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Millets 
Mainstreaming 
in India, Asian and African Countries
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field
Millets Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries As the world’s largest producer of millets, India
has also been diligently attempting to revitalise
the supply and demand of millets. India has
been leading the discourse on developing
global awareness on millets and has majorly
contributed towards the recognition of the year
2023 as the International Year of the Millets by
the United Nations. As a part of India’s ongoing
efforts, NITI Aayog, Government of India in
collaboration with United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP), India launched the MEGP,
initiative which maps and supports exchange
of best practices for millets mainstreaming
in Asia and Africa. The initiative supports the
documentation of good practices, lessons learnt
and presents an opportunity of experience
sharing within India and amongst Asian and
African developing countries for inspiring such
attempts at various levels. This compendium
of good practices is targeted to make it easier
for the governments globally to comprehend
what millet mainstreaming entails and trigger
informed decisions if they wish to initiate,
validate, scale up/replicate any idea. It also
helps unlock knowledge exchange and various
South-South Cooperation (SSC) & South-South
& Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) pathways and
offers a policy choice of mutual collaboration
through study visits, expert deployment,
demonstration sites, peer coaching networks,
technology and/or knowledge transfer, and
policy dialogues.
The initiative invited stakeholders from
government or non-government organizations,
multilaterals or community level organizations
such as FPOs/SHGs/PACS/Cooperatives and
private sector/start-ups from across Asia and
Africa to share their proven solutions with
demonstrated results in field to submit their
entries in two main categories as per the millets
mainstreaming framework:
1. Millet value chain (production,
storage & transportation, processing,
packaging & branding, distribution,
and consumption)
2. Mainstreaming dimensions (insti-
tutional commitment & coordination,
multi-stakeholder partnership, sustain-
able & innovative financing, gender &
inclusion, and enabling environment
for safety nets inclusion).
An additional category on millet recipes to
enhance the knowledge on the cooking method
and develop diversified millet recipes was also
a part of the MEGP call, however those entries
have not been included in this compendium
and a seperate recipe book will be released
soon by calling for more entries.
METHODOLOGY
Eligibility criteria and outreach
strategy
Organizations and practitioners from African
and Asian nations were encouraged to
participate with case stories of demonstrable
solutions from grassroots to the regional level.
Solutions at conceptual stage were not eligible.
The solutions and good practices had to respond
to the demand and supply-side factors and
address the decline of millet production. The
MEGP encouraged submissions that captured
experiences of organizations working on reviving
forgotten practices, particularly traditional and
indigenous community practices. The case
stories could be submitted on the MEGP web
portal, which was launched on 19
th
July 2022.
Besides, the usual dissemination channels
including NITI Aayog website, Twitter, Facebook
and other portals, stakeholder consultations
with various government and non-government
organizations were also conducted between
August–September 2022 as an outreach
measure.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
3 As the world’s largest producer of millets, India
has also been diligently attempting to revitalise
the supply and demand of millets. India has
been leading the discourse on developing
global awareness on millets and has majorly
contributed towards the recognition of the year
2023 as the International Year of the Millets by
the United Nations. As a part of India’s ongoing
efforts, NITI Aayog, Government of India in
collaboration with United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP), India launched the MEGP,
initiative which maps and supports exchange
of best practices for millets mainstreaming
in Asia and Africa. The initiative supports the
documentation of good practices, lessons learnt
and presents an opportunity of experience
sharing within India and amongst Asian and
African developing countries for inspiring such
attempts at various levels. This compendium
of good practices is targeted to make it easier
for the governments globally to comprehend
what millet mainstreaming entails and trigger
informed decisions if they wish to initiate,
validate, scale up/replicate any idea. It also
helps unlock knowledge exchange and various
South-South Cooperation (SSC) & South-South
& Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) pathways and
offers a policy choice of mutual collaboration
through study visits, expert deployment,
demonstration sites, peer coaching networks,
technology and/or knowledge transfer, and
policy dialogues.
The initiative invited stakeholders from
government or non-government organizations,
multilaterals or community level organizations
such as FPOs/SHGs/PACS/Cooperatives and
private sector/start-ups from across Asia and
Africa to share their proven solutions with
demonstrated results in field to submit their
entries in two main categories as per the millets
mainstreaming framework:
1. Millet value chain (production,
storage & transportation, processing,
packaging & branding, distribution,
and consumption)
2. Mainstreaming dimensions (insti-
tutional commitment & coordination,
multi-stakeholder partnership, sustain-
able & innovative financing, gender &
inclusion, and enabling environment
for safety nets inclusion).
An additional category on millet recipes to
enhance the knowledge on the cooking method
and develop diversified millet recipes was also
a part of the MEGP call, however those entries
have not been included in this compendium
and a seperate recipe book will be released
soon by calling for more entries.
