Bhubaneswar: A stakeholder consultation meeting on promoting agricultural exports from Odisha was held at Krushi Bhavan, focusing on strategies to enhance the state’s presence in global markets. The meeting, chaired by Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE), aimed to create a supportive ecosystem for exporters, address challenges, and identify key products with high export potential.
Dr. Padhee emphasized the need for better infrastructure, an improved institutional framework, and streamlined export processes to encourage broader participation in the agri-export sector. He reiterated the department’s commitment to providing policy support to strengthen the export framework and link farmers and farmer producer organizations (FPOs) to international markets, ensuring higher income opportunities for them.
The consultation brought together senior officials, including Director of Agriculture Premchandra Choudhary and Director of Horticulture Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, along with representatives from the MSME Department, Commerce and Transport Department, APEDA, AAICLAS, and the Technical Support Unit under the PSFPO project. Discussions revolved around addressing logistical and regulatory bottlenecks while leveraging Odisha’s agricultural strengths to establish a strong export-driven ecosystem.
With a focused approach on agri-exports, Odisha aims to position itself as a key player in the global agricultural trade, ensuring sustainable growth for its farmers and agribusiness sector.