Reviving Millets, Reviving Traditions: Odisha Millets Mission’s Tribal Transformation

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Project Details

Category: Agriculture, Food Processing and Food Safety
Project Title: Odisha Millets Mission (Special Programme for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas)
Department or District: Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production, Government of Odisha
State: Odisha
Start Date of the Project: 28th February 2017
Website: https://milletsodisha.com/about-programme

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Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: The project focuses primarily on tribal communities across Odisha, including Scheduled Tribe households in 15 districts such as Koraput, Kalahandi, Rayagada, and Mayurbhanj.

Odisha Millets Mission (OMM) was launched to address the marginalization of millets in Odisha’s tribal farming systems and diets. Once a staple of Adivasi food systems, millets had witnessed significant decline due to policy neglect, market disincentives, and cultural shifts. The mission represents a convergence-driven, participatory effort by government, civil society, and academia to revive the cultivation, processing, marketing, and consumption of millets.

The Project

OMM is a flagship initiative of the Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha. Implemented in 84 blocks across 15 districts, the programme aims to increase millet production and consumption, improve nutritional security, support decentralized millet enterprises, and institutionalize millet inclusion in public nutrition schemes.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

The initiative seeks to address the systemic neglect of millets. Problems identified include poor productivity due to outdated practices, lack of processing infrastructure, minimal procurement systems, weak market linkages, low awareness of nutritional benefits, and inadequate institutional support for millet value chains.

What was the Need

The project emerged from the realization that neglecting millets not only threatened agrobiodiversity and food security but also undermined tribal nutrition and livelihoods. With millets’ ability to withstand climate variability and offer high nutritional value, their revival became a necessity for sustainable tribal development.

What Hindered its Introduction

Initial resistance was significant due to entrenched production practices, institutional silos, and a conventional focus on input-intensive crops. Furthermore, millet processing was laborious, markets were poorly developed, and government systems lacked the necessary framework to support decentralized, culturally grounded farming systems.

Process Followed for Implementation

• Government: The implementation was anchored at three levels—state, district, and block. At the state level, the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) coordinated efforts. District-level implementation was undertaken by ATMA, while block-level implementation was led by Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and NGOs. A multi-departmental High-Powered Committee under the Development Commissioner oversaw policy decisions.
• Involvement of NGO: NGOs were selected through a transparent process involving an expression of interest, presentations, and field evaluations. WASSAN played a critical role in screening NGOs, supporting their operations, and providing technical guidance.
• Involvement of Community: Community Resource Persons (CRPs) were selected and trained to mobilize farmers, demonstrate improved agronomic practices, and coordinate local implementation. Participatory planning at the block level ensured community ownership.

Solutions Implemented

The programme employed a multi-pronged approach. On the production side, improved agronomic techniques like System of Millet Intensification (SMI), line transplanting, and line sowing were promoted. Custom Hiring Centres and Community Seed Centres were set up. Farmers received incentives of ₹10,000 per hectare for three years, regardless of land title, ensuring inclusion of tenant and FRA farmers.

Procurement of Ragi at Minimum Support Price (MSP) was institutionalized, and distribution through the Public Distribution System (PDS) followed. Processing units were installed at gram panchayat and block levels to reduce drudgery. Millets were included in ICDS, MDM, and SNPs. Simultaneously, urban awareness and millet entrepreneurship were supported via Millet Shakti Cafés and Tiffin Centres.

Details of the Coverage

OMM covered 84 blocks across 15 tribal-majority districts. Over 1.2 lakh farmers were reached and 52,000 hectares brought under improved practices. Processing infrastructure included 435 threshing units, 32 pulverizers, and 12 Ragi cleaner-cum-graders. Additionally, 75 Farmer Producer Companies were formed, and Ragi procurement crossed 3.16 lakh quintals from over 51,000 farmers.

Innovation and Unique Features

OMM’s tri-partite structure—with government, civil society, and academia as equal partners—was unique. It was India’s first consumption-centric millet programme, emphasizing household-level uptake. Innovations included Participatory Varietal Trials (PVTs) for seed sovereignty, direct DBT incentives irrespective of land ownership, and development of bullock-drawn threshers. Academic partners like NCDS ensured evidence-based policymaking.

• New Approaches: Tech integration, capacity building, culturally sensitive methods
  • Millet-Procurement Automated System streamlined decentralized procurement. Training sessions (over 3,000) enhanced agronomic knowledge. Local cultural food practices were leveraged in campaign designs. Processing units were tailored for small tribal holdings and traditional systems.
• Co-creation: How tribal knowledge or leadership shaped the solution
  • Tribal dietary traditions were central to project design. Local varieties were identified through consultations. Farmers participated in varietal trials, co-managed seed banks, and led awareness campaigns. Mandia cafés, promoted in tribal fairs and hockey events, showcased traditional recipes.
• Any adaptations: How the project evolved during implementation
  • Initially piloted in 30 blocks, the programme expanded to 84 blocks, backed by a 9-fold budget hike—from ₹65.54 crore to ₹536.98 crore. Emphasis also shifted to minor millets beyond Ragi. Based on learnings, partnerships with UN-FAO, Niti Aayog, and Chhattisgarh’s Planning Commission emerged.

Challenges Faced Before Implementation

• Internal Challenges: Government staff were unfamiliar with consumption-oriented or community-participatory programmes. A shift from input-delivery models to knowledge-intensive systems required substantial orientation.
• External Challenges: Farmers were skeptical about millet revival, given years of policy neglect. NGOs had limited technical capacity. Market for millets was underdeveloped.
• Mitigation Efforts: Continuous training, participatory planning, and the setting up of CRPs helped overcome these gaps. Strong NGO-government collaboration, incentives, and procurement reforms ensured community buy-in.

Challenges Faced During Implementation

• Adherence to implementation timelines across departments posed a difficulty. Integrating multiple departments at the district level was complex.
• Sparse tribal settlements in hilly terrains made outreach challenging. Processing infrastructure installation and community mobilization were slow initially.
• A three-tiered governance structure enabled micro-level problem-solving. NGOs and SHGs were trained intensively, and active follow-up was done by WASSAN.

Outcomes

Quantitative

• 52,000 hectares covered
• 1.2 lakh farmers reached
• 3.16 lakh quintals of Ragi procured
• 75 FPOs formed
• 746 lakh rupees transferred as agronomy incentives
• Over 16 lakh people benefited via millet-based PDS and nutrition schemes

Qualitative

• OMM re-legitimized millets as aspirational crops. There was a renewed sense of dignity among tribal farmers. Mandia cafés and millet festivals increased millet popularity in cities. ICDS workers and SHGs gained entrepreneurship opportunities.
• NCDS led comparative baseline and post-implementation studies. Key indicators like productivity, area under cultivation, consumption rates, and market access were continuously tracked. Participatory review meetings ensured feedback loops.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

• Policy Integration:
  • OMM influenced central policies. NITI Aayog and Ministry of Agriculture recommended its adoption across states. Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra initiated millet missions based on its model.
• Financial Sustainability:
  • Increased state investment (₹3000 crore planned for next 5 years) and convergence with DMF/OMBADC funds ensures long-term viability.
• Replication:
  • The programme’s clear guidelines, role demarcations, and use of existing institutions makes it highly replicable. UN-IFAD and FAO have adopted OMM frameworks in agroecological initiatives.

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