METHODOLOGY
Eligibility criteria and outreach
strategy
Organizations and practitioners from African
and Asian nations were encouraged to
participate with case stories of demonstrable
solutions from grassroots to the regional level.
Solutions at conceptual stage were not eligible.
The solutions and good practices had to respond
to the demand and supply-side factors and
address the decline of millet production. The
MEGP encouraged submissions that captured
experiences of organizations working on reviving
forgotten practices, particularly traditional and
indigenous community practices. The case
stories could be submitted on the MEGP web
portal, which was launched on 19
th
July 2022.
Besides, the usual dissemination channels
including NITI Aayog website, Twitter, Facebook
and other portals, stakeholder consultations
with various government and non-government
organizations were also conducted between
August–September 2022 as an outreach
measure.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
3 Disclaimer:
The document is based on secondary data and information received
from the Department of Agriculture of various States/UTs, SRLM nodal
officers, Agriculture Universities, national-level institutes, and development
organizations. NITI Aayog and UN-WFP, India do not guarantee the accuracy
of data or accept responsibility for the consequences of using this data,
as this document is based purely on information received from secondary
sources.
The document can be downloaded from the website https:/www.nitiaayog.
JRYLQDQGZISRUJb
Edition: 2023
Editors:
Dr. Neelam Patel, NITI Aayog
Dr. Saloni Bhutani, NITI Aayog
Ms. Pradnya Paithankar, WFP
Dr. Sudeshna Maya Sen, WFP
Mr. Ambati Krishnamurty, WFP
Published by:
NITI Aayog, Delhi and WFP India, Delhi
ISBN: 978-81-956821-8-8
Design and Layout:
YAAP Digital Private Limited )25(:25'MESSAGE MESSAGE)25(:25' MESSAGE MESSAGE
I wish to commend NITI Aayog and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for developing a
compendium of good examples from across the world on strengthening the millet value chain and promoting
millet consumption. These case studies from organisations, institutions, and communities, offer insights and
inspiration.
The importance of millet lies in its nutritional value, health benefits, contribution to food security, livelihoods,
climate resilience, and sustainability. This compendium underlines that promoting the cultivation and
consumption of millet through innovative practices can have a significant positive impact on agriculture,
nutrition, and the environment. The examples provide opportunities for learning, replication and scale up.
WFP recognises the ongoing efforts by India and its vast potential in leading global efforts for reviving ancient
grains including millet. At the Global Millet Conference in March 2023, India’s Prime Minister stressed that
millet will be particularly important for 25 million smallholder farmers. WFP is committed to supporting India
in this journey.
Platforms such as this one - Mapping and Exchange of Good Practices - foster co-learning and support the
collective endeavour of strengthening food systems to make them more equitable and sustainable.
I hope that the stories in this compendium will inspire organisations and communities to enhance their
agricultural practices, food supply chains, dietary choices, and policy frameworks.
This initiative would not have been successful without the support of a wide range of partners, and we thank
everyone for their engagement and contributions.
Elisabeth Faure
Representative and Country Director,
WFP India
WFP India, 2 Poorvi Marg, New Delhi, 110057, India | T +91 11 4655 4000 Acknowledgement 
This compendium on “Millets Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries-A Compendium
of Inspiring Stories from Field” is the outcome of NITI Aayog’s collaboration with the United
Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to map and support exchange of best practices for millets
mainstreaming in Asia and Africa. The initiative supports the documentation of good practices,
lessons learnt and presents an opportunity of experience sharing amongst Asian and African
developing countries.
The Mapping and Exchange of Good Practices (MEGP) Initiative received a total of 227 applications.
We extend our sincere thanks to each applicant who showed enthusiasm in participating and
supporting this initiative. Your participation played a major role in making this initiative a success.
Documentation of these learnings will be useful for the policy makers and practitioners who are
committed to strengthen the millet value chain and mainstream millets.
Our initiative was bestowed with an esteemed panel of Jury Members, without whom this initiative
wouldn’t have been possible. We would like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Shobhana Pattanayak,
Former Agriculture Secretary, GoI and India’s Presidential Candidate for IFAD, Dr. Chindi Vasudevappa,
Former Vice Chancellor, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management
(NIFTEM), Ms. Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops and Oilseeds), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare, Govt. of India, Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR–Central Food Technological
Research Institute (CFTRI), Dr. R Hemalatha, Director, National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR and Chef
Manjit Gill, President, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations who firstly consented to be a part
of this initiative and took out time in evaluating these applications Their support and guidance
helped mold this initiative to what it is now. It was an honor to have the jury members on board
for this initiative.
