Eastern Zonal Agri Meet Sets Roadmap for Farmer Welfare

Bhubaneswar, May 2026: The Eastern Zonal Agriculture Conference 2026, hosted in Odisha, brought together Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and ministers from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal to chart a roadmap for farmer welfare and soil protection under the Purvodaya Mission.

Union Minister Chouhan lauded Odisha’s record paddy procurement and emphasised reducing chemical fertiliser use.

He announced a forthcoming New Pesticide Act to curb counterfeit inputs and urged natural farming to safeguard soil health and food safety.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi unveiled the Samruddha Krushak Yojana, offering Rs 3,100 per quintal for paddy to benefit 19 lakh farmers.

He also announced a combined CM Kisan + PM Kisan scheme, providing Rs 10,000 annually to over 51 lakh farmers.

Majhi highlighted Odisha’s organic rice, now used in Lord Jagannath’s Mahaprasad, and pledged to revive Forgotten Foods at the block level.

Odisha’s agricultural roadmap includes cold storage facilities in all 58 subdivisions, subsidies under the Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana, and expansion of coffee plantations across six districts.

The conference underscored the vision of making eastern India self-reliant in agriculture through sustainable practices and farmer-centric policies.