Millets In Odisha; 1st Processing Unit In Keonjhar District

Keonjhar: The Odisha Millets Mission was initiated in Keonjhar district from Kharif 2019. It is a five-year programme funded by the District Mineral Foundation of Keonjhar.
The program covers mining affected villages of seven blocks within the districts viz. Banspal, Champua, Joda, Jhumpura, Harichandanpur, Hatadihi and Sadar.
The programme goals to revive millets in farms and on plates by enhancing manufacturing, consumption, processing and advertising and marketing of millets by an built-in method. More than 4000 farmers have been benefitted underneath the assorted parts of the programme.
Moreover, the Government of Odisha has launched procurement of Ragi at MSP from 2018 underneath which farmers are getting an assured value for Ragi. The Ragi thus procured is getting used for State Nutrition Programmes (ICDS, MDM) and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Government of India and Niti Aayog have acknowledged the initiatives of Keonjhar District administration with the help of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) concerning inclusion of Ragi Laddus as morning snacks for pre-school kids enrolled underneath ICDS within the district.
A complete space of about 1050 hectares was introduced underneath millet cultivation in Kharif 2020. In Rabi 2020, greater than 500 hectares in these seven blocks and could be coated. TDCCOL, Keonjhar is the Dist. Level Procurement Agency and TDCCOL would procure greater than 2,300 quintals of Ragi by March 2021 @ Rs. 3,295/- per quintal underneath KMS 2020-21 to help Ragi rising farmers.
In a primary within the State, Ragi ladoos have been launched as morning snacks for preschool kids in Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP)underneath ICDS in Keonjhar districts with help of Women & Child Development and Mission Shakti with technicalsupport from Odisha Millets Mission and monetary help from District Mineral Foundation.
Two ragi laddus every per week are supplied as morning snacks to the varsity kids between 3 to six years of age enrolled underneath the ICDS within the district along with the prevailing menu.
More than 86,000 kids of all of the Blocks of Keonjhar district are coated underneath the programme. 21 ladies Self Help Groups are engaged to provide Ragi Ladoo Mix to three,254 AWCs within the district.
The first Millet Processing Unit within the district is now absolutely practical and able to provide cleaned Ragi for various flagship programmes of the District Administration. It’s a three way partnership of Odisha Millets Mission and Mission Shakti.
▪ The unit is being managed by Krishna SHG, Sadar Block and supported by Mission Shakti▪ The unit has a capability of cleansing about 2 quintals of Millets per hour and may clear over500 quintals in a month, thus offering a constant supply of livelihood to the SHG▪ The unit has been established to make sure provide of fresh Ragi for the flagship ICDS RagiLaddu programme of the District Administration▪ The unit has been supplied underneath the Odisha Millets Mission, supported by the DistrictMineral Foundation▪ Technical help is being supplied by the Department of Agriculture and FarmersEmpowerment and WASSAN