We would like to extend our appreciation to networks for their support in popularizing the “Map
and Exchange Good Practices (MEGP) Initiative” and connecting us with many stakeholders across
Asia and Africa. We also extend our appreciation to the WFP and NITI Aayog’s communications team
for their inputs, which helped shape each case story to its current form. Lastly, the development
of this compendium in digital format wouldn’t have been possible without the printing team. We
extend our sincere thanks to the team for their patient coordination and support for molding the
compendium into its current form. Dr. Shobhana Pattanayak
Dr S K Pattanayak served in the Administrative Services under the
Governmentof India. He superannuated as the Secretary to Government
of India in the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers
Welfare, New Delhi, in September 2018. An accomplished policy-maker,
planner and an inspiring leader, Dr Pattanayak, as an Administrator had
handled a wide variety of assignments at the grassroots and national
levels within India and internationally, being entrusted with increased
responsibilities in a career of over thirty-six years. Dr. Pattanayak gained
considerable experience in contributing to policy level interventions in
international organizations like FAO, WFP and IFAD in varying capacities
during his three-year tenure as Minister (Agriculture) with India’s
Embassy in Rome. He also served as India’s Presidential Candidate for
IFAD.
Dr. Chindi Vasudevappa
Dr. Chindi Vasudevappa is the Former Vice Chancellor, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM). An astute professional with years of experience in research, administration, and teaching, he has been responsible for the development of academic programs, different curriculums, and regulations as a professor. Dr Chindi holds doctorate in the field of fisheries science.
Ms. Shubha Thakur
Ms. Shubha Thakur is Joint Secretary (Crops and Oilseeds), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. She has considerable experience as a policy maker, and administrator working with various Government departments.
Panel of Juries
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xiii Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh
Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh is Director, CSIR-CFTRI since 2021. In her
career spanning over three decades, she has worked extensively on
both basic and applied aspects of food science. She has made significant
contributions towards unfolding protein structure-function-activity
relationship, proteins and enzymes as food ingredients, nutraceuticals
from traditional food and technologies for combating malnutrition.
She has published over 50 research papers in peer-reviewed journals,
and holds a total of 11 patents to her credit. Dr. Sridevi has been the
Governing Council Member of National Agri Biotechnology Institute
(Mohali), Member, Expert committee on Public Health and Nutrition,
BIS sub-committee on Oils and Oilseeds, Interagency on Micronutrients
(ICMR) and Board of Studies of Mysore University.
Dr. R Hemalatha, Director
Dr. R. Hemalatha is Director, National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR. Dr. Hemalatha’s research interests encompass maternal, child health and nutrition. She has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, book chapters and regulatory reports. Dr. Hemalatha is presently the President of the Nutrition Society of India and Executive Council Member of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (FANS). She is also an Expert Member of various task force committees of the Ministries such as National Technical Board on Nutrition and National Council of Nutrition of NITI Aayog, Steering Committee Member of the South Asian Policy Leadership for Nutrition and Growth (SAPLING), to name a few.
Chef Manjit Gill
Chef Manjit Gill is President, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, and has over four decades of culinary experience behind him. Manjit Gill is a reputed professional in the Hospitality Industry held in the highest regard by its top gastronomic echelons. In addition to being intensely creative, Manjit is a dynamic leader and a teacher. In his present position, he continues to inspire his team and motivate a large number of culinary students to perform.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xiv Dr. Neelam Patel
Dr. Neelam Patel, Senior Adviser (Agriculture), NITI Aayog, holds a Ph.D.
from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi (FAI Golden
Jubilee Award) in agriculture. Dr. Neelam has worked extensively on
precision farming technologies, natural farming, hi-tech horticulture,
capacity building of different stakeholders, and women empowerment.
She has brought several innovations in horticulture technology, water
management, etc. at the Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology,
and is a recipient of multiple awards and honours including Panjabrao
Deshmukh Outstanding Woman Scientist Award in 2015 by ICAR among
others. She is Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, Indian Society of Soil and
Water Conservation. Dr. Neelam has published more than 100 research
papers, authored multiple books, and contributed to various reports,
special projects, etc.
Dr. Saloni Bhutani
Dr. Saloni Bhutani, Young Professional (Agriculture), NITI Aayog has completed her PhD, M.Phil, MA in Economics from University of Hyderabad, and Bachelors in Economics from Hansraj College, Delhi University. She has presented several research papers in national and international conferences and published several newspaper and magazine articles, research papers and a book in the areas of urban economics, transport economics, and agriculture. She holds strong work experience in ground level policy implementation and has worked as a Senior Research Associate at the Administrative Staff College of India, and Research Analyst in a HUDCO Chair Program at University of Hyderabad in the past. At NITI, she focuses on tasks related to millet promotion.
