Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On November 9 and 10, the government of Odisha will organize a two-day international convention on millets in Janta Maidan in the nation’s capital. State Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena on Tuesday presided over a state-level steering committee meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan to properly organize the conference.
On November 10, 2022, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik proclaimed the day to be Mandia Divas (Millet Day), encouraging the production and consumption of millet throughout the state. The preparations to hold International Millet Day on November 10th, 2023 were authorized by CM in accordance with the “Odisha Millet Mission” policy. According to Dr. Aravinda Kumar Padhi, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department, the Odisha government would hold the two-day conference in order to increase millet consumption and cultivation with the help of numerous partners. Dr. Padhee also spoke about the mission’s different activities and programs, the schedule for holding the conference, and the mission’s goals throughout the meeting. He also spoke about the involvement of many colleagues.
The major goal of this conference is to encourage the domestic consumption of millet throughout the nation and to resurrect its usage in both rural and urban regions. The main topics of discussion will also include incentives for the farmers as well as the protection of bajra-cultivating land through the use of landrace seed systems, the promotion of post-harvest and primary processing firms, productivity improvements for millets-based crop systems, and incentives for farmers.
In order for them to be used worldwide, Chief Secy Jena also focused on the most recent research in the fields of millet production, agricultural techniques, and value-added production. He also made sure that the conference was held to an international standard.
