Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Odisha is set to emerge as a seed hub for pulses as part of the state’s strategy to contribute to the Prime Minister’s vision of making India self-reliant in food production. A high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Thursday reviewed plans for an intensive agriculture programme focused on the revival and sustainable intensification of forgotten foods. The meeting emphasized advancing India’s goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat in pulses by promoting large-scale cultivation of pigeonpea, black gram, and lentils through a cluster approach.
In order to showcase innovation in agricultural research, ICRISAT authorities unveiled ICPV 25444, a newly created pigeonpea variety that can be produced in any season, tolerate temperatures as high as 45°C, and mature in 120 days. This fast-maturing, heat-tolerant crop has the potential to revolutionize the pulse industry’s path toward self-reliance, according to the Deputy Chief Minister. He also suggested that this new type be grown alongside the historic pigeonpea species of Odisha, such Dangararani and Kandula, which the Odisha State Seeds Corporation Ltd. is working to rehabilitate.
Senior officials from the Agriculture Department, Directorate of Horticulture, Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production, ICRISAT, and ICARDA were present at the meeting, along with Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Shubham Saxena, Director of Agriculture, and Kalunge Gorakh Waman, Director of Horticulture.
