Odisha Millets Mission – Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production, Government of Odisha
A total of 75 numbers of Farmer Producer Companies have been registered and promoted under Odisha Millets Mission for ragi procurement.
Problem
- To improve the production and productivity of millets through improved agronomic practices
- To reduce drudgery and input costs in intercultural operations.
- Lack of decentralised processing machinery for threshing, cleaning, grading, destoning of millets
- To Provide support to FPOs/SHGs for establishing and operating processing units.
- Lack of Custom Hiring Centers and Seed Centers
Solution
- Promotion of improved agronomic practices for millets such as SMI, LT, and LS
- Incentivise farmers for adopting agronomics practices
- Distribution of Ragi through the Public Distribution System
- Establishment of decentralised processing units under OMM at GP level, block-level & district level to reduce drudgery in millets processing
- Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations to address the needs of small, marginal, and tenant farmers
- Development and promotion of millets value-added products under OMM
Outcomes
- More than 1.2 lakh farmers with 52,000 HA area is covered under improved agronomic practices
- A total of Rs 746.06 lakh have been released as incentives to farmers
- A total of 3,16,528.07 quintals of Ragi have been procured from 51,292 farmers
- Ragi has been distributed among 16,01,206 people under PDS
- 435 threshing units, 12 Ragi Cleaner-cum-Grader, and 32 pulverise have been established with WSGHs & FPOs in all the 15 OMM districts
- A total of 75 Farmer Producer Companies have been registered and promoted under Odisha Millets Mission
Project Details
Category: Agriculture, Food Processing and Food Safety
Sub-Category: Procurement
Project: Odisha Millets Mission (Special Programme for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas)
Organisation: Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production, Govt. of Odisha, Bhubaneswar
Start Date: 28-Feb-17
https://milletsodisha.com/about-programme
Problem
Millet-based crop systems are nutritious and resilient to climate variability. They have been used as a staple food for Adivasi communities for over a millennium. But, in recent decades, the share of millets in crop area and household consumption has been declining due to multiple reasons such as a lack of focus on millet development by the government and other crops being grown in place of millets.
The farmers were lacking awareness about the nutritional aspects of millet; this is combined with issues like lack of quality seeds and proper market linkages for millets. The decentralised processing machinery for threshing, cleaning, grading, and destining millets was also lacking in the state. Most agricultural programs promoted crops such as maize and cotton, which superseded the millets in the upland and midland terrain. Handling a problem with one department is inappropriate, it requires multi-department coordination to be successful and have a meaningful impact. However, there was a need to build capacity in the staff to rethink and implement the farm to fork approach.
Solution
To improve the production and consumption of millets various solutions were implemented such as a System of millet intensification, line transplanting, line sowing, etc. was taken up. The state has established decentralised processing units under OMM at the GP level, block-level & district level to reduce drudgery in millet processing. Various initiatives were taken to promote the consumption of millets, these include the distribution of ragi being done through PDS and including Ragi laddus in ICDS distributed meals.
A total of 75 numbers of Farmer Producer Companies have been registered and promoted under Odisha Millets Mission for ragi procurement. The other important steps were taken to include Millets in ICDS & State Nutrition Programs to implement the farm to fork approach and add value to millet products; these include setting up millet tiffin centers and urban millet cafes.
Outcomes
After launching the Odisha Millets Mission, there has been a sea of change in the last four years. More than 1.2 lakh farmers with 52 thousand Ha. area covered under improved agronomic practices and a total of Rs. 746.06 lakhs have been released as incentives to farmers. Though, Ragi has been distributed among 16,01,206 people under PDS. The Government of Odisha is procuring Ragi at MSP under OMM to encourage the production of millets and increase the income of farmers. Because of this mission, Odisha became the first state to finalise the specifications of millet processing machines in the country and finalize the tender. However, Machines are being installed in the Panchayat and Blocks through groups (SHGs/FPOs). The better incentives and crop demonstration have encouraged the farmers to take up millets again; the procurement of Ragi has changed the price dynamic. The higher price of millet and easy access to state procurement by the state prompted more farmers to take up millets.
