THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, JULY 31, 2026

Assuring farmers that the Odisha government has adopted a "Farmers First" approach in the wake of crop damage caused by the July floods, Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture & Farmers' Empowerment Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Friday said a comprehensive agricultural assistance package would be rolled out after a detailed assessment of losses, urging cultivators in affected areas not to panic.

Chairing a high-level review meeting to assess the impact of the recent floods on agriculture, Singh Deo said early assessment, robust contingency measures and relief mechanisms had been activated immediately to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers across the state.

To ensure a swift and transparent evaluation, the government has constituted a dedicated assessment panel that will submit a detailed crop loss report shortly. Based on the report, a comprehensive agricultural assistance package will be announced, with priority being given to the districts that have suffered the maximum damage.

The meeting was attended by Agriculture Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, OUAT Vice-Chancellor Dr Pravat Roul, Director of Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman, Director of Soil Conservation Subrat Kumar Panda, APICOL Managing Director Shubhranshu Mishra and the Managing Director of the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC).

During the meeting, the Managing Director of the Odisha State Seeds Corporation presented a comprehensive contingency report on seed availability to ensure timely support for farmers during the initial phase of recovery.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the government, in collaboration with Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and Krushi Vigyan Kendras experts, is issuing daily crop advisories to help farmers protect and revive their standing crops.

Farmers have been advised to take immediate care of existing paddy nurseries, adopt short-duration crop varieties and shift to non-paddy crops in areas where damage is severe. The government will also accord special focus to the forthcoming Rabi season to compensate for losses suffered during the Kharif season, he said.

To address farmers' concerns and field-level issues, the government has put in place a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism with a Nodal Officer at the headquarters, dedicated officers at the district level and officials at the block level. Farmers can also seek guidance and assistance through the toll-free helpline 155333, which operates daily from 8 am to 8 pm.

Senior officers from the Agriculture Department, its directorates, the Water Resources Department and the Special Relief Commissioner's office were present at the meeting.

On the occasion, Singh Deo also expressed his gratitude on behalf of the people of Odisha and the state's farming community towards the Prime Minister for extending the PM-KISAN scheme for another five years and for the Union Cabinet's approval of the "Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY)" for development of Floating Solar Photovoltaic Projects with Energy Storage Systems.