Project Team
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xv Ms. Pradnya Paithankar
Working in one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations in
the world, WFP, Ms. Pradnya Paithankar has experience of handling
large scale projects in the space of nutrition, health, and food security.
Pradnya is currently providing leadership to WFP India’s efforts to bring
the food and nutrition security to the forefront of climate action agenda.
As Head of Programme Climate change and DRR, she is contributing to
leverage WFP’s expertise globally in the field of climate resilience and
DRM to strategically support Government systems to design, monitor
and implement approaches towards achievement of 2030 agenda.
Dr. Sudeshna Maya Sen
Dr. Sudeshna Maya Sen is working at World Food Programme as Programme Policy officer (Climate Resilient Food Systems) since 2022. She has over 8 years’ experience working as a climate change adaptation researcher. Sudeshna holds a doctorate from TERI School of Advanced Studies and has previously worked with Government, research, and industry partners including TERI SAS, Government of Gujarat and Dr. Reddy’s Foundation on climate adaptation projects across India.
Mr. Ambati Krishnamurty
Mr. Ambati Krishnamurty is working at United Nations World Food Programme as Programme Associate since 2019. He has over 24+ years of experience primarily in programme & administration. Prior to joining WFP, he has worked with UNDP, National AIDS Control Organisation, and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Krishnamurty also worked in the past with CARE India Chhattisgarh and DANIDA.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xvi Abbreviations
AAOAssistant Agriculture Officer
ATMAAgricultural Technology Management Agency
AWCsAnganwadi Centers
AWWAganwadi Worker
BAOBlock Agriculture Officer
BCRBenefit Cost Ratio
BoDBoard of Directors
CBOsCommunity based Organizations
CDAOChief District Agriculture Officer
CHCCustom Hiring Centre
CIGCommon Interest Groups (CIG)
CRPCommunity Resource Persons
CSMCCommunity Seed Management Centre
DASDays after Sowing
DATDays after Transplantation
DMDistrict Magistrate
ESAEastern and Southern Africa (ESA)
FAFacilitating Agency
FAQFair Average Quality
FPCFarmers Producer Company
FPOFarmers Producer Organization
FRAForest Rights Act
FSMSFood Safety Management Systems
FYMFarmyard Manure
GAPGood Agricultural Practices
GPGram Panchayat
HaHectares
HYVHigh Yielding varieties
ICDSIntegrated Child Development Scheme
IECInformation, Education & Communication
IIMRIndian Institute of Millets Research
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
JLGJoint Liability groups
KMSKharif Marketing Season
KVKKrishi Vigyan Kendras
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xvii LAMPCSLarge-sized Adivasi Multipurpose Cooperative Society
LSLine Sowing
LTLine Transplanting
MDMMid-day Meals
MEGPMapping and Exchange of Good Practices
MPASMillet Procurement Automation System
MSMEMicro, Small & Medium Enterprises
MSPMinimum Support Price
MTMetric Tonne
NBPGRNational Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources
NFHSNational Family Health Survey
NGOsNon-Governmental Organisations
NPOPNational Programme for Organic Production
NRLMNational Rural Livelihood Program
OMMOdisha Millet Mission
OUATOdisha University of Agriculture and Technology
PACSPrimary Agricultural Credit Societies
PDSPublic Distribution Scheme
PKVYParamparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
PMHPRCPearl Millet Hybrid Parents Research Consortium
PoPsPackage of Practices
PPPPublic Private Partnership
PSPrabhari Shakti
PVTParticipatory Varietal Trial
PVTGsParticularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
QQuintal
RBDRandomized Block Design
RKVYRashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
RMCsRegulated Market Committees
SCScheduled Caste
SDGSustainable Development Goals
SHGSelf Help Group
SMISystem of Millets Intensification
SOPStandard Operating Procedures
STScheduled Tribe
TDCCOLTribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Limited
THRTake Home Ration
ToTTraining of Trainers
WCAWest and Central Africa
WSHGsWomen Self-Help Groups
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xviii Contents
Foreword (VC NITI Aayog) iii
Message (Member - Prof. Chand) v
Message (CEO) vii
Message (WFP CD) ix
Acknowledgementxi
Panel of Juries xiii
Project Team xvi
Abbreviationsxvii
INTRODUCTION1
Overview of the MEGP Initiative2
Methodology3
A. MILLET VALUE CHAIN6
1.Strengthening Value Chain of Minor Millets7
2. Integrated Approach for Enhancing Seed Yield and Quality in Kodo Millet 10
3.Increasing Area and Yield of Sitahi Kutki Millet13
4.Market Access for Local and Regional Millet16
5.Ragi on my Plate19
6. Sustainable Enterprise on Ragi, Suan, Gurji, and Kodo Millet Processing and
Business of Allied Products by FPO 22
7. Bonda Tribal Women in Odisha Battling Climate Change with Millet Farming 25
8.Ragi Procurement by FPOs: A Farm-to-Fork Strategy28
