BHUBANESWAR: In a move aimed at giving farmers a larger share of the food value chain, the state government is set to establish an integrated rice and millet processing facility to manufacture value-added products for domestic and export markets.
The proposed facility, whose location is yet to be finalised, will be spread over 3,845 sq metre. It is being planned as a collaborative venture involving farmers, farmer producers organisations (FPOs), women SHGs, private enterprises and government institutions under a common processing and marketing model. The project was reviewed at a high-level meeting attended by deputy CMs Pravati Parida and KV Singh Deo, senior officials and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) chief scientist Nese Srinivasulu.
The government plans to use the facility to process and market specialised varieties, including low-glycaemic-index (GI) rice, Kalajeera rice and black rice, with a dedicated unit proposed for black rice aimed at export markets, Singh Deo said.
He said quality assessments have been carried out on 29 indigenous rice varieties, examining parameters such as GI, protein content, milling performance and aroma. The unit will also produce multi-millet flakes, coarse IRRI-147 rice flakes, cumin cookies and other bakery products, moving beyond traditional rice milling towards packaged and processed foods with higher value addition.
The products are to be marketed through Subhadra Shakti Bazaars and other domestic channels as well as overseas markets. The integration of modern processing infrastructure with community participation would help create a stronger value chain around the state’s indigenous grains while expanding economic opportunities for farmers and women SHGs members, he said.
The involvement of IRRI will strengthen the technical and quality-assessment component of the initiative, particularly in developing rice varieties and products suited to emerging health-conscious and premium food markets, he added.
