Bhubaneswar: Dr.Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment asserted that “Odisha mandia will feed India”. This is not merely a slogan but a reflection of the remarkable progress and potential of the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM).
The state has emerged as a national leader in millet promotion, creating a model that is now being studied and replicated by other states, thanks to overdrive of Dr.Padhee and Team Agri Odisha.
In fact the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Jeypore depot has initiated a significant inter-state transfer of millets, despatching 25,000 quintals of ragi (finger millet) to Andhra Pradesh.
More quantity of Millet will be sent to Karanataka and North Eastern States, said a senior official of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment.
This move marks a major milestone for the state’s agricultural sector and underscores the growing success of the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM), a government initiative aimed at reviving millet farming.
The Depot Manager of FCI Jeypore, Pushpendra Singh, expressed his satisfaction with the development, noting the positive impact of the state government’s initiative. The despatch of such a large quantity of millets to a neighboring state demonstrates the increased production and market potential of these traditional crops.
The success is attributed to the concerted efforts of the Department of Agriculture, led by Principal Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, who has been instrumental in promoting millet cultivation as a commercial venture.
The Koraput district, known for its rich biodiversity and large tribal population, has been at the forefront of this millet revolution. Historically, millets like ragi were a staple in the region but faced a decline in cultivation.
With the OMM, farmers in Koraput have been successfully motivated to adopt improved farming techniques, leading to a significant increase in both area under cultivation and overall yield. This has allowed farmers to produce a surplus, which they are now selling in markets, providing them with a stable and remunerative income.
The FCI’s decision to procure and despatch a large volume of ragi is a testament to the high quality and quantity of millet production in the state, particularly in Koraput.
This support from a national agency like FCI has been a crucial factor in building farmer confidence and further strengthening the millet ecosystem in Odisha.
Launched in 2017, the OMM is a pioneering agricultural program in India designed to improve the livelihoods and food security of smallholder and tribal farmers. It focuses on the revival of millets—which are indigenous to the region and highly resilient to climate change—by integrating an end-to-end value chain approach.
This includes: Production: Motivating farmers to grow millets as a commercial crop beyond just subsistence farming, Processing: Establishing decentralized processing units to reduce drudgery and increase value addition, Marketing & Consumption: Providing a guaranteed price through Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and including millets in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes to create a stable market.
The Mission’s success is a result of a multi-stakeholder approach involving government departments, civil society organizations, and women’s self-help groups.