Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the Eastern Regional Agriculture Conference at the Mayfair Convention in Bhubaneswar, with representatives from Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal convening to frame a shared roadmap. The meeting addressed pulses and oilseeds production, integrated and natural farming, farmer registry, horticulture, credit and marketing reforms, and measures to curb fake agricultural inputs. It sought to boost farmer incomes and promote climate resilient practices across eastern India.

Chouhan set priorities to ensure food security for one point four billion (bn) citizens, improve nutrition and raise farmer livelihoods, and said eastern India's fertile land and water resources could make it a national growth engine. He urged diversification beyond paddy and wheat into pulses, oilseeds and high value horticulture, and called for production gains to be matched by lower cultivation costs and assured procurement. He asked the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and state agencies to deliver research and technology directly to farmers.

Integrated farming must be a practical field model combining crops with horticulture, fisheries, livestock, beekeeping and agro forestry to raise incomes of smallholders, the minister said. He announced a nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan would begin from June one to promote balanced fertiliser use, soil health, modern technology and scheme awareness, and warned against diversion of subsidised inputs. He added that a campaign would target fake fertilisers, spurious pesticides and substandard seeds and called for stricter state action and legal measures. He recommended strengthening procurement mechanisms such as PM AASHA, NAFED and NCCF to support pulses and oilseeds.

Majhi said the conference would strengthen the Purvodaya vision and outlined Odisha's focus on crop diversification, millets, organic farming, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) support, cold storage and agri entrepreneurship. He said exchange of best practices among states would aid agricultural self reliance and farmer prosperity. The session was attended by union ministers of state, state agriculture ministers, senior officials, ICAR leadership, scientists, farmer organisations, KVKs, startups, NABARD and banking institutions.