Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi speaks during the transfer of the 5th instalment of the CM-KISAN Scheme at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Odisha government on Friday (September 4, 2026) transferred more than ₹833 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts of 41,35,978 small and marginal farmers and 13,949 landless agricultural households as the fifth instalment under the CM-KISAN scheme.The assistance will help farmers purchase seeds, fertilizers and pesticides ahead of the 2026-27 Rabi crop season, said the government.Addressing a meeting to mark the occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the government is not merely providing financial assistance through the CM-KISAN scheme, but is also working to make farmers self-reliant and recognise their hard work.“For the ongoing 2026-27 Kharif season, the deadline for paddy registration has been extended up to September 7. Similarly, a special assistance package of ₹1,000 crore has been announced for farmers affected by the recent severe floods in districts including Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Sundargarh. Immediate compensation will be provided to the affected farmers based on damage assessment reports prepared by field-level personnel of the Revenue and Agriculture Departments,” he said.Stating that diversification, rather than dependence solely on traditional farming, is necessary to help double farmers’ incomes, Mr. Majhi said more than 60% of the State’s population depends on agriculture. Therefore, doubling the annual income of farmers is one of the major priorities of his government, he said.During the 2025-26 Kharif season, around 77.48 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were procured from 18.84 lakh farmers, and a record ₹5,663.84 crore was provided as input subsidy under Samrudha Krushak Yojana. During the Rabi season, ₹1,494.89 crore was provided to 3.63 lakh farmers, he said.Mr. Majhi said the monthly income of farmers in Odisha had remained extremely disappointing for nearly two and a half decades. “In 2022, the monthly income of an agricultural household in Odisha was only ₹5,112, which was the second-lowest in the country. Only Jharkhand ranked below Odisha. At that time, Farmers had been compelled to continue farming merely to survive, with no better alternative available to them,” he said.The Chief Minister said the situation has changed after the new government came to power. “Farmers have been receiving ₹3,100 per quintal for paddy procurement, resulting in a direct increase in their income. The government has set a target of at least doubling the annual income of farming families,” said Mr. Majhi.Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo assured assistance to flood-hit farmers. Published - September 04, 2026 06:18 pm IST
