Bhubaneswar: A high-level preparatory meeting was convened today at Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, to organize the upcoming International Symposium on Millets.
The symposium is scheduled to take place on November 10th and 11th, coinciding with “Mandia Dibasa,” the Millet Divas, which Odisha uniquely dedicates a day to celebrate every year.
This year’s symposium will focus on the theme of “Women in Agro-Biodiversity and Heritage Conservation.” The event will feature sessions led by distinguished researchers, scientists, and eminent personalities, similar to last year’s program.
The meeting highlighted Odisha’s exemplary role in the country for the production, consumption, and conservation of millets and “forgotten foods.”
As a testament to this, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has recently begun lifting Finger Millets from the state and is poised to procure a total of 40,000 Metric Tonnes of millets from Odisha alone.
The symposium is expected to draw over 400 farmers, along with a host of national and international experts. Notable attendees will include Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, as well as scientists from prestigious organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Program, ICAR, and ICAR-CIWA.
During the preparatory meeting, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, provided a detailed program overview and outlined the department’s future roadmap.
His presentation was followed by constructive suggestions from Director Agriculture Shri Shubham Saxena, Director Soil Conservation and Watershed Shri Subrat Kumar Panda, and other senior officials present.