Revival of Millets in Odisha

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The study, 'Health and Nutrition, Practice Insight' by NITI Aayog shows 215% increase in the gross value of millet produce per farmer household.

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Millet is like a grain but actually it is a seed that has high nutritional value and it is the ancient crop. It mainly grows in semi arid areas of Asia and Africa. Millets are gluten free and good source of copper, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese.

Millet (Ragi) is important coarse cereal of Odisha. Odisha has recorded dramatic increase in the value of millet crop. This has also strengthened the supply of better marketing and consumption of small-seeded coarse grains.

Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) (2017), also known as Special Programme for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas of Odisha was initiated by the state government to promote the millet (Ragi) production and make it the staple crop of the state to tackle malnutrition. The approach was to increase the household increase and restoring its production in identified areas and raising its productivity.

Millet carries high nutritional value and hence it is included in various food distribution programs such as Mid-Day Meal, Integrated Child Development Service and Public Distribution System.

Initially in 2017 the cultivation of millets was limited to 7 districts but gradually it increased to 14 districts in 2019 and further expanded to 18 districts in 2020. There has been almost double increase in the area of cultivation and 120% increase in production from 2016-17 to 2017-18.

Approximately 26,000 farmers were registered under the mission and almost 95% millet was obtained from the farmers.

One of the main features for the triumph of OMM is its decentralized approach to project implementation where in each block an NGO was chosen as the implementing partner to ensure the uninterrupted working of supply-chain processes from farm to plate. Also, grains are procured, processed and distributed within the district through the decentralized approach to PDS by the state government of Odisha.

The study by NITI Aayog attributed the success of the mission by recognizing important factors, that is, Procurement of Ragi from local farmers at minimum support price, farmer registration, establishment of storage godowns (district wise) and streamline of procurement system.

Rice rations have been replaced with millet distribution among the households through PDS. OMM came out as a success due to all embracing from start to finish programme design for promotion of millets within an agro-ecological framework that has the ability to be imitated in other parts of the country.