Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, distributed Rs 800 crore in financial support to the state's 40 lakh small and marginal farmers on Tuesday.
On the occasion of Akshay Tritiya and Krishak Diwas, the transfer was made under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister recommended farmers to use the money into crop production and to utilise it solely for agricultural reasons.
"The state government's most important programmes are agriculture development and farmer welfare. Agriculture has been allocated more than Rs 20,000 crore in this year's budget, according to the Chief Minister.
Eight new agricultural development initiatives, including the Jackfruit Mission and ReWARD (Rejuvenating Watershed for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development) program, the Millet Mission, and the Special Program for the Promotion of Integrated Farming, were launched on the occasion, according to the state government.
Under the Jackfruit Mission, a total of Rs 97 crore has been provided for the development of jackfruit cultivation in nine districts, while the ReWARD scheme has allocated Rs 500 crore to boost agricultural productivity through a scientific watershed program.
Similarly, under the Odisha Millet Mission, Rs 2,808 crore has been set aside for farmers in 182 blocks across 19 districts, while Rs 239 crore has been set aside for a special programme to promote integrated farming among 1.8 lakh farming households across eight districts. These four programmes would cost a total of Rs 3,644 crore.
"The state administration is prioritizing capital investment in agriculture," the Chief Minister said, "and they will continue with their efforts to make farming a viable career."
On this occasion, the Chief Minister launched the new 'Krishak Odisha' portal for the state's agricultural community. Farmers may update their data on the portal and receive essential services and guidance.
In addition, the Chief Minister unveiled the Go-Sugam portal, which is aimed at farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs. This is the country's first single Windows platform designed specifically for farmers.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Odisha Department of Agriculture to develop a realistic policy to boost farmers' incomes in agriculture and related sectors.
