Finance
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced initiatives to strengthen agriculture, including disbursing ₹838.48 crore to over 41.68 lakh farmers under the CM-Kisan Yojana, on Akshaya Trutiya and State-level Farmers’ Day.
The announcements were made during a state-level function at the Central Rice Research Institute in Cuttack, where the Chief Minister also conducted the traditional ‘Akhi Muthi’ ceremony following a ceremonial Bhumi Puja to mark the start of the new agricultural year.
Majhi created the “Ama Bihana Ratha” (Seeds on Wheels) initiative to ensure timely access to high-quality seeds. The program will begin in 31 blocks across 10 districts, with improved paddy seed varieties distributed in 5-kg packets at the gram panchayat level. He also opened ‘Krushi Ratha’ and attended an agricultural expo at the venue.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to farmer welfare, the Chief Minister stated that financial support under the CM-Kisan Yojana for the 2026 Kharif season has been directly sent to recipients via DBT. Over 41.24 lakh recipients are small and marginal farmers, with 41,049 coming from landless families and 3,292 from tribal communities.
Majhi stated that Odisha’s agricultural growth rate has reached 5.3% in the last 22 months, exceeding the national average. He also stated that foodgrain production in the state has reached 150 lakh metric tonnes this year, setting a new record.
He emphasized price support, stating that the state purchases paddy for ₹3,100 per quintal. For the 2025-26 Kharif season, 76.47 lakh metric tons of paddy were acquired from approximately 18.55 lakh farmers, with input support of ₹5,589.98 crore.
The Chief Minister highlighted continuing initiatives, like the Krushi Vidyanidhi Scholarship Scheme, which provided over ₹291.60 crore to 68,910 students from farming households in the 2025-26 academic year. He stated that the government is supporting organic farming under the “Balabhadra Jaibik Chasa Mission” and increasing millet production under the Shree Anna Abhiyan.
Majhi referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s national agricultural reforms as the ‘Beej Se Bazar’ (Seed to Market) policy, which is being implemented to boost farm productivity and market access. He also stated that infrastructure projects such as cold storage and warehouses are being established through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
The Chief Minister thanked the Centre for incorporating Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, and Nuapada districts in the PM Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana.
Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo addressed the crowd, describing farmers as the backbone of the state’s economy and urging them to buy fertiliser only from authorized merchants who use Aadhaar identification and POS-generated receipts to ensure accountability.
Several public representatives, including MPs and MLAs from Cuttack and nearby constituencies, along with senior officials, attended the programme.
