US Embassy Agricultural Experts Visit Farmers’ Fields in Cuttack to Assess the Impact of El Niño on Rice Production 
A team of agricultural experts comprising Mr. Joseph Degreenia, Agricultural Attaché, and Dr. Santosh Kumar Singh, Senior Agricultural Specialist, from the Embassy of the United States of America, New Delhi, visited farmers’ fields in Mahanga Block of Cuttack district, Odisha on 16 October 2026, and interacted with rice farmers to assess the potential impact of prevailing El Niño conditions on rice production in eastern India, particularly Odisha, a major rice-producing region.
During the visit, the team interacted with members of the Cuttack 4S4R Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) to understand the challenges faced by rice farmers during the current cropping season, including weather-related concerns and their implications for rice cultivation and productivity.
Subsequently, the team held discussions with Dr. G.A.K. Kumar, Director, ICAR–Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack, and the Heads of Divisions on the potential impacts of El Niño on rice production and possible mitigation strategies to strengthen the resilience of rice-based farming systems.
The visit was coordinated by Dr. Sushanta Kumar Dash, Principal Scientist (Plant Breeding), and Dr. Raghu S., Senior Scientist (Plant Pathology), ICAR-CRRI, Cuttack.
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