Bhubaneswar: Agriculture department Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee called upon department officials to give boost to cultivation of Mandia (millet) – as a national crop – on more land in the coming days to make Odisha the hub of Shree Anna.
To achieve the objective, Padhee, at the review meeting for the annual action plan of Shree Anna Abhiyan for the Kharif crop season of the financial year 2025-26, Friday suggested them to give more importance to the production, post-harvest management, and marketing of Shree Ann crops for the upcoming Kharif season. The meeting was held at the conference hall of Krushi Bhavan. Shree Anna Abhiyan, a revolutionary scheme of the Agriculture department, has been especially effective in the revival of the state’s traditional food crops such as Mandia (finger millet), Suan, Bajra (pearl millet) and Kangu.
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Owing to the success of the scheme, the food of the poor has reached five star restaurants, and become a part of the daily diet of many celebrities. “This initiative not only provides employment to people but also economically empowers tribal and indigenous communities, integrating them into the mainstream of society. It also helps us maintain our traditional food culture,” Padhee said. The meeting was attended by, among others, Agriculture department Director Shubham Saxena, Managing Director of Odisha State Supply Corporation K Sudarshan Chakravarti and scientists from the Indian Institute of Nutrition Research.