BHUBANESWAR: In a move to improve nutritional consumption among people covered under food security programme, the Odisha government has decided to distribute ragi at a subsidised price of Re 1 per kg to each ration card holder.
This was decided at Odisha Millet Mission meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi in the State Secretariat here on Monday.
The Chief Secretary directed to pilot the ragi distribution in seven southern Odisha districts of Gajpati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Rayagada from July.
However, the ration card holders in Malkangiri will be supplied two kg of ragi. He further advised the Millet Mission to promote the consumption of ragi in urban pockets through a tie-up with bakeries, biscuit manufacturers, sweet stalls and mega retail counters.
Giving details on ragi procurement and distribution in the State, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Sourabh Garg said, “Around 17,500 quintals of ragi would be distributed to the ration card holders.
The future of the programme will depend on the acceptability of the people and impact of the pilot project.”
It was further decided to procure around one lakh quintal of ragi from the farmers in coming kharif season at minimum support price of Rs 2,897 per quintal.
“The prime objective of the Government intervention is to fetch good market price to the ragi farmers and prohibit any distress sale besides scaling up the nutritional intake,” Padhi said.
Development Commissioner Asit Kumar Tripathy suggested creating wide awareness among the people about the availability of ragi in fair price shops.
Director, Agriculture M Muthukumar said 24,499 farmers have been registered and verified for procurement of ragi in 2018 kharif marketing season.
Of them, 6,622 farmers sold their surplus product to the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation (TDCC). The procurement was done through 68 societies in eight districts by ensuring minimum support price to the farmers.
In a bid to enhance farmers’ income and deal with nutritional deficiency, the State Government has expanded Odisha Millet Mission from 30 blocks in 7 districts to 62 blocks in 12 districts.
The State Government had sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the ongoing Millet Mission that will benefit around five lakh small and marginal farmers.
Agriculture Production Commissioner Gagan Kumar Dhal, Cooperation Secretary Krishan Kumar and senior officers of Millet Mission, TDCC and Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare departments participated in the deliberations.
The flagship Re 1-kilo rice scheme which started in Odisha in October 2018 to cover poor people has almost failed as many are not using their monthly quota of rice for more than a year.