9.Seed Production and Promotion of Kantomera Ragi Landrace30
10.Promoting Minimum Support Price for Finger Millet and Little Millet 32
11.Seed Multiplication of Bherabi and Majula Ragi35
12. Inclusion of Millet Based Items in Morning Snacks of Pre-school Children
under ICDS 37
13. District Level Training to Trainers on Fair Average Quality (FAQ) for
Maintaining Hygiene and Quality Standard for Ragi Procurement 40
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xix
Message (Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog)
Foreword (Member, NITI Aayog)
Message (CEO, NITI Aayog)
Message (Country Director, UN-WFP) 14. Agronomy Training on SMI/LT/LS and Bio-input Units to Progressive Farmers
and CRPs 43
15. Establishment of Millet Tiffin Centres/Kiosks for Reviving Millet Consumption 46
16. Improved Procurement, Transportation and Storage of Finger Millet, Little
Millet, Foxtail Millet, Sorghum, Pearl Millet and Kodo Millet through Community
Participation 49
17. Adoption of Improved Package of Practices for Increasing Millet Production 52
18. Promoting Organic Manure for Yield Enhancement of Millets 55
19. Conservation and Multiplication of Landraces of Finger Millet, Foxtail Millet
and Little Millet 58
20. Custom Hiring Centre: Facilitating Increase in Incomes for Marginalized Group
of Tribals Growing Millets 61
21. Enhancing Production of Finger Millet, Little Millet, Foxtail Millet and Sorghum,
and Establishing Market Linkage through Procurement 64
22. Development of a Holistic Millet Value Chain by Jaivik SRI FPC Ltd. 67
23. Promoting Bio-Input Business for Ensuring Healthy Finger Millet and Little
Millet Crop 70
24. Custom Hiring Center (CHC) and Barter System for Finger Millet, Sorghum and
Little Millet — A Ray of Hope for Bisoi Block 72
25. Strengthening Livelihood of Women SHG Members through Establishment of
Finger Millet Processing Units 75
26. Millet Processing Factory as a Livelihood Option for Nuapada Millet Grower 78
27. Little Millet Dehuller Field Demonstration with WSHG Members 81
28. WSHG Collective Farming of Finger Millet 84
29. Participatory Varietal Trials – First Step Towards Improved Finger Millet Production 87
30. Establishment of Cleaning Unit for Ragi Processing 91
31. Creating Sustainable Business for FPOs by Promoting Traditional
Millet Recipes 94
32. Packaging and Branding by Small Scale Millet Enterprise 97
33. Gender of Sensitive Farm Mechanization -A Success Story of Mrs. Binodini
Barwa Radha Krishna SHG 100
34. Promotion of Millet Based Recipes by Tribal Woman 102
35. Pearl Millet: A Crop that Increased Income and Food Security among
Tribal Farmers 105
36. Sample Household Survey for Preparing Prevailing Benchmark Price for Little
Millet and Foxtail Millet for Justifying MSP 108
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xx 37. Farmers Producer Organization as a Procurement Agency under Odisha
Millets Mission 111
38. Community-Managed Seed Centres (CMSCs) Improving Yield with Resilient Seeds 114
39. Organic Production and Certification of Local Millets in Uttarakhand 117
40. Apna Bakery Manufacturing Ragi Based Bakery Goods 120
41. Development of Site-specific Machinery, Partnerships, and Grassroots Action to
Mainstream Small Millets in India 123
42. Implementation of Community Seed Banks and Seed Exchange by North-East
Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) 126
43. Promoting IndGAP and ISO 22000 Standards for Food Safety Management in
Millet Farming 130
44. Strengthening FPOs for Procurement, Processing, and Marketing of Kodo and
Kutki Millet by MPSRLM 133
45. Hill Value: A Brand for Marketing and Distributing Millet Produce Cultivated
by Adivasi (Tribal) Women of Attappady Association 135
46. Initiative of WBSRLM to Improve Income of Dairy Farmers by Growing and
Feeding Millets 138
47. Launch of Biofortified Sorghum “Prabhani Shakti” for Improved Nutrition in
African and Indian Drylands 140
48. Simplifying Finger Millet Harvesting with Snapping Trait 143
49. Strengthening Agribusiness and Value Chain through Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMP) in MSMEs 146
50. Use of Improved Sorghum Varieties and Good Quality Seeds 148
51. Combating Child Malnutrition with Child-Friendly Millet Recipes 151
52. Bhoomi Ka-Promoting Sustainable Production and Consumption of Millets 155
53. Promotion of Improved Agronomic Practices for Finger Millet 158
54. Management of Downy Mildew Disease in Pearl Millet through Host
Plant Resistance 160
55. Enhancing Livelihood of Post-rainy Season Sorghum Farmers through
Technological and Institutional Interventions 164
56. Empowering Tribal Women through Millet Value Chain Aggregation 168
57. Awareness Building for Millet Production and Local Consumption 171
58. Foliar Spray of Potassium Sulphate for Improving Yield of Small Millets 174
B. MILLET MAINSTREAMING 177
59. Odisha’s Tribal Women Spearheading the Mission to Promote Millets:
A Farm to Plate Approach 178
