Odisha CM launches 3,612 projects in Kalahandi as Centre to procure 8L tonnes of rice

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday said the state government is making arrangements to buy crops from farmers, following the Centre’s agreement to lift eight lakh tonnes of rice from Odisha. The announcement comes after widespread protests in late 2025 in districts including Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir, Sonepur, Sambalpur, and Nilagiri, where farmers demanded timely sale of paddy at the minimum support price (MSP) .

Farmers had staged demonstrations, blocked roads, and in Sonepur even sold rice at Rs 10 per kg to highlight delays in procurement. Complaints included slow issuance of tokens, delayed lifting of paddy at mandis, and financial stress due to postponed payments. Logistical bottlenecks and staff shortages added to the problem. Political parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) criticized the state government, claiming that only a fraction of registered farmers had been able to sell their produce.

At a programme in Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi , Majhi launched 3,612 development projects worth over Rs 891 crore to strengthen irrigation and support farmers in drought-prone areas. He inaugurated 971 projects valued at Rs 193.36 crore and laid the foundation stone for 2,641 projects worth Rs 698.3 crore, while also inaugurating the Kalahandi Ghoomura Mahotsav‑2026.

Majhi said these initiatives will boost development in Kalahandi and benefit local farmers. He announced plans for the Utei Rawal irrigation project , involving an investment of Rs 3,325 crore , with work to start after central approval. Construction on the Belgaum intra-river reservoir project will begin soon, while work at Sandul Barrage is expected to finish quickly. The area between Kalahandi and Nabarangpur will also be developed into a cotton production cluster .

“The Centre has agreed to lift eight lakh metric tonnes of rice from Odisha. The state government is making arrangements to collect paddy from farmers,” Majhi said. He added that farmers are benefiting from irrigation projects and welfare schemes, including Rs 800 per quintal for paddy and Rs 10,000 annually under PM Kisan and CM Kisan schemes . “A farmer family now earns about Rs 71,000 more per year due to state and central welfare programmes,” he said.

India remains the world’s largest rice producer , with total production of around 150 million tonnes in 2024-25, projected to reach 152 million tonnes in 2025–26. The government procures rice through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies at MSP to ensure food security. In the 2024–25 marketing season, India procured about 53.11 million tonnes of rice, up slightly from 52.54 million tonnes in 2023–24. The 2025-26 kharif season target is 46.35 million tonnes.

In Odisha , about 10.5 lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured by early January 2026, benefiting 2.3 lakh farmers with over Rs 2,350 crore credited under MSP. The state’s 2024–25 target was 73 lakh tonnes of paddy, translating to 63 lakh tonnes of rice. The additional eight lakh tonnes to be lifted by the Centre represents a meaningful boost to local stocks and helps clear the procurement backlog.

While states like Punjab, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh are among India’s largest rice procurers, each collecting 70-116 lakh tonnes annually, Odisha’s total procurement remains smaller. Other contributors include Uttar Pradesh (~38.6 lakh tonnes), Haryana (~36.2 lakh tonnes), Bihar (~26.3 lakh tonnes), Andhra Pradesh (~24.6 lakh tonnes), and West Bengal (~19.9 lakh tonnes). Though eight lakh tonnes is small nationally, it is significant locally, helping Odisha farmers overcome delays and logistical challenges in selling their produce.