In a significant move to enhance farmer incomes and expand interstate market access, the Odisha government flagged off large consignments of dry ginger, fresh ginger and premium Kalajeera rice from Koraput during the District Level Animal Husbandry and Fishery Mela held at the RTO Ground.
The consignments were ceremonially flagged off by Manoj Satyawan Mahajan, IAS, Collector of Koraput, in the presence of Sudam Chandra Biswal, Deputy Director of Horticulture, representatives of Palladium, and members of Jaivik Sri Farmers Producer Company Limited.
Facilitated by Jaivik Sri Farmers Producer Company Ltd, nearly 100 quintals of dry ginger were dispatched to Bengaluru, 240 quintals of fresh ginger were sent to markets in Punjab, and 60 quintals of premium Kalajeera rice were supplied to Haryana. Officials said the structured market linkages are expected to enable farmers to secure 30–40% higher prices compared to traditional local sales, delivering tangible economic gains to tribal households.
The initiative was undertaken under the leadership of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha, with guidance from the Directorate of Horticulture, Odisha. It was facilitated under the PSFPO project implemented by Palladium, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Through technical assistance, aggregation planning and coordinated logistics, the programme strengthened farmer-producer institutions and enabled access to reliable interstate markets.
Collector Mahajan emphasised that organised marketing remains critical for sustained income enhancement among tribal farmers and encouraged scaling up similar initiatives across the district. Deputy Director Biswal highlighted the collaborative efforts of Palladium and Pragati NGO in managing the farmer-producer company and deepening market linkages.
Known for its horticultural strength, Koraput continues to demonstrate how collective action, institutional support and structured market access can transform rural livelihoods while unlocking premium value for indigenous produce such as Kalajeera rice.