The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will collaborate with the Odisha government to expand the cultivation, value addition and commercialisation of indigenous specialty rice varieties, with a special focus on the state’s famous Kalajeera rice.

A high-level meeting was held at the LSB Chamber between Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and a delegation from IRRI, Philippines. Agriculture Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav also attended the meeting.

The IRRI delegation was led by Principal Scientist Dr. Nese Sreenivasul. It included Dr. Mukund, Head of IRRI Odisha; Dr. Hameeda, Scientist and Product Development Specialist; Dr. Priyabrata Roy, Project Coordinator for Rice Value Addition; and Agribusiness Expert Gyandeep Pandia.

Under the proposed collaboration, IRRI will provide technical support to help preserve the unique aroma, genetic purity and quality of Odisha’s indigenous specialty rice varieties. The initiative will also focus on developing health-oriented varieties, including Low-GI (Glycemic Index) rice.

Kalajeera as Key Demonstration Project

The Odisha government plans to promote Kalajeera rice as a primary demonstration project to encourage farmers to expand its cultivation. The initiative is expected to help farmers benefit from better market value and applicable Minimum Support Price (MSP) support.

The programme will also focus on increasing farmers’ income through value addition. Plans are underway to develop food products from broken rice and establish localised raw rice milling units and regional processing infrastructure.

These facilities are expected to create new opportunities for rural farmers and women’s groups to take up rice-based enterprises as micro-entrepreneurs.

Focus on Women Entrepreneurship

The IRRI delegation also extended an official invitation to Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and the Odisha government to participate in the upcoming national-level buyer-seller business meet, “Beyond the Bowl.” The event is aimed at strengthening market linkages and connecting rice producers with buyers and other stakeholders.

The visit also facilitated international knowledge exchange with IRRI scientists from the Philippines under the joint “Promoting Women Entrepreneurship through Rice Value Addition” project.

The collaboration will encourage the exchange of knowledge and best practices in post-harvest processing, value addition and sustainable women-led agribusiness.

Through the partnership, Odisha aims to protect its indigenous rice heritage while creating a stronger, market-oriented agricultural ecosystem that can generate better income opportunities for farmers, women’s groups and rural entrepreneurs.

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The Odisha government has signed six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Department of Posts, Odisha Circle, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) to strengthen digital agriculture, seed systems, climate resilience, nutrition and farmer livelihoods across the state.

The MoUs were signed by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE), Government of Odisha, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Agriculture Sachin Ramchandra Jadha, Chief Postmaster General Nirmaljeet Singh, Director of Agriculture Shubham Saxena and Director of Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman.

Gramin Dak Sevaks to Support Farmer Registry

One of the key agreements was signed between DAFE and the Department of Posts, Odisha Circle. Under the partnership, Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) will facilitate Farmer Registry enrolment and generation of Farmer IDs, particularly in rural and remote areas.

They will also assist farmers with CM KISAN registration, PM KISAN e-KYC and NPCI/Aadhaar seeding, along with other farmer-centric digital services in the future.

The initiative aims to improve the accuracy of farmer registration and authentication while making government schemes more accessible at the grassroots level.

Four MoUs with ICRISAT

DAFE has also entered into four MoUs with ICRISAT under RKVY-DPR projects. The initiatives will focus on strengthening seed systems for pulses and oilseeds, promoting self-reliance in pulses, chickpea seed production and speed breeding for improved and climate-resilient crop varieties.

The collaboration is expected to improve the availability of quality seeds, encourage crop diversification, increase productivity and strengthen farmers’ resilience to climate-related challenges.

Three-Year Nutrition Project in Nayagarh

Another MoU with MSSRF will implement a three-year Farming System for Nutrition project in Nayagarh, covering around 3,000 small and marginal farmers.

The project will integrate biofortified crops, pulses, vegetables, backyard poultry and aquaculture. It will also promote seed banks, nutrition gardens and community processing units.

