Bhubaneswar: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department and agencies like IRRI, ICRISAT, ICARDA, MSSRF & AFC India Ltd. for implementation of comprehensive project on Rice Fallow Management at Krushi Bhavan here on Tuesday. Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Kanak Vardhan SinghDeo was present.
Recognising the pressing need to address the under-utilization of around 16 lakh hectares rice fallow areas and declining soil fertility, the department had initiated the project on rice fallow management in 2022-23 with an initial target of 70,000 hectares. This ambitious project aimed to maximize the utilization of residual soil moisture in these areas by cultivating short-duration pulses (Green gram, Black gram, Bengal gram, Lentil, Field pea & Grass pea) and oilseeds crops (Mustard & Sesamum).
Building on the success of the first year, the project was scaled up significantly in 2023-24, covering 3.9 lakh hectares. For the current year, an even more expansive program is under implementation, targeting 4.55 lakh hectares. This includes 3.45 lakh hectares under the state-funded CRFM scheme and 1.10 lakh hectares under the Central government’s TRFA-Pulse and TRFA-Oilseed schemes.
To effectively implement the project and reach approximately 5 lakh beneficiaries across the State, the department has collaborated with renowned international and national institutions such as CGIAR-ICRISAT, IRRI, ICARDA, MSSRF, and AFC India Ltd. This collaboration will facilitate the timely dissemination of critical technologies.
A crop-specific input cafeteria is developed emphasizing the use of bio-based inputs and IPM devices to promote sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. At the district level, coordination has been established between the district administration, block-level extension machinery, implementing partners, and facilitating agencies to streamline demonstration activities.
In addition, around 2 lakh hectare acidic areas of the State are to be treated with dolomitic limestone to improve soil health and productivity. A robust real-time monitoring system, including geo-tagging of demonstration clusters through ADAPT DSS and maintaining an Aadhaar-seeded farm registry through the Krushak Odisha portal, was implemented to track the progress of the project.
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