Must remove intermediaries who don’t add value: Naveen Patnaik
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday pushed for linking farmers directly to the market and removing intermediaries, with the objective to improve the income of farmers. Speaking at the inauguration of the Odisha Agri Conclave 2021 via videoconference, Patnaik said the emphasis of the state government is to enhance the income of farmers.
“We must respond to the dynamics of the market. We need to streamline their connectivity to the aggregators and processors to play the role of producers. We need to remove intermediaries who don’t add value to the supply chain,” Patnaik said.
He further said the state aspires to become the investment destination of choice by continuously creating and delivering outstanding opportunities for business growth, fostering all-around socio-economic development for the state and its people. “Agriculture and allied sectors of the state are now open to national and global players,” Patnaik said.
“Farmers lay the foundation of the nation’s economy. It is on this foundation, we build the pillars of a vibrant economy. The development of agriculture and the empowerment of farmers is our priority,” Patnaik said. Citing challenges of frequent natural calamities including droughts, cyclones, and floods, he said that his Government has worked out all possible measures to ensure uninterrupted growth of the Agriculture and Economy of the state. “It is now evident that the agriculture sector is a silver lining in the current Covid-19 pandemic situation,” he added.
Odisha Agri Conclave 2021 is a joint endeavour of the State Agriculture & farmers’ Empowerment Dept and the National National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India to make the process of farming easier for farmers. The initiative has helped in providing State’s traditional, indigenous and nutritious products support to get prominence in the global market. Adani-Wilmer ltd, Tata Agri, Parley, Amul, Coffe Board of India, Big Basket, and many other top national and global players participated in the conclave.