Caritas India joins hands with Odisha Professional Development Consultant Services (OPDCS), one of the nodal NGOs of Odisha Millet Mission for Rayagada and Bissum Cuttack Block for the promotion of millet in the area.

International Year of Millets 2023 is a great opportunity for Caritas India and its implementing partner SWAD-Rayagada in Odisha to promote millet cultivation and consumption to improve Nutrition and Food Security among the target communities in the Global Program areas. As a first step, Caritas India organized an “Exchange Programme and Networking Meeting of Civil Society Actors” in the operational areas of OPDSC, Rayagada on 14-15 March 2023.

The exposure will strengthen farmers’ skills in understanding millet cultivation, processing, and food preparation promoted by OPDCS, Rayagada, and make a pathway to improve food security and nutrition vis-à-vis exploring the enormous potential of Millets to generate livelihoods and increase farmers’ income. Altogether, 15 farmers from Karlaghati and Rasakola panchayats under Global Program took part.

The participants visited ragi (finger Millet) cultivated land of BN Pur village in Rayagada block. Two hundred tribal households inhabit the village. Most of them own agricultural land and cultivate a variety of seasonal crops for the farmers to learn. The farmers witnessed the millet cultivation (of varieties Sana Mandia, Champabati, Indrabati, and Bhairabi that are harvested in the span of just 120 days) done by around fifty families in three hundred acres of land availability due to the dryness of Siltiguda Dam. The farmers also saw the SMI method of cultivation, i.e., to have a line spacing of ten inches between each ragi plant. The families had used organic manure for cultivation and claimed that their ragi production had increased by 50%.

The farmers interacted with the host farming households and community representatives in the village. The host explained about the varieties of millets that they cultivate, the preparation of organic manure, and Mati Handi Khata, which is beneficial for millet cultivation. Besides this, they also made aware the farmers of the support provided by the Government of India for promoting and cultivating millets. Referring to the support provided by the state government under Odisha Millet Mission, the participants were briefed on the process of application for millet cultivation in the same.

The visit to Sri Ram Women Self Help Group at Siltiguda village was a cherry on top. The participants interacted with the women members to learn about their intervention. The members showcased different recipes made with ragi flour for consumption at the household level. The SHG members also shared that they were provided with a flour mill by OPDSC with the help of which they prepare millet flour and sell it in the local market to earn additional income.

Farmers largely benefitted from the support of the government for the cultivation and promotion of millets (such as the availability of millets in the market at MSPs and irrigation facilities). The Global Program team would take this learning and promote the recipes prepared by women SHGs in its intervening program areas (at the household level and in Anganwadi centers). Besides this, a training program on the preparation of organic manure could be provided to the farmers in Global Program areas.