Odisha cabinet approves budget for crop diversification: Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar: Odisha cabinet on Friday approved the estimated budget of Rs 92,955.65 lakh for the diversification of crops for three years from 2022-23 to 2024-25.
Briefing newspersons after the cabinet Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra said the program supported through the state plan scheme will be implemented in all the 30 districts of the state.
In three years, a total of 3.7 lakh hectares of rice fallow areas will be covered under pulse crop, 1.5 lakh hectare upland and medium land paddy areas will be diverted to non-paddy and high value crops and an area of 0.5 lakh here of regular cultivated paddy areas will be diverted to indigenous aromatic paddy of export potential.
The program will be implemented through community-based organizations like FPOs, WSHGS, local NGOs, Fair Price Shops and research institutions with oversight from the department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Crop diversification program in Mega Lift Irrigation Projects was launched by the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department during Kharif 2021 with an objective to diversify upland and medium land paddy areas to non-paddy crops under the Ayacut of mega lift irrigation projects on pilot basis.
Based on the success of the program a new crop diversification program was launched in 2022-23.
It is a first of its kind program with priority on promoting crop diversification which will help in reviving soil health, increasing the population of micro fauna, and preventing change in soil’s chemical and biological properties.
It also increases the water use efficiency, the production of non-paddy crops and high value crops and the socio-economic status, nutritional security and income of the farmers of the state. (UNI)