Positioning healthier rice varieties in Odisha for market demand and farmer income 

In western Odisha, farmer groups and women’s self-help groups are taking the lead in bringing a range of healthier rice varieties to local markets, improving nutrition for families while creating new income opportunities.

By Dillip Kumar Rout, Sampad Nayak, Mosharaf Hossain, and Swati Nayak 

At the Pallishree Mela of 2025 in Balangir, a famous farmer fair that celebrates agriculture, community innovations, products, and services, a large number of visitors gathered around a stall run by the Maa Maheswari Women Self-Help Group (SHG), a proactive community partner in catalyzed efforts by IRRI in the region. On display were packets of DRR Dhan 67, enriched with zinc (27.6 mg/kg) and iron, and Telangana Sona, a low glycemic index (51–53) variety suited for people managing diabetes.

For many families, it was a chance to bring home rice that offered both nutrition and flavor, a result of an initiative supported by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE), Government of Odisha. These healthier rice varieties, widely promoted by women farmers and entrepreneurs, were developed by One Rice Breeding Partners, the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU).

The women behind the stall are part of a growing effort in western Odisha to change how value-added rice varieties are produced, positioned, and marketed. With support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), farmer collectives and SHGs are promoting nutrient-rich rice to meet the rising demand for healthier food.