Bhubaneswar: Aiming to actualize the vast untapped potential of the State’s agriculture, and strengthen the economic and social well-being of farmers, sharecroppers, and landless laborers while ensuring the growth process environmentally, economically and technologically inclusive, scalable, and sustainable, the Draft Agricultural Policy of Odisha-2019 was released today.
The introduction of the Draft mentions, “Odisha Agricultural Policy 2019 is focused on farmers’ well-being and is formulated to build on the inherent strengths of its agriculture and allied sectors, to address the constraints it faces and to make optimal use of resources and opportunities emerging on account of advancement in technology, and the emergence of accelerated economic growth in the state and the country. This policy aims to give further thrust to the success delivered through concerted efforts directed under the previous agricultural policies of the state.”
As per the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department, “The Government of Odisha announced its first agricultural policy in 1996. Subsequent policies were announced in 2008 and 2013. Back in 2008, the State Government acknowledged the centrality of farmers’ welfare in its vision for agriculture. It not only identified ways to improve production and productivity but also focused on activities to improve farmer well-being. This focus was given a further thrust in the 2013 Policy where enhancing the incomes of farmers became the central theme. The current policy builds on that and aims to give an economic, social, technological, and political thrust to promoting farmers as producers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.”
The vision of the ‘Agricultural Policy-2019’: “To harness the potential of Odisha’s agricultural sector sustainably, aimed at continuously raising farmers’ incomes and welfare while ensuring nutritional security.”
The Draft claims: “This policy will be focused on farmer well-being with the following objectives:
1. Continuous growth in farmer incomes
2. Making the growth process inclusive of small and marginal farmers
3. Ensuring sustainable, stable, and scalable agricultural growth.
The Draft further claims: “The sector-specific strategy in the Policy are designed on 8 pillars: SAMRIDHI – ‘Leveraging Science and Technology’, ‘Adaptation to climate change’, ‘Markets (Domestic and Global), physical and financial, spot and future’, ‘Resource use efficiency ensuring higher productivity’, ‘Creating appropriate Infrastructure’, ‘Diversification of production to high-value agriculture’, ‘Human resource upgrading and skilling’ and ‘Strengthening Institutions’.”
The Draft Agricultural Policy-2019 comprises 14 Chapters Chapter 1 is “Building on KALIA”, Chapter 2 is “Input Management”, Chapter 3 is “Land and Water Management” and so on while Chapter 14 carries “Transformation in Governance”.
“KALIA will remain a flagship scheme of the government and will be strengthened and continued during the next five years.”
“Farmers who can transform their livelihoods successfully using KALIA will be identified and duly rewarded on a yearly basis. High-performing officials at all levels of hierarchy will also be duly recognized.”
source: Ommcomnews
Link:https://www.ommcomnews.com/odisha-news/odisha-releases-draft-agricultural-policy-2019-kalia-to-remain-flagship-scheme-for-next-5-yrs
