July 9, 2025 Odisha agriculture has achieved a historic milestone by being recognised as the Best State for Agriculture. The prestigious Agriculture Leadership Award, instituted by the Agriculture Today Group, was presented at the 16th Agriculture Leadership Conclave—one of India’s most respected platforms for agricultural excellence. The award was received by Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo.
The national honour was conferred during a grand ceremony held in New Delhi in the presence of Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, Former Chief Justice of India and Chairman of the Award Committee Hon’ble Justice P. Sathasivam, and several other distinguished guests and international delegates.
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Singh Deo, while receiving the award, said, “This award is a testament to the innovation and hard work of the farmers of Odisha. I dedicate this award to the annadatas of Odisha. The Government of Odisha expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the Agriculture Today Group for this honour and reaffirms its commitment to making Odisha agriculture a model of sustainable agricultural development in India.”
This national-level recognition is a powerful endorsement of Odisha agriculture’s achievements in innovation, inclusive development and growth. In the financial year 2024-25, Odisha agriculture and allied sectors contributed around 19% to the state’s Gross State Value Added (GSVA), which grew by 3.3%, outperforming the national average over the past five years. Odisha agriculture remains the largest employment generator, employing nearly 49% of the state’s workforce.
The rise of Odisha agriculture is rooted in the state government’s progressive economic policies, strategic rural investments, and promotion of climate-resilient and diversified farming practices. These forward-thinking measures have positioned Odisha agriculture among the best in the country. Rice production in Odisha for the year 2023-24 stood at 115.39 lakh metric tonnes—equivalent to 174.83 lakh metric tonnes of paddy—making Odisha the fourth largest rice supplier to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Due to the state’s efforts to modernise farming, Odisha agriculture has witnessed notable improvements in productivity, rural income and food security. The last year saw Odisha registering the highest sale of tractors in the country, underscoring the state’s push for mechanization. Odisha’s farm power input reached 2.60 kW per hectare in 2024-25 and is set to increase to 3.5 kW per hectare by 2036.
Odisha agriculture is also going global. In 2024-25, the state exported 121.82 metric tonnes of horticultural produce—including dragon fruit, cashew nuts, mangoes, and assorted vegetables—to countries in the Middle East and Europe. Exports were routed through Biju Patnaik International Airport (Bhubaneswar) and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (Kolkata).
Odisha agriculture now ranks second in India in total fruit production. It is ranked first in sweet potato and paddy straw mushroom production, second in brinjal and cabbage, third in cashew nuts, and fifth in watermelon, cauliflower, okra, tomato, lemon, and coconut production. These achievements reflect Odisha’s deep commitment to sustainable, scalable and inclusive agricultural development.
The Agriculture Leadership Conclave was attended by key dignitaries including Union Minister of State for Skill Development and HRD Shri Jayanta Choudhury, CM of Haryana Shri Nayab Singh Saini, Former CJI Justice P. Sathasivam, and international representatives from the Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, and Canada. Experts from health, education, research, farm machinery, banking and agro-industries also participated, marking Odisha agriculture as a national model worth emulating.
