Promding Hoojon faced the same challenge as many smallholder farmers: how to sustain his family’s livelihood while battling the uncertainties of climate change. For years, he relied on traditional crops like mustard, potatoes, and cabbage, struggling to maximize his land’s potential and secure a stable income for his wife and four children.

Like many farmers, Promding a resident of Massar village in Meghalaya felt the impact of changing weather patterns and unpredictable harvests. With each passing season, the threat of food insecurity loomed larger, intensifying the already precarious situation faced by his family and community. Something had to change.

Caritas India’s FARM NE program became the hope for farmers like Promding seeking innovative solutions to their agricultural challenges. With support from the Nongstoin Social Service Society (NSSS), Mr. Promding embarked on a new journey: millet farming.

Millet, often overlooked as a mere medicinal crop, held untapped potential as a climate-resilient solution to the region’s agricultural woes. With guidance from experts and access to Finger Millet seeds provided by the program, Promding took a leap of faith and expanded his cultivation to include this versatile grain.

The impact was profound. By diversifying his crops to include millet, Promding not only improved his income but also fortified his family’s food security. Millet, with its ability to thrive in adverse conditions, emerged as a shining example of resilience amidst the specter of climate change, offering a lifeline to farmers like Promding striving to safeguard their livelihoods. He also supplemented his income by cultivating high-yielding crops such as Broom grass, Tomatoes, Ginger, Chillies, and Sesame his 3-acre land. He supplies his produce to Shillong regularly, earning around 2 lakh rupees per season.

But Promding’s journey didn’t stop at cultivation. Determined to unlock Millet’s full potential, he immersed himself in learning about its myriad uses. At an Indigenous Local Market organized by NSSS, he discovered the art of millet food processing, from baking local snacks to brewing nutritious millet tea. Armed with newfound knowledge, Promding embarked on a mission to showcase the versatility and nutritional value of millet to his community.

His efforts bore fruit at the Women’s Day exhibition and sale program organized by NABARD, where Promding captivated audiences with his passion for millet farming. Alongside his peers, he shared the rich benefits of this climate-resilient crop, inspiring others to embrace its potential. The event not only boosted his earnings to Rs. 40,555 but also ignited a newfound enthusiasm for millet cultivation among the youth of the district.

Today, Promding championing the cause of millet farming and empowering fellow farmers to embrace climate-resilient solutions. encouraging fellow farmers in his village and neighbouring areas to increase their millet cultivation in the upcoming 2024 season says Roselin Lyngdoh Marshillong, Field Programme Associate. His journey, supported by Caritas India’s FARM program, exemplifies the transformative power of sustainable agriculture in building resilience against the looming threats of climate change. Together, farmers like Promding are cultivating not just crops but a future of hope and abundance for generations to come.