BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the milletpreneurs of Odisha during his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday. He emphasised to give special focus on millet farming and the use of products made of it.
Highlighting that the trade of millets has incorporated a new name milletpreneurs in Odisha, he said, “You must have heard the word entrepreneur, but have you ever heard the word milletpreneurs? Odisha’s milletpreneurs are making headlines nowadays.”
The prime minister said self help groups (SHGs) of nearly 1,500 women in the tribal dominated Sundargarh district are associated with Odisha Millets Mission. These women are making everything out of millet from cookies, rasgulla, gulab jamun, and even cakes, and due to high demand in the market, the income of women is also increasing, he maintained.
The appreciation from the PM came a day after the first commercial consignment of millets sourced from the women-led farmer producer organisations (FPOs) of the state reached the UAE market.Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry facilitated the shipment of the maiden consignment of around one tonne of whole and flour of millet to Dubai.
Odisha Millets Mission is a flagship initiative launched by the Odisha government in 2017 to improve nutrition at the household level through the revival of millets in farms and on plates of tribal communities in the state. Traditionally the highly nutritious millets formed a substantial part of the diet and the cropping system in the tribal areas of Odisha. Millets that are more resilient to climate vulnerability require less water and are also cultivable in undulating terrain.
The Agriculture and Farmer’s Empowerment department has been promoting millet crops because paddy that gained prominence in the PDS system has resulted in reduced consumption of millets, resulting in extreme cases of nutritional deficiency.
The prime minister also established an unique connection between International Yoga Day and the International Year of Millets. He said both were decided by the United Nations only after the resolutions initiated by India. Describing the importance of Ramsar sites, Modi said the local community deserves appreciation for preserving the biodiversity.
“It is also a tribute to our age-old culture and tradition of living in harmony with nature. These wetlands are also an example of our natural potential. Chilika lake of Odisha is known to shelter more than 40 waterbird species,” he added.