Bhubaneswar, September 2026 : In a major step toward transforming the state's agricultural landscape, a meeting was held at the LSB Chamber between the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers' Empowerment, Energy Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo with a delegation from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, to scale up the cultivation, value addition, and commercialization of indigenous specialty rice, with a central focus on Kalajeera rice. Held at the LSB Chamber, the meeting was attended by Shri Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Agriculture; and an IRRI delegation led by Dr. Nese Sreenivasul, Principal Scientist. The visiting IRRI team also featured Dr. Mukund, Head of IRRI Odisha; Dr. Hameeda, Scientist and Product Development Specialist; Dr. Priyabrata Roy, Project Coordinator for Rice Value Addition; and Mr. Gyandeep Pandia, Agribusiness Expert.
Under this IRRI will provide advanced technical collaboration to preserve the signature aroma, pure genetics, and superior quality of Odisha's native specialty rice varieties—including health-focused Low-GI (Glycemic Index) rice. To incentivize area expansion, the state plans to position Kalajeera rice as a primary demonstration project, allowing farmers to capitalize on higher Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and favorable market valuation. The initiative also targets economic optimization by developing value-added food products from broken rice, supported by the setup of localized raw rice mill units and regional processing infrastructure designed to empower rural farmers and women's groups as micro-entrepreneurs.
Beyond technical discussions, the visit served two key strategic objectives. The IRRI delegation formally extended an official invitation to the Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister and State Government for the upcoming National-Level Buyer–Seller Business Meet, titled "Beyond the Bowl," to maximize market linkages and stakeholder participation. Additionally, the visit facilitated an international knowledge exchange with IRRI scientists from the Philippines under the joint "Promoting Women Entrepreneurship through Rice Value Addition" project, fostering the cross-border sharing of best practices in post-harvest processing and sustainable, women-led agribusiness. Through this partnership, Odisha aims to preserve its indigenous agricultural heritage while building a resilient, market-driven enterprise model for its farming community.
