Bhubaneswar: Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the Eastern Regional Agriculture Conference in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, along with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The conference brought together representatives from Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal to deliberate on agricultural transformation in Eastern India, according to an official statement.
The conference focused on key issues, including increasing pulses and oilseeds production, integrated farming systems for small and marginal farmers, promotion of natural farming, farmer registry, horticulture development, agricultural credit, marketing reforms, control of fake agricultural inputs, and measures to enhance farmers’ income.
Addressing the inaugural session, Chouhan said the conference was not a routine event but a serious platform aimed at shaping the future direction of agriculture and farmers’ livelihoods in Eastern India. He said the “Team Agriculture” assembled in Bhubaneswar was united in its resolve to improve farming conditions and raise rural incomes.
He highlighted that Eastern India, with its fertile soil, abundant water resources, diverse climatic conditions, and hardworking farmers, holds the potential to become the growth engine of India’s agricultural development if supported with the right policies and interventions.
Calling farmers not only “Annadatas” but also “Jeevandatas,” the Union minister said that serving farmers is equivalent to serving God. He said agriculture remains the backbone of India’s journey towards becoming a developed, self-reliant, and prosperous nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chouhan outlined three major priorities for the agriculture sector, which include ensuring food security for 1.4 billion citizens, providing nutritious food, and securing better livelihoods and higher incomes for farmers.
He stressed that agriculture must move beyond traditional dependence on paddy and wheat and focus more on pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, and other high-value crops, particularly in Eastern India, where there is significant potential for diversification.
Referring to the challenges of small landholdings, he said integrated farming must be implemented in a practical and field-level manner. The minister stated that combining crop cultivation with horticulture, fisheries, animal husbandry, beekeeping, and agro-forestry can significantly increase farmers’ incomes. He urged ICAR, state agriculture departments, and officials to demonstrate such models directly to farmers.
The minister also emphasized the importance of soil health and warned against indiscriminate use of fertilizers without soil testing. He said such practices increase input costs and damage soil fertility. He urged states to promote scientific fertilizer usage and encourage farmers to adopt balanced application practices.
Chouhan announced that a nationwide “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” will be launched from June 1, focusing on soil health improvement, balanced fertilizer use, modern agricultural technology, awareness about government schemes, and farmer education.
He also stressed preventing diversion of subsidized fertilizers and ensuring they are used strictly for agricultural purposes.
Meanwhile, Majhi said the Eastern Regional Agriculture Conference provides an important opportunity to prepare a shared roadmap for agricultural development in Eastern India. He said it strengthens the vision of “Purvodaya” and gives new momentum to productivity, climate-resilient farming, and inclusive growth.
He said Odisha is fundamentally an agrarian state where agriculture is central to livelihoods, food security, and socio-economic development.
The state government, he said, is working on pulses production, edible oil self-reliance, crop diversification, and expansion of cultivation.
He also noted that rising paddy production and procurement have created challenges related to storage, evacuation, and marketing, making it necessary to strengthen value addition and market systems.
Highlighting Odisha’s farmer-centric initiatives, he referred to paddy procurement, input assistance, CM-Kisan and PM-Kisan support, crop insurance, mechanisation, FPO strengthening, cold storage expansion, and promotion of agri-industries.
