In an effort to champion the cause of nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and community well-being, a ‘Millet Utsav’ was organised by the Directorate of Agriculture, Goa, at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, today. The Agriculture Minister, Ravi Naik, inaugurated the festival, which aimed to raise awareness about millet production and consumption, emphasising their exceptional nutritional advantages and versatile use in our daily diets.
Naik announced a new scheme for ‘Promotion and cultivation of Shree Anna -Millets, wherein the farmers will be provided assistance of Rs.20,000 per hectre for bringing the area under Ragi cultivation. He further stated that the government is very much committed to promote millet farming. The Directorate of Agriculture has several schemes wherein subsidies and various other assistance is provided to the farmers to bring the land under cultivation.
The festival also featured an exhibition organised by the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) Goa; showcasing the transformative potential of millets and commemorates the significance of the International Year of Millets. It featured an array of facts and figures highlighting the vital role that millets can play in our lives. Visitors were immersed in the nutritional benefits and diverse applications of millets. A selfie booth celebrating the International Year of Millets and its profound impact on farmers’ livelihoods was also a notable feature.
The festival encompassed a series of enlightening talks and practical demonstrations on various aspects of millet cultivation, their nutritive value, quality parameters, licensing requisites for millet-based foods, and the crafting of value-added products using millets. Adding culinary excitement, a millet recipe competition was also organised, which captivated participants who showcased their culinary prowess and creativity with millet-based dishes.
Complementing the knowledge-sharing sessions, attendees had the opportunity to relish millet-based snacks and food items, all skillfully prepared by Self Help Groups and innovative Millet startups. The festival also featured captivating Millet-based skits and group songs echoing the theme: “Grow Millets, Eat Millets, Stay Healthy.”
The Millet Utsav witnessed participation from various state departments including Art & Culture, Education, Higher Education, Sports, Food & Drugs Administration, District Rural Development Agency, Tourism, Women & Child Development, Health, and Goa College of Agriculture, among others. Their involvement underscores the collaborative commitment to promoting millets for the betterment of communities and the environment.
The Millet Utsav is a testament to Goa’s dedication to fostering a healthier and more sustainable future, where millets take the centrestage in the journey towards enhanced nutrition and ecological resilience. Also present at the inaugural ceremony were Dr Anna Roy, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog and Nevil Alphonso, Director, Directorate of Agriculture, Government of Goa. The month of October is set to witness numerous such events, celebrating and generating awareness about millets.
Dr. Roy stressed upon the need for enhancing entrepreneurship skills among women in the rural areas. Millets cultivation and its promotion could lead women towards entrepreneurship in the coming future, provided women seriously focus on quality, standards, value addition, packing and digital marketing of millets products.
Alphonso informed that ‘Millets Utsav’ is organised to spread awareness about Millets cultivation and its consumption. The Directorate of Agriculture succeeded in increasing the area under Ragi from 20 ha to 50 ha during the Kharif season and has planned to increase by another 50 ha during Rabi season.
On the occasion, the Minister for Agriculture along with other dignitaries released the Technical Bulletin on Cultivation of Ragi (Nachani) published by ATMA, (North Goa), Millet-based recipe book published by College of Home Science, Millet-based recipe book published by KVK South,Goa Margao and Poster of Short Film on Millets” the Miracle grain” by Directorate of Art and Culture.
Ravi Naik also distributed the Prizes to the winners of “Cooking with Millets” competition organised by the Directorate of Agriculture wherein 70 participants participated in the competition. Winners were awarded prizes. Various Millets-based skit, song and street play depicting the importance of millets were presented by College of Music, College of Home Science, Government college of Arts, Science and Commerce, Khandola and Nirmala Institute, Porvorim.
Assistant Agriculture Officer, Deepak Gadekar gave a presentation on importance of Millets and various efforts made by the government to revive its production. The event also featured millet-based products stalls from self help groups, Millets Rangoli , Posters, Paintings, millet dishes different types of millets, millets cultivation etc. The overall celebration concluded with high aspirations to promote and cultivate millet in the coming days. The function was also attended by farmers from across the state and officers/officials from various departments. Girish Salgaokar compered the programme. Pramod Joshi, Assistant Director of Agriculture (Crops), proposed the vote of thanks.
