Humble millets emerging as hope for future: Naveen

BHUBANESWAR: Promotion of millets is about justice and equity to rain-fed farmers of Odisha, said chief minister Naveen Patnaik here on Thursday while inaugurating the two-day International Convention on Millets by planting a sapling. The convention will prepare a global roadmap for millets, said the official sources.
“Odisha is a pioneer state in designing a people centric millet mission with focus on livelihoods and nutrition of our tribal communities.My government will put all the efforts to make Odisha become a centre for excellence and contribute to economic growth, wellbeing, and health of the people of Odisha,” said the chief minister.
He said millets can play an important role to achieve nutritional security. “Humble millets are emerging as hope for our future,” he added.
Naveen said the state launched Odisha Millets Mission in 2017 with a focus to revive the millets. “To encourage millet cultivation, we have increased the direct benefit incentives for millets and laid out assured procurement of ragi. The state government is investing over Rs 2500 crore for providing income and livelihood support to farmers,” he added.
He also released a coffee table book, special postal cover. He felicitated five millet farmers for achieving exceptional success in millet production.
In a session on packaging technologies, the speakers highlighted the importance of efficient processing and packaging technologies for value-added millet products, the need of a roadmap for raising public awareness of millet's high nutritional value in India and other countries, and ways to improve farmers’ livelihoods.
Other topics were regulations on millet branding and packaging, challenges and opportunities facing the millet industry, sustainable approaches to millet product packaging and innovative approaches to value-added millet product packaging. Significance of moisture-free packaging was also discussed. The primary issues covered in the session included value addition, appropriate packaging, branding, extending product shelf life, and creation of a worldwide market for millets.
Prem Chandra Chaudhary, director of agriculture and food production, said around two lakh farmers are cultivating millets over 2.5 lakh hectares in 177 blocks across the state. “Ragi is predominantly produced in the state. Government is procuring ragi with minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,846 per quintal. We procured around six lakh quintals of ragi last year, but this year we have set a target to procure eight lakh quintals,” he added.
Among others, agriculture minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, Union agriculture secretary Manoj Ahuja, farmers and SHG members, noted scientists and researchers, representatives of international organisations like Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) attended the convention.
International music composer and Grammy award winner Rickey Kej and celebrity chef Vikash Khanna also joined the programme as brand ambassadors. Rickey Kej’s performance in the evening mesmerised the audience.