Bhubaneswar: In an effort to make Odisha self-reliant in potato production, the state government has decided to promote largescale cultivation of the crop across more than 50,000 acres of land this year.
This was revealed after a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department has completed preparations to begin supplying potato seeds from the first week of November. The distribution will be carried out based on block-wise demand and requirements, an official statement said.
As per estimates, around three lakh potato seeds will be supplied for cultivation over 50,000 acres. The department has directed all districts to submit their seed requirements to the Agriculture Department at the earliest.
Apart from the initiative to boost potato cultivation, the government has also planned to cultivate 600 quintals of onion seeds across 6,000 hectares, 100 quintals of chilli seeds in 1,000 hectares, and 7,500 quintals of garlic seeds in 300 hectares.
Farmers and stakeholders facing seed shortages or requiring assistance have been advised to contact the Agriculture Department’s toll-free helpline 155333 or reach out to their nearest Horticulture Officer for support.
The meeting was also attended by the Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department, Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Director Agriculture Shri Shubham Saxena, Director Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman.
