Bhubaneswar: Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday requested agriculture scientists to develop high-quality millet seeds to enhance the crop’s profitability, encouraging farmers to shift their focus towards millet cultivation. While speaking at an international symposium on Shree Anna (Millet) and Woman Farmer during ‘Mandia Divas’ (Millets Day), Chouhan noted that farmers seek crops that yield better financial returns. He stated, “It is a challenge before us to make millet a profitable crop so that farmers can transition to its cultivation.” He highlighted Odisha’s success in increasing millet production from 6 quintals per hectare to 12 quintals per hectare, surpassing the national average.
“There remains a significant task ahead for our scientists to further improve millet seed quality and reduce cultivation costs to boost production. We will persist in our efforts in this area in the future,” the minister remarked. He stressed the importance of processing the crop to ensure that farmers, particularly women, receive maximum benefits at the grassroots level. Chouhan also mentioned that states should procure millets from farmers to promote the crop, adding, “Odisha is the only state in India procuring millets from farmers at minimum support price (MSP).” Additionally, he noted that Odisha has provided millet in school meals under the mid-day meal scheme, advocating for its expansion to other states to foster healthy habits among children.
Chouhan commended the Odisha government for taking a pioneering role in promoting millets and expressed his intention to elevate the Odisha model to a national level and other states. He cautioned that fertilizers, chemicals, and pesticides pose risks not only to human health but also harm soil health and contribute to climate change. Hence, transitioning to organic farming, with millet cultivation as a step, is essential. He assured that the Indian government would extend all necessary support to the state for further millet promotion. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi remarked that millet cultivation, initially practiced on around 30,000 hectares, has now expanded across all 30 districts of the state.
He explained that millet, once considered a tribal food, has now been recognized as a ‘super food’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, benefitting tribal and women farmers. Majhi added that the Odisha government had launched a millet mission to promote the crop, providing an input subsidy of Rs 26,500 per hectare to farmers. Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo noted that Odisha offers comprehensive support to millet farmers, emphasizing that millets are integral to both the soil and the cultural heritage. He acknowledged women farmers as the backbone of agricultural legacy, having preserved seeds and biodiversity through generations.