Millets turned out to be the potential game changer in improving the overall household economy and addressing nutritional security. By coming together, institutions pursuing a common vision brought about this change. Led by women in FPOs all aspects of value chain were systematically pursued through Odisha Millets Mission.
Mandia (the local odia name for finger millet or Ragi) is the buzzword in the nooks and corners of villages and cities in Odisha. From cafes to restaurants, this popular millet grain has recreated its space as meals, snacks, cakes and cookies on the food platter of the urban populace.
To see where it grows, we should travel to reach the unreached tribal pockets of Odisha. The dashing wooden log beats on Mandia crop harvest with a solemn hymn of the Paraja song is an attraction to anyone who visits the Mankditada village of Koraput district of Odisha in the month of December. This humble homestead crop with its bountiful harvest has reached the commercial mandis of the Koraput and Nabrangapur districts of Odisha.
This was possible owing to the the concerted efforts of Adivasi women farmers joining hands with Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) supported by Harsha Trust, an NGO, in taking up large-scale millet farming. By opting for a crop that can thrive in their uplands with lesser inputs, the FPO institutions are the forerunners in shifting crop choices from input-intensive maize and paddy to millet-based cropping systems and also the consumer choices to healthy diets.
Millet Journey in the Hills of Odisha
Koraput and Nabarangpur, the districts of tribals and culture, have a total of 2977 villages. More than 50% of the population in these districts belong to Scheduled Tribes (Census, 2011). These tribal communities depend on farming, livestock and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) for their food and livelihoods. The tribal women here are the beholders of the household economy.
| Millets occupy a irreplaceable space in Adivasi Culture – Being the native food and the centre of tribal culture, millets play an integral part in the daily diet of Adivasi farmer households and in their social and cultural events. Owing to their simplicity, being rich in nutrition and affordable, millet-based delicacies such as Mandia Jau, Mudde, and Pitha, Suan upma (little millet), Roasted sorghum, Mandia Tampa (porridge with ragi flour and rice water), Mandia Anda (Ragi Flour with Rice) have always been a part of tribals’ food basket |
It was a time when the tribal farmers of the Borigumma and Kundra blocks of the Koraput district had started looking for better avenues other than farming. In fact, eighty percent of the farmers are small and marginal in Koraput. They own 90% of uplands that are less productive. The marginal farmers resorted to migrating to nearby cities and states to work as wage labourers. They were getting frustrated after years of cultivating input-intensive crops like paddy and maize, easily affected by the frequent prevalence of dry spells, pest attacks, insufficient crop inputs, degrading landscape and lowering production. The situation demanded immediate intervention that was sustainable, affordable and amiable to tribal women farmers who toiled in the hilly terrains.
Millets turned out to be the potential game changer in improving the overall household economy and addressing nutritional security. It required coming together of institutions focusing on a common vision.
Millet revival triggered by institutional collaboration
Millets are generally grown in rain fed regions as they combat climate change, help mitigate dry spells. Realising its potential as a climate-resilient and nutritive option, Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) was launched in 2017 to revive millets in farms and on plates. By partnering with Harsha Trust, the programme prioritised bringing tribal women farmers to the forefront. Earlier, understanding the contextual realities, Harsha Trust has been working with the tribal women farmers to ensure livelihood security as well as to improve their quality of life. In this regard, the NGO, has been working with women farmers in this region since April 2014, organised them into SHGs. Initially, 31 SHGs with a total membership 350 of farmers were formed. These SHGs were governed by a single governing SHG known as the nodal SHG, which later transformed into to Farmer Producer Company (FPC), as per the Companies Act. Harsha Trust started working with Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) in July 2017.
One of the key thrusts of the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) strategy was towards streamlining millets in a phased manner. Led by farmers themselves, FPO served as an enabling ecosystem for the millet value chain. It led to increased household consumption of the millets, while meeting the raising health consciousness in urban consumers. Acting as a nutritional powerhouse, propelled by good demand, millet’s fancy menus found their way into new avenues – high-profile forums, urban events, government meetings, seminars and gatherings.
With increased awareness and skill building on improved production techniques, cost-benefit aspects, encouraged by spiraling demand, the communities got convinced that millets can provide equivalent and higher profits compared to input-intensive crops. Moreover, the crop with its low carbon footprint helped in conserving the region’s rich ecology and biodiversity.
