District-level agriculture development plan workshop organized in Kendrapara under MMPTF Joint Programme
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), under the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF) Joint Programme (JP) on Climate Change, Migration and Agriculture, are supporting initiatives to strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods and reduce the vulnerability of migrant and migration-prone rural households in Odisha. As an important component of the JP, a District-Level Agriculture Development Plan (ADP) workshop was organised on 18 August 2026 in Kendrapara, to develop ADPs for Hatina and Batighar Gram Panchayats in the district.
Hemant Kumar Samal, Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO), Kendrapara, convened the workshop, and the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) facilitated it in collaboration with FAO and IOM. Dr Surjit Vikraman and Dr Partha Pratim Sahu from NIRD&PR facilitated the technical deliberations on the ADPs. More than 40 individuals, including representatives from relevant line departments, block-level officials from Rajnagar and Mahakalapada blocks, representatives of the two Gram Panchayats, and JP implementation partners – WASSAN and Aide et Action participated in the workshop. The workshop also witnessed active participation from district- and block-level officials representing Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Watershed/Soil Conservation, Mission Shakti, Odisha Livelihoods Mission, Rural Development, Women and Child Development, and other concerned departments.
The discussions during the workshop focused on the priority development challenges and opportunities identified through the ADP preparation process for Hatina and Batighar Gram Panchayats. For Batighar Gram Panchayat, participants highlighted critical challenges relating to connectivity, as well as issues arising from the non-availability of land pattas/land records in the names of households, which can constrain access to certain schemes and livelihood investments. At the same time, the significant potential for eco-tourism in Batighar was discussed as an important livelihood and local economic development opportunity that could be explored through appropriate planning, convergence and institutional support.
For Hatina Gram Panchayat, waterlogging and inadequate drainage emerged as an important concern requiring coordinated attention. Participants discussed possible measures for improving drainage and water management while simultaneously exploring opportunities for productive water use and climate-resilient agriculture.
A major focus of the workshop was to identify priority interventions and convergence opportunities for both Gram Panchayats. Block-level officials from Rajnagar and Mahakalapada also contributed to the discussions, particularly on departmental convergence, locally relevant interventions, and opportunities for integrating the Agriculture Development Plans into the respective Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
Officials from different departments discussed the schemes and programmes available within their respective mandates and the support that could be extended for implementation of the proposed ADPs. The discussions included, among others, the introduction and promotion of saline-tolerant crop varieties, strengthening of water harvesting structures, improved water management, and possibilities for solar-powered agricultural systems and irrigation under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan (PM-KUSUM). Opportunities relating to agriculture and allied sectors, livelihood diversification, infrastructure, market linkages, natural resource management and other locally relevant interventions were also deliberated upon.
The workshop emphasised that the ADPs should not remain standalone planning documents but should provide a clear pathway for convergence of departmental schemes and resources and their integration into the GPDPs. The participating line departments shared their existing presence in the two Gram Panchayats and identified areas where ongoing government schemes could be leveraged to address the priorities emerging from the ADPs.
The Sarpanches and Ward Members of Hatina and Batighar Gram Panchayats appreciated the initiative taken under the JP for bringing multiple departments and stakeholders together around a comprehensive agriculture-focused development plan and expressed their commitment to take the identified priorities forward through the Panchayat and Gram Sabha processes.
The preparation of these ADPs is particularly relevant to the MMPTF Joint Programme as climate change, agriculture, rural livelihoods and migration are closely interconnected. Climate-related stresses can adversely affect agricultural productivity and livelihood security, thereby increasing migration pressures on vulnerable households. Strengthening local agricultural planning and integrating climate-resilient livelihood priorities into GPDPs can therefore contribute to addressing some of the underlying drivers of distress migration while building resilient rural economies.
The Agriculture Development Plans of Hatina and Batighar are envisaged to serve as “lighthouse” models for other Gram Panchayats in Odisha and across the country, demonstrating how focused agriculture development planning can be effectively embedded within GPDPs. The initiative seeks to highlight the importance of giving agriculture, allied livelihoods, climate resilience and natural resource management adequate attention within decentralised local development planning.
The workshop concluded with a shared commitment among the Panchayats, district and block administrations, line departments, NIRD&PR, FAO, IOM and other stakeholders to further refine the ADPs, identify actionable convergence opportunities and facilitate their integration into the GPDPs through the appropriate Gram Sabha and decentralised planning processes.