Eastern Regional Agriculture Conference
Why in News?
The Eastern Regional Agriculture Conference is in the news because the high-level collaborative summit was officially inaugurated on May 19, 2026, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
About
Jointly hosted by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the conference maps out a future agricultural roadmap for five key eastern states: Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal.
Key Information
- Core Objective: Promotes holistic agricultural development, strengthens Centre-State policy coordination, and actively works to double farmers' incomes across Eastern India.
- Alignment with Vision: Integrates regional agricultural planning with the Prime Minister's national “Purvodaya Mission” to turn Eastern India into a primary driver of agricultural growth.
- Participating Stakeholders: Brought together state ministers, agricultural scientists, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), progressive farmers, banking experts, and local agritech startups.
- National 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan': Announced a nationwide "Save the Farm" awareness campaign starting June 1 to educate farmers on modern tech and balanced fertiliser use.
- Focus on Crop Diversification: Urged a strategic shift away from standard paddy and wheat monoculture toward self-reliance in high-value pulses, oilseeds, fruits, and vegetables.
- Soil Protection & Natural Farming: Emphasised eco-friendly natural farming techniques to safeguard soil health and heavily reduce structural reliance on chemical fertilisers.
- Crackdown on Counterfeit Inputs: Introduced a forthcoming New Pesticide Act to strictly curb the illegal black-marketing of fake fertilisers and poor-quality pesticides.
- Flagship Scheme Monitoring: Provided a rigorous review platform for ongoing central programs including PM-AASHA, the National Mission on Edible Oils, and the Digital Farmer Registry.
Core Innovations Presented by Individual States
State representatives shared field-level success stories and specialized frameworks to promote regional problem-solving:
- Odisha: Showcased modern agricultural extension initiatives and its Samruddha Krushak Yojana ensuring fair pricing for local farmers.
- West Bengal: Shared regional best practices and scientific insights regarding high-yield seed production.
- Jharkhand: Presented scalable models for FPO-based value chains and structural blueprints for growing its agri-startup ecosystem.
- Bihar: Discussed policy achievements, market setups, and record yields specifically concerning maize production and marketing.
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