Agriculture Policy

Soil Testing and Restoration of Soil Health and Fertility

Soil heath enhancement holds the key to raising farm productivity. Restoration of soil health and fertility is one of the prime needs of Odisha’s Agriculture. Steps will be taken to ensure that each farmer is issued with a Soil Health Card in a campaign mode. These Soil Health Cards will have the details of results of soil tests and remedial measures required for restoring soil fertility. The following measures will be taken for restoration of soil health and fertility.

• The farmers will be encouraged to get soil samples of their holding tested once in three years.
• More Soil Testing Laboratories will be set up in the State and existing Soil Testing Laboratories will be strengthened.
• Soil testing facilities will be made available at all Block headquarters through provision of soil testing kit to Block level functionaries of Agriculture Department.
• The State will encourage setting up of Soil Testing Laboratory through private entrepreneurs to provide soil testing facilities to farmers. Private sector soil testing laboratories will be given financial incentives like capital investment subsidy etc. to make their operation viable.
• Soil amendments such as lime, basic slag, gypsum, paper mill sludge etc. will be made available to farmers at affordable prices.
• Cultivation of green manure crops like Dhanicha will be promoted extensively by making available seeds and technical know-how to the farmers.
• The farmers will be trained in the production of biofertilizers like blue-green algae, azolla, rhizobium etc.
• At least one Vermi Hatchery will be set up in each block with private participation. Vermi Compost unit at village level will be promoted. Suitable incentive / subsidy will be provided for setting up of Vermi Hatcheries and Vermi Compost unit.
• Plantation of bio-fuel crops will be taken up in public lands taking the food-security aspects into consideration.
• Tribal farmers will be discouraged from shifting cultivation with alternate livelihood options.
• A compensation mechanism will be worked out for the crop loss due to dumping of industrial wastes/ by-products in violation of pollution norms by industries.
• Extensive campaign would be organized with the involvement of NGOs and PRIs for motivating farmers to restore fertility by addition of green manure and through other corrective measures.

Agricultural Research and Education

The State has one Agriculture University namely, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology with the network of colleges and research stations to cater to the needs of the farmers of the State. The emphasis would be given to ‘demand-driven’ research rather than ‘project oriented’ research. Understanding the farmers need has to be institutionalized in the University set up so that their research caters directly to clientele. At the same time, the goals of the basic research should not be lost. Primarily focus of research in Agriculture University should be on applied research as this was one of the objectives for which this University was established. OUAT and other ICAR research institutes like CRRI, etc. should gear up seed research to develop better seed production, processing, testing, packing, storing and cost reducing technologies. Emphasis should be given to development of technologies to cater to the needs of a large number of clientele and specifically small and marginal farmers. Agricultural University should enhance its media exposure and enter the technology business, effectively competing with private traders.

• The demand for Agricultural Education is changing very fast and public institutions may not be able to meet the demand. In the general education sphere, private institutions have played a pivotal role and therefore, the State will consider allowing private institutions to venture in the Agricultural Education Sector.
• It is observed that technology developed by the scientists in the Universities take a minimum of three years and in some cases five years to reach the farmer. It is necessary that such delays are avoided. There is a need for an efficient extension system to carry the message to the farmers so that diffusion of technology is faster.
• The new technologies need to be tested under localized situations and suitably modified wherever necessary for adoption by the farmers. Linkage already developed between agricultural research and extension will be strengthened.
• A Bio-technology Centre under the OUAT will be set up to take advantage of modern technologies, for the production of improved/hybrid planting materials of various crops suitable in different agro-climatic zones of the State.
• The data base for the Agriculture Sector will be strengthened to ensure credibility and reliability of estimates and forecasting which will help in the planning and policy making.
• Vocational Training Institutes will be promoted to create self-employment opportunities and to attract the youth in the agriculture sector.