The initiative aims to improve the production of nutrient-rich crops, increase farmer incomes, enhance dietary diversity and strengthen household nutrition.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said the six MoUs represent a major shift in Odisha’s agricultural landscape. He emphasised that the initiatives will combine digital access, scientific research, improved seed systems and nutrition-focused farming to empower small and marginal farmers.

The Odisha government said the ultimate success of these partnerships will be measured by their tangible impact on farmer incomes, livelihoods and overall well-being.

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Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra held a meeting with MLAs from western Odisha on Monday to discuss the registration process for paddy procurement for the Kharif season 2026-27.

The meeting was held at the minister’s residential office in Bhubaneswar and was attended by legislators from Sambalpur, Bargarh and Balangir districts. Discussions focused on ensuring that all eligible farmers can register easily and participate in the government’s paddy procurement process.

During the meeting, MLAs raised concerns and discussed doubts among farmers regarding registration for selling paddy during the upcoming Kharif season. A key issue was the Agristack registration process and whether it would be mandatory for farmers.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Minister Krushna Chandra Patra clarified that Agristack registration is not mandatory for farmers to participate in the paddy procurement process. He assured that no eligible farmer would be excluded from registration because of the requirement.

The minister said all eligible farmers would be registered and provided tokens for paddy procurement. He added that the government is committed to protecting the interests of farmers and ensuring that the procurement process remains accessible.

The minister also addressed the registration process for sharecroppers. He said sharecroppers are required to obtain the consent of the landowner for registration. However, landowners living away from their villages or districts will be able to provide their consent through a dedicated mobile application.

Minister Patra urged farmers to complete the registration process within the stipulated deadline. According to the minister, farmers can register for the Kharif 2026-27 paddy procurement process until August 31, 2026.

The government has reiterated its focus on ensuring that every eligible farmer gets an opportunity to participate in the procurement process without facing unnecessary difficulties.

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The water level of the Jalaka River is rising again due to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, triggering fresh concerns among residents of Basta and adjoining areas in Balasore district.

The danger mark of the Jalaka River at Mathani is 6.50 metres, while the water level stood at 6.48 metres as of 6 am. Although the river level has slightly declined compared to the previous day, heavy rainfall in Basta and parts of Mayurbhanj district last night has raised fears that the water level could rise again in the coming hours.

The situation has become more worrying as floodwater from the previous spell of flooding has not completely receded from several low-lying areas. Residents are now facing the threat of another round of flooding before they have fully recovered from the earlier one.

Farmers Face Double Blow

Agricultural land has emerged as one of the biggest concerns in the region. Hundreds of hectares of farmland are still submerged, and the prolonged waterlogging has raised fears of extensive crop damage.

Farmers say they had hoped to grow paddy this year and support their families through the harvest. However, with large stretches of farmland still under water, their hopes are now under threat.

For farmers who borrowed money to cultivate their fields, the situation is particularly difficult. They are worried not only about the rising water level of the Jalaka but also about whether the fields will dry up in time for them to undertake cultivation again this year.

The biggest questions before the farmers are when the floodwater will recede, when the agricultural land will become usable again, and whether the government will provide financial assistance for crop losses.

With the Jalaka River now just below its danger mark, residents are closely monitoring the water level. The situation over the next few hours will be crucial in determining whether the flood threat intensifies.

Low-Pressure Area Likely Over Bay of Bengal

Meanwhile, weather conditions are adding to the concerns. A cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal is likely to trigger the formation of a low-pressure area within the next 24 hours, according to the weather forecast.

The system is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall across Odisha, with rain likely to continue for around five days. The state may experience intense rainfall for the next two days, increasing the possibility of renewed flooding in vulnerable areas.

The weather department has issued an Orange Alert for six districts — Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Bargarh — forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall.

With the Jalaka River already hovering close to the danger mark and more rain forecast, residents in low-lying areas remain on alert. For farmers in Basta, the immediate concern is not only the rising river but also the survival of crops that have already spent days submerged under floodwater.

