Odisha government signs six MoUs to advance digital agriculture

The Odisha government has signed six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance digital agriculture, strengthen seed systems, and improve farmer livelihoods. The agreements involve partnerships with the Department of Posts (Odisha Circle), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).

Through a partnership with the Department of Posts, Gramin Dak Sevaks will assist in the state’s digital agriculture stack. This includes facilitating Farmer Registry enrolment, generating Farmer IDs, and managing registrations for schemes such as CM KISAN and PM-KISAN e-KYC. This initiative aims to provide last-mile service delivery to rural and remote farming households.

Collaborations with ICRISAT focus on four projects aimed at strengthening seed systems for pulses and oilseeds, including chickpea, lentil, pigeonpea, gram, niger, and sesame. These projects include speed breeding for climate-resilient varieties to support crop diversification and higher yields. Additionally, a partnership with MSSRF will address nutrition and farming systems at the grassroots level.