Odisha sets roadmap to expand millet cultivation to 5 lakh hectares
The state aims to reach a production volume of 8 lakh metric tonnes of millets by 2047, according to Odisha Bytes.
Odisha has established a national roadmap for millet-led agricultural transformation during a two-day event in Bhubaneswar that began on November 10. The event focused on sustainable food systems, climate-resilient agriculture, and agro-biodiversity conservation, reported Odisha Bytes.
Dr Mangi Lal Jat, the DARE secretary and ICAR director general, delivered the keynote address. He proposed increasing the area under millet cultivation from the existing 1.79 lakh hectares to 5 lakh hectares by 2047, with a goal of producing 8 lakh metric tonnes.
Dr Jat noted that the state received 7.5 lakh quintals of finger millet (ragi) during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25. The target for KMS 2025-26 is 8 lakh quintals. He also described the Odisha Shree Anna Abhiyan as a scalable model for the country.
The roadmap includes protecting 163 documented finger millet landraces native to the state, including varieties such as Kalia, Bati, Mami, and Bharathi. It also calls for increasing scientific cultivation of minor millets like kangu (foxtail millet) and suan (little millet).
Strategic interventions mentioned in the plan include developing affordable local processing machinery and strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs). There is also a proposal to create a Centre of Excellence on Millets at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).
The event was attended by Odisha Governor Braj Mohan Ram, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and M S Swaminathan Research Foundation chairperson Dr Soumya Swaminathan.