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xxi 60. Promoting Millet Cultivation to Fight Malnutrition and Sustainable Living 181
61. Compliance Tracker for Smooth Functioning of Farmers Producer Organisations 184
62. Promotion of Bio-Inputs for Yield Enhancement and
Strengthened Livelihood 187
63. Gender Responsive Capacity Building Support and Services to Women
Self Help Groups For Setting-Up Millet-Based Processing and Value-Addition
Enterprises 190
64. MIS Management and Dashboarding under Odisha Millets Mission 194
65. Community Managed Seed System (CMSS) for Millets 197
66. Pragatisila FPC Reducing Drudgery in Millet Cultivation through Technological
Intervention 200
67. Decentralized Governance and Multi-Stakeholder Model of Odisha Millet Mission 203
68. Release of First Biofortified Iron (Fe) Pearl Millet “Chakti” in West and
Central Africa 206
69. Addressing Hunger and Achieving Food Security through Pearl Millet Single
Cross Hybrid ”ICMH 147007” and Establishing Effective Seed Systems in West
and Central Africa 209
70. Transformative Seed Consortium Involving Multisectoral Partnerships and
Community Engagement for Sustainable and Inclusive Seed Supply to
Post-rainy Sorghum Farmers 212
71. Food Security and Income Generation through Cultivation of Proso Millet
and Foxtail Millet in Char areas of Bangladesh 216
72. Public-Private Research Partnership to Enhance Sorghum and Pearl Millet
Productivity in India and Other Parts of the World 220
Conclusion 223
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
xxii Introduction
The Mapping & Exchange of Good Practices (MEGP)
Initiative for Millets Mainstreaming in Asian and
African Countries OVERVIEW OF THE MEGP
INITIATIVE
Climate change is among the leading causes of
rising global hunger. Crop diversification and
the use of resilient crop varieties like millets are
critical adaptation options to changing climate
for millions of farmers, particularly smallholders
with limited access to farm insurance and
credit facilities. Crop diversification safeguards
farmers’ incomes, improves food security and
nutrition, increases the resilience of agri-food
systems, and helps mitigate the risks associated
with climate variability and market volatility.
Diversification to underutilized traditional crops
like millets can not only help in sustainable
agriculture production, but also ensure healthy
lives, while promoting overall well-being.
Millets are traditional crops that are returning
to the modern food systems due to their high
nutritional content. Apart from having a high
nutritional value, millets are easy to cultivate,
less resource-intensive, farmer-friendly and
climate-resilient. Such grains can adapt to
various climate stressors such as drought,
heat, and cold. Boosting millet production can
ensure achievement of socio-economic as well
as environmental sustainability.
Despite the vast potential of millets to expand
dietary diversity, improve nutritional security
and strengthen food systems, its cultivation and
consumption have been witnessing a decline.
Efforts need to be taken to combat the different
supply (e.g., low profitability, lack of access to
seeds, etc.) and demand side (e.g., changing
consumer tastes and preferences, lower shelf
life of milled grains etc.) challenges. Over the
years, countries across the globe have adopted
different existing and forgotten solutions to help
combat such challenges to strengthen the millet
value chain and support millet mainstreaming.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
2 As the world’s largest producer of millets, India
has also been diligently attempting to revitalise
the supply and demand of millets. India has
been leading the discourse on developing
global awareness on millets and has majorly
contributed towards the recognition of the year
2023 as the International Year of the Millets by
the United Nations. As a part of India’s ongoing
efforts, NITI Aayog, Government of India in
collaboration with United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP), India launched the MEGP,
initiative which maps and supports exchange
of best practices for millets mainstreaming
in Asia and Africa. The initiative supports the
documentation of good practices, lessons learnt
and presents an opportunity of experience
sharing within India and amongst Asian and
African developing countries for inspiring such
attempts at various levels. This compendium
of good practices is targeted to make it easier
for the governments globally to comprehend
what millet mainstreaming entails and trigger
informed decisions if they wish to initiate,
validate, scale up/replicate any idea. It also
helps unlock knowledge exchange and various
South-South Cooperation (SSC) & South-South
& Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) pathways and
offers a policy choice of mutual collaboration
through study visits, expert deployment,
demonstration sites, peer coaching networks,
technology and/or knowledge transfer, and
policy dialogues.
