BHUBANESWAR: A state-level steering committee headed by chief secretary Pradeep Jena on Wednesday held a preparatory meeting here on the two-day international convention on millets to be organised in the city on November 9 and 10.
The main objective of the conference is to increase the household consumption of millets, promoting millet food culture in urban and rural areas, conservation and promotion of millet landraces, promotion of post-harvest and primary processing enterprises, promotion of value addition enterprises in rural and urban areas, inclusion of millets in PDS, ICDS, MDM, welfare hostels and facilitating the markets and exports of millet-based products.
The chief secretary stressed the need to focus on the latest research in the field of millet production, farming practices, value-added production and to ensure that the conference will be of international standard.
The convention will showcase the success stories of farmers, women self-help groups and other stakeholders of the Odisha Millet Mission. This will facilitate market linkages between companies, MSMEs, farmer producer organisation (FPOs), women self help groups (WSHGs) for millet based products.
The conference will provide an opportunity for engagement and collaboration with educational institutions, health institutions, hotel associations, safe associations and others to create wider awareness among students and consumers about millet as nutritious and health-enhancing food options, said Agriculture Principal Secretary Arabinda Padhee.
As NITI Aayog has asked other state governments to adopt the Odisha Millet Mission model, the two-day convention will give an opportunity to the participants to learn the best practices adopted by the state, official sources said.
Development commissioner Anu Garg, Mission Shakti secretary Sujata Karthikeyan, director Agriculture Prem Chandra Chaudhary, special secretary Home Santosh Bala and other officials participated in the discussion.