- Comprehensive educational drive reaches over 26,900 college students across 220+ institutions to foster agricultural entrepreneurship, technical skill development, and rural employment creation
Bhubaneswar, September 2026 : On the occasion of Teachers' Day, the Directorate of Horticulture, Government of Odisha, successfully organized a massive, statewide Horticulture Outreach Programme across all 30 districts of Odisha. Designed to empower the younger generation with actionable technical expertise and entrepreneurship opportunities, the initiative engaged over 26,900 students across more than 220 colleges. The programme saw active participation from field-level officers, including Deputy Directors of Horticulture, Assistant Directors of Horticulture, Assistant Horticulture Officers, and Assistant Agriculture Engineers, who directly interacted with students to bridge academic learning with practical agricultural applications.
Leveraging Odisha’s diverse agro-climatic conditions, horticulture holds immense potential to enhance farm incomes, support agricultural diversification, and generate rural employment, as highlighted in the State's Economic Survey. To convert this potential into real economic opportunities, the Directorate focused on critical interventions, including area expansion, quality production, protected cultivation, mushroom farming, beekeeping, post-harvest management, value addition, and market linkages. By integrating practical training with field demonstrations, the initiative provided students with the skill sets required to explore self-employment and agritech ventures.
The Directorate of Horticulture declared the event a grand success, noting that the outreach effectively raised awareness, developed practical skills, and fostered entrepreneurial ambition among rural youth. By combining the celebration of Teachers' Day with knowledge sharing and capacity building, the initiative sets a strong foundation for sustainable agricultural growth and youth-led economic development across the state.
