THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
MARCH 19, 2026
In a significant move to reconnect
agriculture with tradition, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers'
Empowerment, Government of Odisha, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with
Watershed Support Service and Activities Network to revive forgotten foods and
neglected crops across the state. The organisation will serve as the programme
secretariat for the ambitious ₹247.024
crore initiative, which will be implemented over five years from 2025-26 to
2029-30.
The programme will focus on preserving
and promoting traditional crops and indigenous seed varieties that are
gradually disappearing from mainstream agriculture. Covering 25
biodiversity-rich blocks across 15 districts, the initiative will span
ecologically significant regions such as Gandhamardhan, Niyamgiri, Sunabeda,
Satkosia, Gupteswar, Malyagiri and Similipal, known for their rich natural and
agricultural heritage.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief
Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo who also holds the Agriculture portfolio, said,
"Food keeps the tradition alive, its protection is the protection of our
tradition." His remarks underscored the cultural significance of the
initiative, which seeks not only to conserve biodiversity but also to
strengthen community livelihoods.
The project will undertake conservation, documentation and multiplication of indigenous crop varieties, alongside efforts to revive their cultivation and promote their commercial potential. Plans include setting up State Resource Centres, launching the Kamala Pujari fellowship programme, establishing farmer field schools, conducting nutritional profiling of traditional foods, and encouraging value addition and market linkages for products derived from these crops.
Senior officials including Agriculture Secretary Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav, Horticulture Director Kalunge Gorakh Waman, Soil Conservation and Watershed Development Director Subrat Kumar Panda and Additional Secretary Dr. Ganeshwar Jena were present at the MoA signing ceremony.
