SAMBALPUR: In an effort to promote millet-based food products, Sambalpur University is planning to cultivate millet within the premises of the varsity. Vice-chancellor Bidhu Bhusan Mishra said, “Millet is known as a super-food with a high nutrition and is looked upon as a weapon to combat malnutrition. As the climate of our area is suitable for the cultivation of the millet, we have planned to cultivate it over a stretch of land within the varsity which can be later processed to produce several millet-based food products.”
The varsity has already prepared a proposal in this regard. Official sources said, the varsity authorities will also seek handholding and technical support from the Agriculture department and Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) for the project. As per the proposal, the varsity will cultivate millet over around three acre of land on the premises of the varsity from the next kharif season. Since millet cultivation requires less water, a check dam within the premises of the varsity will be used for the purpose.
The vice-chancellor further said, “Multiple departments will be involved to make the initiative a success. While the Department of Food Science Technology and nutrition here will be involved in the processing of millet to prepare the food items like biscuits, cakes and other items from the grains, the MBA department of the varsity will be entrusted to look after the marketing of the millet-based products.”
A discussion was also held with the industrial houses in the region and many of them have agreed to allot spaces for setting up millet food corner in their corporate offices. The initiative will be an encouragement for the millet farming in the district, Mishra added.