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Box 1 “Earlier, I cultivated Ragi on 1.5 acres of my land only for household consumption. The yield was not more than two quintals. I never realised that Ragi could fetch me better profits. After the involvement of the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) with the support of Harsha Trust, I received training on advanced millet farming practices and learnt the importance of healthy seed selection. This year on the same patch of land, I could cultivate five quintals of Ragi and earned an additional income of Rs. 16,475, apart from sufficing my home consumption.” -Banamali Chalan (43), Badapindapadar village, Borigumma block, Koraput |
Building momentum by Nari Pragati Farmer Producer Company Limited (NPPCL)
Initially, Harsha Trust, NGO, promoted community-based organisations such as Self Help Groups (SHGs) guiding them to take up farm-based livelihood initiatives. In February 2020, the groups were organised into a Farmer Producer Organisation, Nari Pragati Producer Company Limited (NPPCL). NPPCL was formed with 570 farmers in 2020, later by the year 2022, had membership of 3200 farmers. The service model adopted by NPPCL built the necessary momentum. While millets were a preferred choice for tribal households for consumption, their economic potential was yet to be realised. The women farmers lacked technical and financial support, credit linkages, production, and processing facilities to upscale millet production. The farmers did not sell millets as there were no commercial mandis or regularised marketing systems. These gaps were rightly identified and addressed by NPPCL with the support of OMM to promote millet-based farming systems by achieving economies of scale.
Holistic strategies for millet revival
The focus was on integration and strengthening multiple enabling mechanisms. It touched all aspects and services – production, processing, consumption and marketing, led by women farmers, with the support of Harsha Trust.
Several key strategies drove the millet value chain to success, as highlighted below.
- Awareness building and training programs for women farmers in millet production: Awareness was created by first organising Focussed Group Discussions (FGDs) and vision building exercises with the women SHGs and FPO members, while taking them for exposure visits. Various training programs and capacity-building initiatives on improved production techniques, importance of reviving millet farming systems were organised with focus on specific Package of Practices (PoP). Income enhancement through millet farming systems was demonstrated. Being led by women, the knowledge trickled down to the entire household. A total number of 141 training events were organised to promote millet farming systems as detailed below.
- Ensuring higher-quality seed production and access: This was taken up and supported by four seed centers at Borigumma, Bondaguda, Anchala, and Khatragada catering to the need of around 3200 farmers.
- Improving Package of Practices (POP) and incentivising good farming practices: The primary package of practices included Natural Pest Management practices, System of Millet Intensification, line sowing and transplanting (See box 2).
Farmers adopting improved technologies (SMI,LS,LT) got an additional incentive from OMM for the initial three years. The farmer got upto Rs. 5000/ha for SMI and Rs. 2500/ha for LS/LT, and in next two subsequent years, Rs.3000 and 1500 for SMI and Rs.1500 and Rs.1000 for LS/LT. Currently they have been revised as follows.
| Table 1 : Capacity Building Programs facilitated by Harsha Trust | |||
| Sl No. | Training Component Name | No. of Training events | No. of Participants |
| 1 | Production Enhancement | 27 | 864 |
| 2 | Package of Practices | 21 | 672 |
| 3 | Seed Production | 11 | 352 |
| 4 | Seed Storage | 7 | 224 |
| 5 | Value Addition | 7 | 448 |
| 6 | Nutritional Benefits of Millet | 9 | 576 |
| 7 | Field Demonstration | 38 | 1216 |
| 8 | Awareness program on Millet | 17 | 2040 |
| 9 | Collective Marketing | 4 | 120 |
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Box 2 System of Millet Intensification (SMI) – SMI is an extension of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method that includes improved agronomic practices such as reduced seed rate, seed treatment, transplantation of young and healthy seedlings at appropriate spacing (Grid pattern), improved weeding and nutrient management practices. This method has doubled the production of millet in the villages. Line Transplanting (LT) – Line Transplanting ensures proper crop standing and utilises maximum space giving improved yield. Multi-cropping/intercropping – Multi-cropping of ragi and sorghum together is adopted to reduce crop risk and increase incomes. |
- Developing village-level cadres as Community Resource Persons to provide technical and extension services at the door-step
- Setting up Custom Hiring Centres and Primary Processing Units at the Gram Panchayat level to promote the usage of Threshers, Graders etc. Four CHCs, ten pulverisers and processing units each were established as detailed below.
- Collective marketing by NPPCL and establishment of MSP : Farmers were organised by the FPO to do collective efforts, specifically, the produce aggregation, primary processing, transportation, and marketing. The aggregated produce enabled farmers to have better bargaining power and reduced the cost of transportation. The MSP system was established by
- Marketing outlets: Mandis were established in Borigumma, Katharaguda, Kerapa, Nuagaon to minimise the gap between the farmers and markets. Earlier, farmers had no outlet to sell the harvested millets, and they used to sell at the local Haat (market) for low prices. The new Mandis gave farmers a platform to sell their produce at an appropriate price.
