Nabarangpur, Nov 11 (UDN): The District-Level Millets Day and Food Festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Mission Shakti Conference Hall in Nabarangpur district on Friday, with the objective of creating widespread awareness about the nutritional value, importance and diverse uses of millets, particularly ragi (finger millet), while promoting millet cultivation and enhancing farmers’ income.
The programme aimed to highlight the significance of millets as nutritious food grains, encourage farmers to adopt and expand millet cultivation, and motivate the general public to incorporate millet-based food products into their daily diets. The event was organised by the Office of the Chief District Agriculture Officer, Nabarangpur, with the support of the District Project Management Unit of the Shree Anna Abhiyan.
Nabarangpur MLA and Chairman of the District Planning Committee, Gouri Shankar Majhi, attended the programme as the Chief Guest. Other dignitaries present included Ashok Padhi, representative of the concerned Minister; Jagadish Bisoyi, representative of the Jharigaon MLA; Additional District Magistrate (General) Dr Pramod Kumar Pusti; and Sub-Divisional Information and Public Relations Officer Satya Narayan Pradhan. Officials from various government departments, agriculture department personnel, representatives and staff members of the Shree Anna Abhiyan, along with approximately 120 farmers, participated in the celebration.
Addressing the gathering, the dignitaries highlighted the nutritional richness, health benefits and agricultural importance of ragi and other millet varieties. They emphasised the need to increase the area under millet cultivation and improve overall production by encouraging farmers to adopt improved and modern agricultural practices. Special attention was also drawn to the conservation and promotion of traditional indigenous seed varieties, which play an important role in preserving agricultural biodiversity and strengthening sustainable farming systems.
The speakers stressed that increasing millet production alone would not be sufficient unless farmers received proper market support and better economic returns. They underlined the importance of establishing appropriate market linkages for millet produce, improving farmers’ access to marketing facilities and strengthening their financial position through better production, processing and commercial utilisation of millet crops.
Millet-Based Food Festival Becomes a Major Attraction
The food festival organised as part of the celebration emerged as one of the major attractions of the programme. Various traditional and delicious food preparations made from ragi and other millet varieties were displayed, showcasing the versatility of millets and their potential for preparing a wide range of nutritious food products.
Through the exhibition, visitors were made aware that millets can be used to prepare several healthy and tasty dishes, offering nutritious alternatives to commonly consumed food items. The initiative also encouraged people to include ragi and other millet-based products in their everyday meals to promote healthier eating habits and improve nutritional intake.
The exhibition highlighted the diverse possibilities of millet-based food preparation and demonstrated how traditional food grains can be transformed into attractive and value-added products. It also provided an opportunity to promote greater awareness about the nutritional advantages of millets among consumers, farmers and other stakeholders.
Focus on Production, Processing, Value Addition and Market Linkages
The central objective of observing District-Level Millets Day was to strengthen the entire millet value chain, from cultivation and production to processing, value addition, marketing and consumption. The programme highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to expand millet cultivation, increase productivity, promote scientific farming practices, preserve indigenous seeds and create better marketing opportunities for farmers.
The celebration also provided a common platform for farmers, women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and representatives of various government departments to exchange ideas, share experiences and explore opportunities for promoting millet-based agriculture and food products.
The participation of farmers and departmental officials helped strengthen coordination among different stakeholders and encouraged collective efforts towards making millet cultivation and consumption more popular across the district. The programme further highlighted the potential of millets to improve nutritional security, support sustainable agriculture and create additional income-generating opportunities for rural farming communities.
The event concluded with a renewed emphasis on promoting millet cultivation, strengthening farmers’ livelihoods and encouraging people to adopt nutritious millet-based food habits.
The programme was coordinated and conducted by Mahesh Padhi, Chief District Agriculture Officer, Nabarangpur.
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