Soumayashree Mishra 
The State Government has declared today, the first Thursday of the Hindu month of Margasira, as ‘Mandia Divas’ or ‘Millet Day.’
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his greetings on the occasion, saying, “Let us all resolve to include nutritious and climate-friendly millet in our diet and move forward towards building a sustainable planet, a healthy society, and farmers’ well-being by giving it a special place in the food system.”
On November 10, Odisha became the first state to declare a Millets Day. The goal is to popularise and promote the use and cultivation of superfood millets among the general public.
In 2017-18, the state government launched the Odisha Millet Mission. It is the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment’s flagship programme.
Millet Mission was initially implemented in 30 blocks across seven districts. It is currently being implemented in 142 blocks across 19 districts.
The Odisha Millets Mission has received widespread acclaim. Not only has the Government of India requested that all states adopt the Odisha Millets Mission model for the promotion of millets, pulses, and oilseeds, but UN-IFAD and UN-FAO have endorsed the Odisha Millets Mission framework as suitable for undertaking agro-ecological initiatives.
