Bhubaneswar, August 5: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Tuesday highlighted the state’s strides toward sustainable agriculture, revealing that nearly 32% of Odisha’s cultivable land already sees minimal chemical usage.
Speaking at the Virgin Land Security Summit organized by Uday India at the India International Centre in New Delhi, Singh Deo positioned Odisha as a key player in India’s organic farming movement.
“India has over 60 million hectares of barren or underutilized land, with around 20 million hectares suitable for organic farming,” he said. “With global demand for organic products on the rise, this presents a golden opportunity for Indian farmers to lead the way in sustainable agriculture.”
He emphasized that Odisha is at the forefront of this transformation. “Through the Balabhadra Jaivik Chasa Mission, we are converting our ecologically rich tribal regions into organic farming clusters. Already, about 32% of Odisha’s cultivable land is under minimal chemical use,” Singh Deo noted.
"Now, we are scaling up with One District – One Organic Cluster, Agro-processing units for mango, turmeric, millets, and ginger, Export-oriented agri parks, Organic value chains linked with SHGs and FPOs, Millet-based enterprises and eco-farming hubs,” he said.
Singh Deo also said that Odisha is ready with land, strong policy, support such as land, power, water subsidies, capital incentives, and fast-track clearances to enable investors and innovators to thrive.
He extended invitation to global partners and agripreneurs to come to Odisha, a land where nature meets enterprise, and tradition meets innovation and be part of this transformation.
