The Odisha Government has decided to rope in the International Potato Centre (CIP) for sustainable intensification of potato cultivation for achieving self-sufficiency in production in the State.
Accordingly, the State Level Project Screening Committee (SLPSC) under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) has approved a project proposal with an investment of over Rs 34 crore.
Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) Gagan Kumar Dhal chaired a meeting of the SLPSC here to approve the project for identification of new areas for potato cultivation and introduction of new varieties of seeds in the State.
In fact, the SLPSC has cleared several project proposals under RKVY, which will be implemented in the agriculture and allied sector.
The project will be implemented in five years with a budget amount of Rs 34.63 crore, which will be implemented by the CIP in collaboration with Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI).
The CIP is an international organisation, which is helping out several other States to achieve self sufficiency in potato production.
The State Government has made a pact with the CIP for such an initiative. Under the project, identification of new areas of potato cultivation, introduction of at least seven varieties seed and three elite hybrids and conducting of over 700 demonstrations across the State will be taken up.
A project for benefit sharing and uplifting the resource-poor farmers has come up with a cost of Rs 15.50 crore. The project will be taken up by the National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) and it aims to establish laboratory and develop new varieties of potato, which will be produced in commercial scale for utilisation by farmers. A committee will assess the need of the project, said sources.
Another project - e-Pest Management and Pest Management Project - worth Rs 18.50 crore has also been approved.
As pest management in the State is a crucial programme, e-Pest Surveillance programme will be taken up in Odisha, which will be of significant help to the farmers. The project will work as a curative as well as preventive measure against pest attack which is a major menace.
For the first time, the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) will take up laboratory to land activities, where ICAR and CSIR institutions will take up innovative farm-based intervention in Nabarangpur district.
As Nabarangpur is an Aspirational district, the Government of India is giving stress for farm-based development and accordingly, IMMT, a CSIR institute will take up such a project.
The project will be taken up with a cost of Rs 6.58 crore and IMMT will put its lab knowledge in the farm sector, which has received the SLPSC approval.