Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday held a consultation meeting for using organically-produced rice and vegetables in the preparation of Mahaprasad at Puri Jagannath temple.
The meeting was chaired by Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Arabinda Kumar Padhee, who is also the Principal Secretary to Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (A&FE) Department.
All aspects with regard to the use of organic rice and vegetables for Mahaprasad were discussed at the meeting, an official statement said.
“Efforts have been started by the state government to make the Mahaprasad chemical-free. The decision to use organic rice and vegetables in Mahaprasad has been welcomed by the Suar-Mahasuar Nijog and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA),” it said.
In the initial phase, this organic rice will be used in the Kotha Bhoga of the presiding deities. There is also a proposal to use organic rice and vegetables in the preparation of Bhoga during the annual Ratha Jatra, said the department.
The authorities will launch a special project ‘Amruta Anna’ for this purpose. There is a proposal to open a special counter at Anand Bazaar on the temple premises to make available the Mahaprasad prepared from organic rice for the devotees, said the SJTA.
Initially, organic rice varieties like Kalajeera, Pimpudibasa and Jubaraja, which are produced in the state, will be used in the preparation of Mahaprasad. Out of these varieties, Kalajeera rice has already been accorded the GI tag.
This year, Kalajeera rice has been cultivated in 1,365 acres of land in Koraput and for the first time, a Kalajeera rice mandi has been opened at Kotpad in the district, added the state government.
According to the A&FE Department, the state government will introduce several measures
including organic certification and provision of subsidies to promote organic farming. Besides, the farmer producer organisations (FPOs) will be encouraged to produce organic rice through cluster approach.
“A steering committee will be formed to implement the entire process smoothly. The committee will have representatives from the SJTA, Suara- Mahasuara Nijog, other producer groups, NGOs and departmental officers as members,” said the department.
A target has been set to produce organic rice on 100 to 200 acres of land in Odisha in the initial phase. Subsequently, the farmers will be encouraged to opt for organic farming. Organic fertilizers including cow urine and cow dung will be used for the cultivation of organic rice and vegetables, it added.
Agriculture Director Prem Chandra Chaudhary, OUAT Dean Prof Prasannajit Mishra, Puri Collector Siddhartha Shankar Swain, SJTA administrator (Niti) Jitendra Kumar Sahu, SJTA administrator (Development) Debabrata Sahu, SJTA commander Sudhakar Patnayak, Suar and MahaSuar Nijog president Padmanabh Mahasuar and secretary Narayan Mahasuar, senior servitor Baidyanath Mahasuar, representatives of various organic producer groups, self-help groups and Natabara Sarangi from Rajendra Indigenous Rice Research Institute among others attended at the meeting.
