Chhattisgarh govt launches ‘Millet Mission’ to become millet hub of India

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel recently said that the state will become the millet hub of the country in the coming times.

He said that the “Millet Mission” initiative is aimed at giving the farmers the right price for small cereal crops, provide input assistance, procurement arrangements, processing and ensure that the farmers get benefit of the expertise of experts.

Key Highlights

• The districts are Kanker, Kondagaon, Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Kawardha, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi,Balrampur, Koriya, Surajpur and Jashpur. 
• Under the MoU, the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will provide support and guidance for increasing the productivity of Kodo, Kutki and Ragi, technical know-how, availability of high quality seeds and establishment of seed bank in Chhattisgarh. 
• Apart from this, arrangements will be made for training the farmers of Chhattisgarh through Krishi Vigyan Kendra for spreading the scientific technology developed at the national level related to millet production by IIMR Hyderabad at the field level.
• In view of the increasing demand for millets like Kodo, Kutki and Ragi in the country and abroad, the Millet Mission will not only increase the income of the farmers of Vananchal and tribal areas, but will also give a new identity to Chhattisgarh. 
• At the same time, the processing and value addition of millets will also provide employment to farmers, women’s groups and youth. Kodo, Kutki, Ragi are produced in 20 districts of Chhattisgarh. In the first phase, MoUs were signed with 14 of these districts.

SOURCE: Business Standard

Download as PDF