By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday chaired an Apex Committee meeting attended by Chief Secretary PK Jena, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian and other senior officers of various departments as the State is gearing up for holding an International Convention on Millets on November 10 & 11.
As per the discussion, the convention of the theme is ‘Millets—Ancient Grains for Modern Challenges’. The event aims at highlighting the aspect of millets and tribal communities of Odisha. About 4000 to 5000 farmers, Women SHG members, Farmer-Producer Organisations will attend the convention.
The convention will showcase tribal culture, tribal cuisine, millet diversity, Business to Business sessions, roundtables, technical sessions, demonstrations on machineries, packaging technologies, and special sessions for farmers, international millets food festival, and art and culture.
CM Patnaik said that this Convention will highlight millet food cultures of tribal communities of Odisha and showcase the trailblazing success stories of our Farmers, Mission Shakti Groups.
He further said that Millets have been a traditional crop for tribal farmers since times immemorial. They are climate resilient and powerhouse of nutrition. As climate change emerges as a prominent challenge of our times, this humble crop is emerging as a hope for our future, he added.
He said that it is very satisfying to see that, the efforts of Odisha Millets Mission are now recognized by national and international agencies as the best model for promotion of millets.He thanked the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment for initiating the International Convention on Millets.
Mission Shakti Minister Smt Basanti Hembram said that this convention would further improve the livelihoods for tribal people. Chief Secretary PK Jena said that all preparations have been made to make the convention a huge success. Agriculture & Farmers Empowerment Principal Secretary Arabind Padhy made a presentation on the strategy to hold the convention.
