Bhubaneswar/New Delhi, Aug 5: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, participated in the Virgin Land Security Summit 2025 held at the India International Centre, New Delhi, officials said on Tuesday.

The summit, sponsored by Uday India, focused on unlocking the potential of India’s 60 million hectares of barren or underutilized land, with 20 million hectares deemed ideal for organic farming.

Addressing a distinguished gathering of policymakers, agripreneur, and development experts, Singh Deo highlighted Odisha’s pioneering efforts in sustainable agriculture. “Odisha is at the forefront of this movement,” he said, citing the Balabhadra Jaivik Chasa Mission and the One District–One Organic Cluster initiative as transformative models.

The Deputy Chief Minister noted that nearly 32% of Odisha’s cultivable land already uses minimal chemicals, and the state is scaling up organic farming through agro-processing units for mango, turmeric, millets, and ginger, export-oriented agri parks, and millet-based enterprises. These efforts are being linked with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to build robust organic value chains.

Singh Deo also extended an open invitation to global investors and agripreneurs, emphasizing Odisha’s readiness with land, policy support, and incentives such as subsidies on land, power, water, capital assistance, and fast-track clearances. “Odisha is where nature meets enterprise, and tradition meets innovation,” he said.

A Norwegian agripreneur praised Odisha’s eco-agriculture model, calling it a benchmark for sustainable farming. The summit also saw participation from Uday India Editor Deepak Kumar Rath and other key stakeholders in agriculture and land reform.

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