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Baliyatra 2025 Nuapada Bypoll
ଓଡ଼ିଆ | ENGLISH
Baliyatra 2025 Nuapada Bypoll
ଓଡ଼ିଆ | ENGLISH

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Published By : Pradip Subudhi | November 10, 2025 4:17 PM
odisha-cm-appeals-veterans-to-take-advantage-of-state-govt-schemes

Bhubaneswar, November 10: Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has lauded Odisha’s innovative approach to millet cultivation, suggesting that the Centre should replicate the state’s successful model across the country.

Speaking at the international symposium on ‘Shree Anna (Millet) and Woman Farmer’ in Bhubaneswar, held on the occasion of Mandia Divas (Millets Day), Chouhan commended Odisha for its achievements in millet farming. He noted that the state had doubled its millet yield—from 6 quintals to 12 quintals per hectare—surpassing the national average. He emphasized the importance of further research into high-quality millet seeds and cost-effective cultivation techniques to make millets a more profitable option for farmers.

The Union Minister also highlighted Odisha's leadership in millet promotion, noting that it is the only state in India purchasing millets from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). He praised the state’s initiative to include millets in the mid-day meal scheme for schoolchildren, urging other states to adopt the practice to promote healthier diets.

He assured the Centre's full support to Odisha for further millet promotion efforts.

In his address, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi emphasized that millet farming in Odisha has expanded from 30,000 hectares to all 30 districts. "Once considered a food for tribal communities, millet is now recognized as a superfood by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. Majhi also highlighted the Odisha Millet Mission, under which the state provides farmers with an input subsidy of ₹26,500 per hectare.

Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo also spoke about the state's comprehensive support system for millet farmers, with a particular focus on women farmers and self-help groups (SHGs).

World Food Programme (WFP) country head Elisabeth Faure, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation chairperson Soumya Swaminathan, and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) director general Yvonne Pinto also contributed to the inaugural session of the two-day event.