Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday asked agriculture scientists to develop high-quality millet seeds to make it a profitable crop, encouraging farmers to shift towards its cultivation. Chouhan made these remarks while addressing the international symposium on Shree Anna (Millet) and Woman Farmer, held on the occasion of 'Mandia Divas' (Millets Day).
"The farmers are looking for crops which will give them better financial benefits. So, it is a challenge before us to make millet as a profitable crop so that the farmers can divert toward the cultivation of millets," he stated.
He acknowledged the positive work done by Odisha, which has enhanced its millet production from six quintals per hectare to 12 quintals per hectare, surpassing the national average.
"Still, there is a huge task before our scientists to further improve the quality of the millet seeds and reduce the cultivation cost to enhance the production. We will continue our efforts in this regard in the coming days," the Union Minister assured. He also emphasised the importance of crop processing so that farmers, especially women farmers, receive maximum benefit at the ground level.
Chouhan stressed the need for states to procure millets from farmers to promote the crop, noting, "Odisha is the only state in India that is procuring millets from farmers at minimum support price (MSP)." He also highlighted that Odisha has served millet to schoolchildren under the mid-day meal scheme, urging that this practice be expanded to other states to promote healthy habits among children.
Stating that the Odisha government has taken a leadership role in millets, the Union Agriculture Minister promised to take the Odisha model on millets to the national level and to other states.
He further pointed out that "Fertilisers, chemicals and pesticides are not only bad for human health, but it also affects the health of our soil and also contributes towards climate change." He concluded that a shift towards organic farming is inevitable, and millet cultivation is a step in this direction, assuring that the Government of India will provide all necessary support to the state for further promotion of millets.
Speaking on the occasion, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said millet cultivation was initially started in about 30,000 hectares and has now been expanded to all 30 districts of the state. He noted that millet or 'Madia', which was once known as a tribal food, has been promoted as a "super food" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, benefiting tribal and women farmers. The Odisha government, having launched a millet mission, is providing an input subsidy of ₹26,500 per hectare to the farmers, Majhi confirmed.
Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, who is in charge of the state Agriculture Department, added that Odisha is providing end-to-end support to millet farmers with a comprehensive input subsidy. He praised women farmers as the "guardians of seeds and biodiversity conservation across generations" and noted that through SHGs (Self-Help Groups) and community seed centres, they are actively conserving traditional crops and reviving culinary traditions.
The inaugural session of the two-day conference also featured addresses from Elisabeth Faure (WFP country head), Soumya Swaminathan (chairperson of MS Swaminathan Research Foundation), and Yvonne Pinto (director general of International Rice Research Institute, IRRI).
Also read: Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit Odisha on Monday
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