The Indian state of Odisha is building a market for healthier and more nutritious rice. The Odisha Healthier Rice Business Summit 2026, held in Bhubaneswar on 3 October, brought together farmers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), women-led producer groups, buyers, processors, research institutions and the state government.
The healthier rice portfolio includes low and ultra-low glycaemic index (GI) rice, high-protein rice, micronutrient-rich rice, traditional aromatic varieties and antioxidant-rich pigmented rice. It is grown on about 1,200 hectares now, and the plan is to expand to 10,000 hectares over the next four to five years.
Business commitments announced at the summit cover about 1,000 tonnes, with an indicative value of ₹6 crore, involving five buyers and five FPOs. Buyers are dealing directly with farmer groups on procurement, processing, branding and distribution.
To support the expansion, Odisha will set up a specialty rice and millet facility for processing, value addition and market development, with technical support from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). IRRI and the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) are working together on variety development, field testing, extension and evidence, and on matching varieties, production systems, quality control and traceability to what markets want.
"By linking farmers and FPOs with research, industry and markets, we can promote healthier rice and create better incomes for farmers. The government is committed to providing the infrastructure and policy support needed to take Odisha's healthier rice to national and global markets," said Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Odisha's Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment.
The summit is organised under the Promoting SHG Led Entrepreneurship through Rice Value Addition initiative, a joint effort of the state's Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment, the Department of Mission Shakti and the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), implemented by IRRI. The summit's central message was that "Odisha is taking healthier rice from the research plot to the market, and the farmer is the first beneficiary."
Photo: Trócaire / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Source: IRRI
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