Mandia Haat is made exclusively for selling millets at a fixed fair price. It is an initiative by OMM to promote consumption of millet. Small shops selling popular food items made with Mandia are open in popular tourist places. In 2021, the Odisha government announced November 10 as Mandia Divas to further popularise millets in both rural and urban spaces.
- Inclusion in welfare schemes: Inclusion of millets in Public Distribution Systems (PDS), Mid-Day Meal Schemes and Anganwadi Centres by OMM.
Impressive results
Through the OMM, the millet cropping area in Borigumma and Kundra has risen to 1167 hectares in the last three years. The improved production practices have increased the finger millet and the little millet production by three to four times compared to conventional cultivation. From a meagre production of 1-2 quintals per acre, the farmers could now get 6-7 quintals by adopting the System of Millet Intensification (SMI). The establishment of processing units with ten threshers provided by OMM and the Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT) has eased the laborious threshing activities. The inclusion of millets in the Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and introduction of millet-based foods such as Ragi ladoos at Anganwadis of Borigumma and Kundra blocks has boosted household consumption that had a direct positive impact on women and child nutrition.
The FPO addressed the challenge of poor transportation and marketing facilities through a collective marketing approach. The regulated market has increased the selling price of millets from Rs.15/kg to Rs.35/kg. Being empanelled as a procurement agency, NPPCL procured millets from women farmers and enabled marketing in the Borigumma Mandi (an exclusive millet mandi by OMM) that fetched higher prices and timely payment that directly reached the bank accounts of women members. After the establishment of mandi, the millet price has increased from Rs.2800 per quintal to Rs.3578 per quintal in three years. In the last three years, NPPCL has expanded its service outreach through an increased membership of 3511 women farmers covering 93 villages in 24 Gram Panchayats, continuing the momentum of millet revival and expansion.
NPPCL aims to redefine its Business Development Plan (BDP) to streamline millets in a phased manner by planning to establish storage godowns, processing and value-addition units to produce millet-based products such as ragi biscuits, multi-grain cookies, ragi malt and snacks to promote rural women entrepreneurship.
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Box 3 : Case of Jayanto Gouda, a millet farmer Jayanti Gouda is a tribal woman farmer residing in Mankditala village of Khatragada Gram Panchayat of Borigumma block in Koraput. In the initial years, she had not taken up millet farming seriously. After associating with NPPCL as a member, she understood the benefits of adopting System of Millet Intensification and other production practices on one acre of land. While she faced losses due to heavy and erratic rainfall in 2018-19, she could continue growing millets with support from NPPCL. The increased production provided her with more than what she yearned for, and her success inspired many women farmers to take up millet cultivation in her village. “In the 4.5 acres of land we owned, we used to cultivate paddy in 2.5 acres of low land. The remaining 2 acres of upland mostly remained fallow, where we have occasionally sown millet. After the intervention of NPPCL and technical knowledge support provided by Harsha Trust, we started cultivating Ragi on 1 acre, later got inspired to cultivate the entire 2 acres of the upland from which we could produce around six quintals of Ragi and generate an income of Rs. 20,262/- this year”, says Jayanti. |
Conclusion
The journey of women farmers in the Borigumma and Kundra blocks of Koraput district gives us an overall perspective of how a sustainable institutional approach can revive millets.
It had positive ripple effects of spread too. Shift to millets is also being observed in the Jharigaon block of Nabarangpur district. With the support of Harsha Trust, the Mangalmani FPO of Jharigaon has enabled 1456 women members resulting in increased millet cropping area from 16 ha to 685 ha in two years. The FPOs are contributing to the economic takeoff while ensuring nutritional security of rural tribal households.
The inclusive outlook of reviving millet-based cropping systems by OMM has brought newer confidence among farmers to take up millet on commercial scale. Initiatives such as Mandia stalls, Mandia Haat, and Mandia Divas aid in progressing the millets from villages to cities and provide scope for many women farmers to reach the regional, national and international markets through Farmer Producer Companies.
Millets, the talk of the year from International Forums to Village-level meetings, is orchestrating livelihood improvement in hundreds of villages in southern districts of Odisha. The declaration of the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYoM) resonates with the ripple effect of millets in creating sustainable livelihoods for farming communities.
Ranchitha Sivaram and Sangeeta Behera
Ranchitha Sivaram and Sangeeta Behera
Harsha Trust,
First Floor, N1/36, IRC Village,
Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar
Odisha – 751015
Email: ranchithakumaran@gmail.com
