Odisha Bets on Agri Clusters to Turn Produce into Prosperity

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has launched the Integrated Cluster Development Initiative (ICDI), a transformative program designed to shift farming from production‑centric to income‑centric strategies.

The initiative aims to strengthen rural value chains across agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, and dairy, ensuring higher incomes for small and marginal farmers.

The first consultation workshop was held at Lok Seva Bhawan with support from NITI Aayog, the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and the state’s Planning & Convergence Department.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg emphasised inclusive growth, highlighting the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), cooperatives, and women’s self‑help groups in connecting local produce to larger markets.

Initially, ICDI will be piloted in Puri and Ganjam districts, with expansion planned for Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, and Deogarh.

Odisha’s horticulture sector, producing over 11.1 million metric tonnes of vegetables annually, will see cluster development in cashew, mango, vegetables, and spices.

The fisheries roadmap includes deep‑sea fishing, shrimp missions, reservoir aquaculture, and cold chain infrastructure, while the dairy strategy focuses on productivity, animal health, fodder, milk collection, chilling, and value‑added products.

Cluster selection will be based on production, market demand, processing potential, exports, employment, and sustainability.

The overarching goal is to ensure that rural clusters not only produce more but also process, brand, and market effectively—turning produce into prosperity.