THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
AUGUST 29, 2026
Odisha may soon have
a unit of the Fertilizer Innovation Centre (FIC) India, with a delegation of
the organisation meeting Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture and Farmers'
Empowerment Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo here on Saturday to discuss the
proposal.
The meeting, held at
Singh Deo's office chamber in Lokseva Bhawan, also discussed the establishment
of a dedicated Fertilizer Academy in the state aimed at promoting innovation,
research and sustainable agricultural practices.
During the
interaction, Singh Deo underlined the state government's commitment to reducing
dependence on chemical fertilisers and promoting organic farming in Odisha. He
said accelerating agricultural production while ensuring sustainable and
long-term solutions to the challenges faced by farmers remained a key priority
of the government.
The FIC India
delegation stressed the need to promote research, innovation and sustainable
agricultural growth to empower farmers in the state. The organisation focuses
on optimising fertiliser application, improving soil health and enabling
efficient nutrient management, its representatives said.
The delegates said
establishment of an FIC unit in Odisha would make it only the second such
centre in the world, according to the proposal discussed during the meeting.
The proposed
Fertilizer Academy would further strengthen the state's agricultural ecosystem
by providing a dedicated platform for cutting-edge research, innovation and
knowledge-sharing in the field of fertiliser management and sustainable
agriculture.
The initiative is expected to contribute towards improving nutrient-use efficiency, enhancing soil health and supporting farmers in adopting more sustainable agricultural practices.
The high-level meeting was attended by Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment; Subham Saxena, Director of Agriculture, besides other senior officials of the department.
