Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme today praised several farmers of Odisha's Kalahandi for creating 'vegetable revolution' in the district.

Modi spoke about the journey of 10 farmers who started using modern technology in farming and did business worth crores or rupees. Currently, more than 200 farmers are associated with this initiative.

"My dear countrymen, today I want to tell you about an effort in Kalahandi, Odisha, which is writing a new story of success despite a paucity of water and resources. This is the 'vegetable revolution' of Kalahandi. Where once farmers were forced to migrate; today, the Golamunda block of Kalahandi has become a vegetable hub. How did this change come about? It started with a small group of just 10 farmers. This group together established an FPO - 'Kisan Utpad Sangh', and started using modern technology in farming, and today their FPO is doing business worth crores. Today more than 200 farmers are associated with this FPO, including 45 women farmers," the PM said.

Together, these people are cultivating tomatoes in 200 acres and bitter gourd in 150 acres. Now the annual turnover of this FPO has also risen to more than 1.5 crores. Today, vegetables from Kalahandi are reaching not only various districts of Odisha, but also other states, and the farmers there are now learning new techniques of potato and onion cultivation, said Modi.