A Farmer Producer Organization formed for certified seed production activity and promotion of quality seeds in the state, will now have a godown and drying yard to take this forward. The Bahuda Farmers Producer Company Ltd. was formed as a part of the project “Enhancing Production and Productivity of Millets and Pulses in Odisha through an Alternative Seed System Model for Production and Supply of Improved Seed Varieties”.

The FPO Office cum Storage Godown and Drying yard built under the Alternate Seed System Model project supported by Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) at Badabaranga, Chikiti, Ganjam, was inaugurated by Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO), Ganjam, Shri Bhaskar Padhy on 11 January 2021. In his speech, he appreciated MSSRF efforts in successful implementation of the project to produce quality foundation and certified seeds of green gram in Ganjam and urged this be continued as there is great need of quality seeds for farmers of the district as well as other parts of Odisha. Other guests supported and reiterated his suggestion.

Officer in-charge KVK, Ganjam Smt Sushmita Mohanty, suggested that the FPO be strengthened further to be sustainable and continue seed production not only for green gram, but for other pulses like black gram, horsegram, oilseed like sesame and if possible vegetables as well.

Dignitaries included Shri Santosh Behera Scheme Officer RKVY & NFSM, Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Odisha who said that a Model Drying Yard on lines of Thailand shall be established in Chikiti, the first of its kind in Odisha. The BFPCL will be supported with other machinery such as spiral grader, thresher etc., from the NFSM.

Dr Neeranjan Senapati, head of Centre for Pulses Research, Brahmapur, Dr RV Bhavani, Director ANH & Biju Patnaik Tribal Agrobiodiversity Centre, MSSRF, Shri Kumarbar Pradhan, Jeypore State Seed Certification Officer, the SPO Ganjam, CEO, Chairperson and board members of Bahuda Farmers Producer Company Ltd. (BFPCL), officials from various departments and senior staff members of MSSRF participated.

The programme was coordinated by staff members of BPTAbC, Jeypore Dr. Kartik Charan Lenka, Prashant K Parida, Akshaya Kumar Panda, Neeranjan Gouda, Jagannath Khillo and Krutibash Rauta.