The initiative invited stakeholders from
government or non-government organizations,
multilaterals or community level organizations
such as FPOs/SHGs/PACS/Cooperatives and
private sector/start-ups from across Asia and
Africa to share their proven solutions with
demonstrated results in field to submit their
entries in two main categories as per the millets
mainstreaming framework:
1. Millet value chain (production,
storage & transportation, processing,
packaging & branding, distribution,
and consumption)
2. Mainstreaming dimensions (insti-
tutional commitment & coordination,
multi-stakeholder partnership, sustain-
able & innovative financing, gender &
inclusion, and enabling environment
for safety nets inclusion).
An additional category on millet recipes to
enhance the knowledge on the cooking method
and develop diversified millet recipes was also
a part of the MEGP call, however those entries
have not been included in this compendium
and a seperate recipe book will be released
soon by calling for more entries.
METHODOLOGY
Eligibility criteria and outreach
strategy
Organizations and practitioners from African
and Asian nations were encouraged to
participate with case stories of demonstrable
solutions from grassroots to the regional level.
Solutions at conceptual stage were not eligible.
The solutions and good practices had to respond
to the demand and supply-side factors and
address the decline of millet production. The
MEGP encouraged submissions that captured
experiences of organizations working on reviving
forgotten practices, particularly traditional and
indigenous community practices. The case
stories could be submitted on the MEGP web
portal, which was launched on 19
th
July 2022.
Besides, the usual dissemination channels
including NITI Aayog website, Twitter, Facebook
and other portals, stakeholder consultations
with various government and non-government
organizations were also conducted between
August–September 2022 as an outreach
measure.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
3 In Partnership with and
targeted to
DateStakeholdersParticipants
States
17-Aug-22
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Uttarakhand & Delhi
24
18-Aug-22
North-Eastern states (Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram,
Tripura & Meghalaya) & Sikkim
12
18-Aug-22
Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West
Bengal, Bihar & Jharkhand
17
19-Aug-22
Andaman & Nicobar, Puducherry, Daman
& Diu, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Jammu &
Kashmir
7
23-Aug-22
Karnataka, Kerela, Tamilnadu, Andhra
Pradesh & Telangana
58
25-Aug-22
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Maharashtra & Goa
15
NRLM to target SHGs
22-Aug-22
All State level Rural Livelihood Missions
(SRLMs)
100
MoFPI to target ODOP Millet
initiatives
23-Aug-22
All one district one project millets districts
47
Invest India for start ups 24-Aug-22All millet based Start ups5
Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture
Network (RRAN) for NGOs
24-Aug-22
NGOs engaged in reviving rainfed
agriculture
254
ICRISAT for international case
studies
29 Aug–22
For ICRISAT colleagues
100
Ministry of DARE to target
KVKs
16-sept -22
All KVKs/ ATARI ICAR
383
NCUI21 sept 22For cooperatives66
WFP HQ.26 sept 22For WFP colleagues13
Total1101
A total of 227 case stories were submitted either online on MEGP portal or through email for
evaluation. Around 9 applications were received from multiples countries across Asia and Africa,
and the rest 218 were from India. Within in India, Odisha shared over 100 entries. Bulk of the
entries were from millet value chain (147 entries), while 19 were from millet mainstreaming and 42
were from millet recipes. Maximum stories were from FPOs, the Government and NGOs.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
4
As the world’s largest producer of millets, India
has also been diligently attempting to revitalise
the supply and demand of millets. India has
been leading the discourse on developing
global awareness on millets and has majorly
contributed towards the recognition of the year
2023 as the International Year of the Millets by
the United Nations. As a part of India’s ongoing
efforts, NITI Aayog, Government of India in
collaboration with United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP), India launched the MEGP,
initiative which maps and supports exchange
of best practices for millets mainstreaming
in Asia and Africa. The initiative supports the
documentation of good practices, lessons learnt
and presents an opportunity of experience
sharing within India and amongst Asian and
African developing countries for inspiring such
attempts at various levels. This compendium
of good practices is targeted to make it easier
for the governments globally to comprehend
what millet mainstreaming entails and trigger
informed decisions if they wish to initiate,
validate, scale up/replicate any idea. It also
helps unlock knowledge exchange and various
South-South Cooperation (SSC) & South-South
& Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) pathways and
offers a policy choice of mutual collaboration
through study visits, expert deployment,
demonstration sites, peer coaching networks,
technology and/or knowledge transfer, and
policy dialogues.
