Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government’s Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Watershed Support Service and Activities Network (WASSAN), a non-profit organisation, to revive forgotten foods and neglected crops in the state.
According to an official statement, the state government has plans to implement a Rs 247.024 crore initiative to preserve and promote traditional crops and indigenous seed varieties in 25 biodiversity-rich blocks across 15 districts.
These biodiversity blocks were mostly located in Gandhamardhan, Niyamgiri, Sunabeda, Satkosia, Gupteswar, Malyagiri and Similipal region.
The main objective of this programme is to preserve and promote traditional crops and indigenous seed varieties that are disappearing from the current agriculture. The implementation period of the scheme is for five years (2025-26 to 2029-30) with an outlay of Rs 247. 024 crore, the statement said.
Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, who is also in charge of the Agriculture department, said, “Food keeps the tradition alive, its protection is the protection of our tradition. The project will focus on conservation, documentation, and commercialisation of neglected crops, benefiting local farmers and communities”.
Senior government officials, including the department commissioner-cum-secretary Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav, were present when the MoA was signed.
Officials said that the initiative aligns with Odisha’s efforts to promote sustainable agriculture and preserve its rich biodiversity.
The main objectives are conservation and documentation of neglected crops, multiplication of the traditional and indigenous varieties, revival of neglected crops, establishment of State Resource Centres, Kamala Pujari fellowship program, farmer field schools, nutrition profiling on traditional foods, value addition and commercialisation of various food items prepared from forgotten crops.
