisha under the dynamic leadership and guidance of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik.
The primary objective of this programme is to diversify from traditional cultivation of paddy to other non-paddy crops such as pulses, oilseeds, fibers and horticultural crops in upland/medium land during Kharif season and improving soil health through the promotion of crops with greater biomass and less chemical input requirement. Besides, the programme will involve integration with livestock and fisheries,cluster-based promotion of post-harvest operation, primary processing, value addition and marketing through community-based organisations (CBOs) like FPOs/WSHGs/PaniPanchayats and agri-entrepreneur for enhancing the income of farmers, creating awareness, capacity building and community mobilization of farmers on the sustainability of cropping pattern and diet diversification, the inclusion of non-paddy grains in different government schemes such as ICDS, MDM, PDS and SC / ST Welfare hostels.
In the first phase, the programme will be implemented in 4 districts i.e. Kalahandi, Malkanagiri, Nabarangpur and Koraput covering 101villages of 27 GPs in 7 blocks in an area of 12207 hectare of the ayacut of 18 Mega Lift Irrigation Projects in cluster approach. It is programmed to promote 3343 hectares of pulses, 3745 ha of cotton, 928 ha of oilseeds, 2451 ha of maize, 1322 ha of millets and 418 ha of vegetables during the current Kharif season with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 16.73Corers.
It is decided to provide financial incentives to farmers for the adoption of crop diversification to non-paddy crops in the ayacuts of MLIPs consecutively for three years. Approximately,16000 farm families will be benefited under this programme. 36 community-based organisations will get involved in different activities like bio-input production, post-harvest operations, processing, value addition, cluster level aggregation and marketing. Capacity building programmes will be organized for the farmers. Massive awareness campaign/roadshow/miking& hoardings on benefits of diversifying to non-paddy crops, up-keeping soil health, diet diversification and enhancing water use efficiency will be taken up for successful and meaningful implementation of the pilot project.
Secondly, different need-based inputs like micronutrients, bio-fertilizers; pesticides etc. are being supplied to the farmers under various central sector and state plan schemes on subsidy. As a sequel to MO SARKAR initiatives an online input management system ‘DBT in need-based input’ will be functional from2021-22 in the State for transfer of subsidy amount directly to the farmers’ account. A Mobile app & web application has been developed through which the farmers will purchase the inputs from the dealer and the subsidy due will be released to the beneficiary account through DBT.
On this occasion, Raj Kumar Sharma, Agriculture Production Commissioner-cum-Addl. Chief Secretary; Smt. Anu Garg, IAS, Principal Secretary to Govt. Department of Water Resources; Suresh Kumar Vashishth, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Govt., Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment; Vice-Chancellor, OUAT; Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Govt., F&ARD Department and Director of Agriculture & Food Production, Odisha were also present.
