Odisha Govt Steps Up Efforts to Boost Pulses Production

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has launched new measures to boost pulses production across the state. Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to discuss strategies for promoting the cultivation of pigeon pea, black gram, and lentils through a cluster-based approach.

The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India self-reliant in pulses production. The state government aims to strengthen Odisha’s contribution to this goal by encouraging farmers to adopt high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties.

According to the Agriculture Department, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has developed a new variety of pigeon pea, ICPV25444, which can be grown throughout the year. The variety is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 45°C and has a short maturity period of 120 days, making it a potential game-changer in enhancing self-reliance in pulses.

Singh Deo, who also holds the Agriculture portfolio, encouraged farmers to cultivate both the new variety and traditional local varieties such as Dangararani and Kandula, which are now being revived by the Odisha State Seeds Corporation Ltd. “Odisha should become a seed hub as part of our mission to make the state self-reliant in pulses,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department; Shubham Saxena, Director of Agriculture; and Kalunge Gorakh Waman, Director of Horticulture, among others.