Bhubaneswar: More than 400 farmers, scientists from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), experts from ICAR and ICAR-CIWA, along with several renowned scientists and officials from India and abroad, will participate in the International Millet Day celebrations in Bhubaneswar November 10.
A high-level preparatory meeting, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, was held Thursday to finalise the programme roadmap.
Every year, November 10 is observed as International Millet Day, and Odisha is the only state in India that officially celebrates it.
This year, the celebrations will include a two-day International Symposium on Millets November 10 and 11, with the theme “Women in Agro-Biodiversity and Heritage.”
As in previous years, the event will feature special sessions by eminent scientists and personalities, including Soumya Swaminathan, chairperson of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation.
Odisha has emerged as a model state in the production, consumption and conservation of small millets, little millets and other forgotten foods. Recently, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) procured millet from the state and is expected to lift 40,000 metric tonnes of millet from Odisha alone.
Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Arabinda Kumar Padhee presented the programme details and briefed about the department’s upcoming roadmap.
UNI
