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While the Union Government is appreciating efforts of the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM), the NITI Aayog has advised other States to implement such mission.
The Odisha Government has launched the special programme for promotion of millets in tribal areas of the State.
Millets, a nutritious and climate-resilient crop, have traditionally been cultivated and consumed by tribal communities in the rainfed regions of southern Odisha. The programme is managed by the project management units in the OMM districts and is monitored by the State programme management unit, said sources.
The OMM is a unique project which focuses on improved production of nutri-cereals, local consumption, procurement under MSP and distribution through PDS.
The mission is being implemented in 76 blocks covering 14 districts through community based organisation and facilitated by NGOs.A recent review of the OMM shows that improved agronomic practices were followed by more than one lakh farmers covering an area of more than 45,500 hectares by end of September. The State Government has procured nearly 95,000 quintals of Ragi through TDCCOL from more than 20,000 farmers in the above districts at the rate of Rs 3,150 per quitnal in the kharif season.
Under the State Nutrition Program 1 kg of Ragi per ration card holder was supplied to more than 16 lakh beneficiaries for one month in seven districts as supplement out of the kharif season procurement.
Ragi laddu is being supplied to the pre-school children going to the Angawanwadi Centers.
More than 86,000 children of 13 Blocks of Keonjhar district were covered under the programme since July. Similarly 3,500 children of Hemagiri Block in Sundergarh district have been covered since August. It has been decided that 143 millet processing machinery will be supplied to Self Help Group, Farmer Producer Organization(FPO) and others and accordingly an MoU with Mission Shakti has been approved, sources informed. Convergence with Mission Shakti, OMBADC, OLM and DMF is in process, which will boost the programme, an official said.
More recently, recommended by the Niti Aayog and the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), implementation of the programme is likely to be replicated in other States, sources added.
