Steps to improve supply chain in Odisha: Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government is taking several steps to ensure better supply chain management in the State’s agriculture sector with focus on improving production, reducing food supply chain losses and increasing farmers’ income, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Arun Kumar Sahoo said here on Tuesday.
Speaking at a webinar on Odisha Agri Sector Logistics Challenges and Solutions organised by apex industry body ASSOCHAM, he said be it land allocation or adopting innovative practices for increased farm production, the State has been actively engaging with the farmers to ensure their needs despite several issues like occurrence of natural calamities, erratic monsoon and uneven distribution of rainfall.
“New agriculture policy Samrudhi aims to cash in on the untapped potential of the State’s agriculture sector while ensuring environmentally, economically and technologically inclusive growth. It also encompasses development of warehousing, quality testing infrastructure for better marketing of crops,” he said.
Sahoo reiterated that his government is committed to usher in sustainable growth in the agriculture sector. The existing network of procurement centres is being strengthened to benefit small and marginal farmers. Farmers are being imparting training on use of technology in terms of emerging agriculture issues and solutions, he added.
Chief General Manager of Nabard (Odisha region) C Udayabhaskar said while Odisha is a goldmine for horticulture, dairy, fisheries, oilseeds and pulses, there is an urgent need to develop backward linkages, motivate farmers and provide them with technical knowhow and capacity building. ASSOCHAM’s Chairman (Agriculture Sub Council of Western Region) Dhaval Raval, Vice Chancellor of OUAT Pawan Kumar Agarwa and APICOL Managing Director Pravat Kumar Roul also spoke.