Bhubaneswar: A 28-member team comprising 14 farmers and 14 officials from Odisha began a seven-day agricultural study tour to Malaysia Friday.
The visit, organised under the Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA) project, was flagged off by Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo.
In his address to the team, Singh Deo suggested that they should learn about scientific methods and machinery usage in traditional agriculture, emphasising the importance of recording daily reports and implementing best practices to double farmers’ income. Singh Deo, who also oversees the Agriculture Department, said Odisha ranks fourth in supplying rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
He further highlighted the state’s growing prominence in fruit and vegetable exports.
Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, praised Odisha’s agricultural progress and pointed to the state’s production of 14.3 million tonnes of foodgrains and 14.48 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables last year.
Padhee also mentioned successful exports of agricultural produce to countries in West Asia and Europe.
The visit is jointly organised by the Directorate of Horticulture, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Odisha; Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), Lucknow; and NABARD.
PTI
