CM Majhi Announces ₹838 Cr Aid, Unveils Seed Distribution Drive for Farmers

Bhubaneswar: Marking Akshaya Trutiya and State-level Farmers’ Day, the Odisha government on Monday rolled out a series of major agriculture-focused initiatives, including financial assistance of ₹838.48 crore to over 41.68 lakh farmers under the CM-Kisan Yojana.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the measures at a state-level programme held at the Central Rice Research Institute, where he also performed the traditional ‘Akhi Muthi’ ritual following a ceremonial Bhumi Puja, symbolising the beginning of the new agricultural year.

In a move to improve access to quality seeds, the Chief Minister launched the “Ama Bihana Ratha” (Seeds on Wheels) initiative. The programme will initially cover 31 blocks across 10 districts, distributing improved paddy seed varieties in 5-kg packets at the gram panchayat level. He also inaugurated the ‘Krushi Ratha’ and visited an agricultural exhibition organised at the venue.

Highlighting farmer welfare, Majhi said the financial assistance for the 2026 Kharif season has been transferred directly to beneficiaries through the DBT system. Among the recipients, over 41.24 lakh are small and marginal farmers, while 41,049 belong to landless families and 3,292 to tribal households.

The Chief Minister noted that Odisha’s agricultural growth rate has reached 5.3 per cent in the last 22 months, surpassing the national average. He added that foodgrain production in the state has crossed 150 lakh metric tonnes this year, marking a new milestone.

On procurement, Majhi said paddy is being purchased at ₹3,100 per quintal. During the 2025–26 Kharif season, the state procured 76.47 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from over 18.55 lakh farmers, with ₹5,589.98 crore disbursed as input assistance.

He also highlighted ongoing schemes such as the Krushi Vidyanidhi Scholarship, under which 68,910 students from farming families have received over ₹291.60 crore in the current academic year. Initiatives like the “Balabhadra Jaibik Chasa Mission” for organic farming and the Shree Anna Abhiyan for millet promotion are also being expanded.

Referring to reforms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Majhi said the ‘Beej Se Bazar’ approach is being adopted to strengthen farm productivity and market linkages. Infrastructure such as cold storages and warehouses is also being developed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

The Chief Minister thanked the Centre for including districts like Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, and Nuapada under the PM Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana.

Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, addressing the gathering, described farmers as the backbone of the economy and urged them to purchase fertilisers only from authorised dealers using Aadhaar authentication and proper receipts to ensure transparency.