'Mandia Dibasa' Celebrates Odisha’s Leadership in India’s Millet Revolution
In his keynote address, Shri Chouhan underlined that Shree Anna is not just a grain—it is a mission for sustainable living.
- Country:
- India
In a spirited celebration of India’s growing millet movement, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, inaugurated the ‘Mandia Dibasa’ (Millet Day) at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar. The event marked a significant milestone in promoting Shree Anna (millets) as a symbol of nutritional security, environmental sustainability, and rural empowerment.
Recognizing Odisha’s pioneering role in transforming millets into a people-led movement, the Minister lauded the state’s innovative millet policies and grassroots engagement, which have become models for national replication.
Shree Anna: A Grain for the Future
In his keynote address, Shri Chouhan underlined that Shree Anna is not just a grain—it is a mission for sustainable living.
“Millets nourish both the body and the planet. They are a source of nutrition, water conservation, environmental resilience, and sustainable agriculture. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, millets have gained global recognition,” he said.
Shri Chouhan urged that awareness campaigns must go beyond policy discourse and reach farmers, schoolchildren, and consumers at large. “This cannot be achieved through speeches alone. We must actively engage, educate, and promote millet-based livelihoods,” he asserted.
Odisha: A Model of Millet-Led Development
Commending Odisha’s flagship Millet Mission, Shri Chouhan acknowledged its leadership in not only promoting cultivation but also ensuring government procurement of millets at Minimum Support Price (MSP)—a pioneering step rarely seen in other states.
He praised Odisha’s inclusive approach, particularly the role of women farmers, who have been central to the state’s millet success.
“Agriculture cannot progress without the leadership of women. Odisha’s women have led from the front in millet farming, value addition, and community nutrition,” the Minister observed.
He also recommended that millets be included in government nutrition schemes, particularly in mid-day meals for children and public distribution systems (PDS). He proposed the opening of millet-exclusive outlets across government departments and public spaces.
Chief Minister Highlights Odisha’s Agricultural Transformation
Welcoming delegates, Odisha Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted how agriculture remains the backbone of Odisha’s economy. He emphasized that the state’s Millet Mission has empowered small and marginal farmers, especially women, and turned a traditional food crop into a nutritional and economic asset.
“Farming is the foundation of our economy. Millets are not only healthy and tasty but also climate-resilient. Through the Millet Mission, Odisha’s farmers are making rapid strides,” he noted.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed Odisha’s commitment to scaling up the millet movement and called on other states to adapt similar models rooted in local empowerment and sustainable practices.
Millets on the Global Agenda: Experts Speak
The celebration also witnessed the participation of leading international agricultural experts, signaling the growing global interest in millet cultivation and research.
Among the notable attendees were:
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Dr. Yvonne Pinto, Director General, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
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Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Former Chief Scientist, World Health Organization, and Chairperson, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
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Elisabeth Faure, Country Director, World Food Programme (WFP), India
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Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Odisha
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Shubham Saxena, Director, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Odisha
Dr. Pinto emphasized the resilience of millets in the face of climate change, calling them “future-ready grains.” Dr. Swaminathan, echoing her father’s legacy of food security advocacy, praised Odisha for turning policy into practice with its grassroots implementation of nutritional farming.
Ms. Faure underscored the role of millets in addressing hidden hunger, particularly micronutrient deficiencies among vulnerable populations. “Millets can be game changers for food security and planetary health,” she added.
Science, Sustainability, and Scaling Up
Union Minister Shri Chouhan called upon agricultural scientists and innovators to focus on processing, storage, and product development technologies, which are essential to building a viable millet economy. He emphasized that while cultivation is expanding, value-chain interventions must keep pace to ensure profitability for farmers and availability for consumers.
He also stressed that millet promotion is not just about economic value—it is an environmental imperative. Millets consume significantly less water than rice or wheat, require fewer inputs, and can thrive in degraded soils, making them vital for climate-smart agriculture.
Celebrating Millets: From Farms to Plates
The event included a showcase of millet-based food products, cultural performances themed around traditional farming, and exhibitions by women-led self-help groups (SHGs), processors, and agripreneurs. Millet recipe contests and indigenous seed-sharing events added a vibrant touch to the proceedings.
“Mandia Dibasa,” now an annual event in Odisha, is fast becoming a national and international platform to amplify the role of millets in achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Looking Ahead: Millets as the Future of Food
With the UN declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the momentum around millet revival continues to grow. India, as the global torchbearer, is leveraging this opportunity to rebrand millets as "smart foods" that are healthy, farmer-friendly, and environmentally sustainable.
As the Mandia Dibasa celebration drew to a close, one message was clear: Millets are no longer forgotten grains—they are future grains, and Odisha is leading the way in proving it.
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