Tribal women in Odisha lead a movement to promote millets from field to plate

By: WE Staff | Friday, 25 February 2022

The Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), a major programme of Odisha's state government, has aided women self-help groups (WSHGs) in establishing 76 "millet tiffin centres" in 13 tribal-dominated districts.

By establishing primary processing and postharvesting units for millets in rural areas, the programme has strengthened the strength and conscientiousness of women collectives.

According to civil society organisations facilitating the implementation of OMM at the grassroots, these millet-based enterprises can become a comprehensive solution in addressing malnutrition, unemployment, and motivating farmers to increase their millet cultivation area, which was previously reduced due to aggressive promotion of cash crops.

OMM has prioritised developing knowledge about millet production, productivity, consumption, and marketing, as well as putting millets in the state nutrition programme, to resurrect millets as "Nutri-Cereals" in the state.

Cuisine festivals, cooking competitions, and celebrations of local millet food traditions were among the activities organised to raise awareness. Millet recipes and millet enterprises were also taught to WSHGs through participatory training sessions.

In rural regions, millet tiffin centres were established to develop a demand for millet recipes and to provide access to a diverse, regionally acceptable, and highly nutritious diet. These centres are wholly managed by the WSHGs. They make a variety of millet-based hot cooked and ready-to-cook foods.

The OMM approach has won numerous accolades from other state governments and reputable institutions as a result of its evident impact. According to OMM's learning, Niti Aayog has vowed to support the inclusion of millets in Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-day Meal, and Public Distribution Services in several states as part of Poshaan Abhiyan.

Shaktimayee Ward Women Federation members in the state capital Bhubaneswar have taken up a similar endeavour. In Kurshi Bhawan, they've opened a 'Millet Outlet,' where they sell packaged millet foods such ragi and sorghum flour, ragi cookies, ragi ladoos, ragi mixture, khurma, and mudki. From the sale of millet goods, the federation receives roughly Rs.3000-4000 each day.