Odisha Cabinet Extends Crop Diversification Programme for Three Years

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Saturday approved the extension of the Crop Diversification Programme for another three years to promote sustainable agriculture and enhance farmers’ income across the state.

The proposal, moved by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department, aims to transform the state’s farming landscape by encouraging cultivation beyond traditional paddy.

Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said that during the next three years, 11.50 lakh hectares of rice fallow land will be brought under pulse cultivation. Additionally, 1.95 lakh hectares of upland and medium land currently used for paddy will be diverted to non-paddy and high-value crops, while 1.97 lakh hectares of regularly cultivated paddy land will be shifted to indigenous aromatic rice varieties with export potential.

The programme will be implemented from 2025–26 to 2027–28 with a total financial outlay of ₹1,523.98 crore. Ahuja said the initiative is expected to improve soil health, boost microfauna populations, enhance water-use efficiency, and strengthen the socio-economic and nutritional well-being of farmers across Odisha.

Key Decisions

In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the inclusion of the ‘Small Animal Development’ sub-scheme under the ‘Prani Sampad Samruddhi Yojana (PSSY)’, proposed by the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department.

The new sub-scheme will be implemented for four years, from 2025–26 to 2028–29, with a total outlay of ₹294.36 crore. It aims to benefit 23,735 farmers, including women self-help groups (WSHGs), and is expected to generate an additional 12.25 TMT of meat annually.

Earlier, the Cabinet had approved the ‘Poultry Development’ sub-scheme under PSSY, which will continue till 2028–29. Both the Poultry and Small Animal Development sub-schemes form key components of the state’s livestock development strategy.

In total, the State Cabinet approved five proposals from four departments during the 29th meeting held today.