Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar hosted the Eastern Zone Regional Agriculture Conference 2026 today. The event focused on agricultural growth and farmer welfare in Eastern India. Five states took part in this important meeting. These states are Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Leaders and experts gathered to make a clear roadmap for the future of farming. They aim to improve the social and economic lives of farmers in this region. 
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the event as a key guest. He praised the farmers of Odisha. He also praised the state government for setting a new record in buying paddy this year. He called farmers our main food providers. He stated that farmers are like a second god on earth. He pointed out the rich soil, abundant water, and good climate of Eastern India. He believes these natural gifts will strongly drive farmer development in the coming days.
The Union Minister asked farmers to practice natural farming on at least 20 percent of their land. This step will reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. It will also keep the soil healthy and fertile.
Furthermore, he announced a strict plan against people who sell fake fertilizers and pesticides. The central government will soon introduce a 'New Pesticide Act' to protect farmers from fraud.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also spoke at the conference. He gave high importance to soil protection. He urged everyone to adopt natural farming. He warned that excess chemicals and pesticides slowly poison the soil. The Chief Minister shared a proud moment for the state. People now use organic rice from Odisha to prepare the holy Mahaprasad for Lord Jagannath. He asked farm scientists to find new ways to grow more organic crops in the eastern region. He also talked about saving traditional food grains. The state government is making special efforts at the block level to bring back these forgotten foods.
Chief Minister Majhi explained the historic steps taken by the Odisha government to help farmers financially. The state buys paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal under the 'Samrudha Krushak Yojana'. This scheme directly helped about 19 lakh farmers during the last Kharif season. The state also gives Rs 4,000 every year to over 51 lakh farmers through the 'CM Kisan' scheme. When combined with the central government's 'PM Kisan' scheme, farmers receive a total of Rs 10,000 yearly.
The state government fully pays the farmers' premium for the crop insurance scheme. It also funds higher education for farmers' children. To improve facilities, the government is building cold storages in all 58 sub-divisions of the state. It offers subsidies up to Rs 1 crore to encourage business investments in agriculture. Over 1,800 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) currently operate in Odisha. They successfully did a business of Rs 126 crore in the last two years. The state is also developing coffee plantations on one lakh acres of land across six districts, including Koraput and Kalahandi.
Many other important leaders attended the meeting. Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, along with agriculture ministers from Bihar and Chhattisgarh, were present. Senior central government officials also joined the stage. Chief Minister Majhi hopes this conference will help eastern states learn good practices from each other. He firmly believes this roadmap will make Eastern India completely self-reliant in farming and fulfill the Prime Minister's 'Purvodaya' mission.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the event as a key guest. He praised the farmers of Odisha. He also praised the state government for setting a new record in buying paddy this year. He called farmers our main food providers. He stated that farmers are like a second god on earth. He pointed out the rich soil, abundant water, and good climate of Eastern India. He believes these natural gifts will strongly drive farmer development in the coming days.
The Union Minister asked farmers to practice natural farming on at least 20 percent of their land. This step will reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. It will also keep the soil healthy and fertile.
Furthermore, he announced a strict plan against people who sell fake fertilizers and pesticides. The central government will soon introduce a 'New Pesticide Act' to protect farmers from fraud.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also spoke at the conference. He gave high importance to soil protection. He urged everyone to adopt natural farming. He warned that excess chemicals and pesticides slowly poison the soil. The Chief Minister shared a proud moment for the state. People now use organic rice from Odisha to prepare the holy Mahaprasad for Lord Jagannath. He asked farm scientists to find new ways to grow more organic crops in the eastern region. He also talked about saving traditional food grains. The state government is making special efforts at the block level to bring back these forgotten foods.
Chief Minister Majhi explained the historic steps taken by the Odisha government to help farmers financially. The state buys paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal under the 'Samrudha Krushak Yojana'. This scheme directly helped about 19 lakh farmers during the last Kharif season. The state also gives Rs 4,000 every year to over 51 lakh farmers through the 'CM Kisan' scheme. When combined with the central government's 'PM Kisan' scheme, farmers receive a total of Rs 10,000 yearly.
The state government fully pays the farmers' premium for the crop insurance scheme. It also funds higher education for farmers' children. To improve facilities, the government is building cold storages in all 58 sub-divisions of the state. It offers subsidies up to Rs 1 crore to encourage business investments in agriculture. Over 1,800 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) currently operate in Odisha. They successfully did a business of Rs 126 crore in the last two years. The state is also developing coffee plantations on one lakh acres of land across six districts, including Koraput and Kalahandi.
Many other important leaders attended the meeting. Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, along with agriculture ministers from Bihar and Chhattisgarh, were present. Senior central government officials also joined the stage. Chief Minister Majhi hopes this conference will help eastern states learn good practices from each other. He firmly believes this roadmap will make Eastern India completely self-reliant in farming and fulfill the Prime Minister's 'Purvodaya' mission.
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