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The decades-long Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh may move closer to a resolution, with the Centre constituting a high-level committee that has been asked to submit its report to the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal within three months.

The decision was taken at the first-ever high-level meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, attended by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. The committee, headed by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), will examine key issues related to water sharing and recommend a framework for equitable river management while safeguarding the interests of farmers in both states.

The development has raised hopes of ending a dispute that has remained unresolved for years. However, questions remain over the committee’s recommendations, particularly regarding how much water Chhattisgarh will release to Odisha during the non-monsoon season, when water scarcity severely affects irrigation and agriculture in downstream areas.

According to data submitted by the Odisha government before the Tribunal, based on 39 years of hydrological records, the average annual inflow into the Hirakud Reservoir is 32.83 million acre-feet (MAF), of which 27.76 MAF originates from Chhattisgarh.

During drought years or under 90% dependability conditions, however, the inflow from Chhattisgarh to Hirakud falls to 21.82 MAF, significantly impacting water availability in Odisha. The data further states that the average annual flow at Naraj is 56.29 MAF, while the total flow across the Mahanadi basin, including the Chilika region, is estimated at 62.36 MAF.

Former water resources experts have argued that during the lean season, Chhattisgarh should ensure the release of 2 MAF of water to Hirakud and 1.74 MAF at the inter-state border to protect Odisha’s irrigation and drinking water needs.

Significantly, nearly eight years after the constitution of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, both states have reportedly agreed on the methodology for measuring river flows, removing a major hurdle in the adjudication process. The focus now shifts to the committee’s report and whether it can pave the way for a lasting and equitable settlement of the long-pending interstate water dispute.

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Despite the southwest monsoon covering the entire state, Odisha is yet to receive sufficient rainfall for agricultural activities, leaving farmers worried over the delayed start of the kharif season. The prolonged dry spell, attributed to the weakening monsoon trough and the impact of El Niño, has left vast stretches of farmland parched even after the traditional farming milestones of Akshaya Tritiya and Raja festival.

According to noted weather expert Professor Surendranath Pashupalak, the current weather conditions do not indicate sustained rainfall in the immediate future. He advised farmers against taking hasty decisions on sowing, as intermittent showers are unlikely to provide adequate moisture for cultivation.

The lack of rainfall has created uncertainty among farming communities across several districts. In Mayurbhanj, where the majority of farmers depend entirely on monsoon rains, agricultural fields remain dry. The district has set a target of cultivating kharif crops over nearly 4.22 lakh hectares this season. However, farmers fear that if adequate rainfall does not occur within the coming week, the region could face drought-like conditions, severely affecting crop production.

A similar situation prevails in Bhadrak district. With little or no rainfall, agricultural lands remain unused, and grazing cattle can be seen roaming across fields that should have been prepared for cultivation. Although the district has targeted kharif cultivation over 1.37 lakh hectares, farming operations have largely remained stalled due to insufficient soil moisture.

In Kendrapara’s Aul region, many farmers had already prepared and germinated paddy seedlings in anticipation of timely rains. However, the prolonged dry weather has left the seedlings at risk of withering. While a few farmers have managed to irrigate their fields using water pumps, many others lack access to irrigation facilities, raising fears of significant crop losses if rainfall continues to elude the region.

The situation is equally grim in Dhenkanal’s Bhuban area, where soaring temperatures have replaced the expected monsoon showers during the month of Ashadha. In the absence of canal irrigation, farmers are transporting water manually from ponds and nearby water bodies in a desperate attempt to save their seedbeds. Cracks have begun appearing across farmlands as the prolonged dry spell continues.

Experts warn that unless widespread and sustained rainfall occurs soon, the delay in sowing could adversely affect kharif crop production across Odisha. Farmers have urged the government to closely monitor the situation and take timely measures if the rainfall deficit persists in the coming days.

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