The initiative invited stakeholders from
government or non-government organizations,
multilaterals or community level organizations
such as FPOs/SHGs/PACS/Cooperatives and
private sector/start-ups from across Asia and
Africa to share their proven solutions with
demonstrated results in field to submit their
entries in two main categories as per the millets
mainstreaming framework:
1. Millet value chain (production,
storage & transportation, processing,
packaging & branding, distribution,
and consumption)
2. Mainstreaming dimensions (insti-
tutional commitment & coordination,
multi-stakeholder partnership, sustain-
able & innovative financing, gender &
inclusion, and enabling environment
for safety nets inclusion).
An additional category on millet recipes to
enhance the knowledge on the cooking method
and develop diversified millet recipes was also
a part of the MEGP call, however those entries
have not been included in this compendium
and a seperate recipe book will be released
soon by calling for more entries.
METHODOLOGY
Eligibility criteria and outreach
strategy
Organizations and practitioners from African
and Asian nations were encouraged to
participate with case stories of demonstrable
solutions from grassroots to the regional level.
Solutions at conceptual stage were not eligible.
The solutions and good practices had to respond
to the demand and supply-side factors and
address the decline of millet production. The
MEGP encouraged submissions that captured
experiences of organizations working on reviving
forgotten practices, particularly traditional and
indigenous community practices. The case
stories could be submitted on the MEGP web
portal, which was launched on 19
th
July 2022.
Besides, the usual dissemination channels
including NITI Aayog website, Twitter, Facebook
and other portals, stakeholder consultations
with various government and non-government
organizations were also conducted between
August–September 2022 as an outreach
measure.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
3 Evaluation methodology
Evaluation of the applications were done by
an esteemed panel of juries, with significant
contributions in India in the field of millet value
chain, mainstreaming, food security and climate
change. The distinguished panel members
drew experience of working in different sectors
including government, academia, and UN
agency.
Evaluation Criteria
The applications were reviewed on the following
evaluation parameters
€Innovation (novelty of the solution)
€Practicality (ability to address signifi-
cant current or emerging need)
€Gender & inclusion (ability to reach the
last mile, the most marginalized and
the excluded, particularly women)
€Impact (potential to improve outcomes
at scale)
Sustainability (potential for scale-up and
alignment with the public/private systems) The
criteria did not include scientific scrutiny, as
such as these case stories were expected to
highlight good efforts, anecdotal initial success
and potential for further validation through
replication and systematic assessments. The
same has been highlighted in the editor’s notes
Evaluation Phases
Pre-screening: Pre-screening of all received
applications was done by the project team
based on sufficiency of information. About 178
stories were deemed sufficient, out of which 42
were millet recipes, rest 154 were from millet
value chain and mainstreaming. These 154
stories were then scored on the five different
parameters from 0 to 2 (0 – not yet, 1-partial,
and 2 – yes). Around 117 entries that scored
either 9 or 10 were shortlisted for the first jury
review.
Evaluation by Juries: Based on the pre-
screening, the jury members were presented
117 shortlisted value chain and mainstreaming
stories for their inputs. The jury members
suggested that each story is a unique learning
from the field and should be included in the
compendium, while avoiding duplication.
The recipes that were received needed much
more work in terms of detailing out nutritional
values and were not ready for inclusion in
the compendium at this stage. These valuable
inputs enabled creation of a comprehensive but
more concise and leaner document.
Finalization of stories: Based on the jury
discussion, the project team again reviewed
all the 117 case stories. Case stories were
reviewed for the purpose of re-categorization.
Duplicate entries shared by different partners
of the same project were removed. Also, one
entry representing one solution was kept in
the compendium. If similar entries/stories
were submitted from different villages/blocks/
partners showcasing the same solution, they
were included in the editor’s note in the
story. Out of 227 entries submitted, the final
compendium comprises of 72 stories, out of
which 58 stories are from millet value chain
and 14 stories from millet mainstreaming
respectively.
There are few stories which have overlapping
themes of both millet value chain and
mainstreaming. While all stories were valuable,
we mentioned the names of similar stories
acknowledging their efforts for ease of reading.
Majority of the stories in the compendium have
been shared by grassroot level organizations
and are based on their field experiences. Hence,
the compendium serves more as a guiding
document to inspire field functionaries and
communities to explore the potential of millets
rather than a peer-reviewed scientific study.
The compendium helps set the direction for
future research to solidify the benefits claimed
in the stories.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
5
As the world’s largest producer of millets, India has also been diligently attempting to revitalise the supply and demand of millets. India has been leading the discourse on developing global awareness on millets and has majorly contributed towards the recognition of the year 2023 as the International Year of the Millets by the United Nations. As a part of India’s ongoing efforts, NITI Aayog, Government of India in collaboration with United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), India launched the MEGP, initiative which maps and supports exchange of best practices for millets mainstreaming in Asia and Africa. The initiative supports the documentation of good practices, lessons learnt and presents an opportunity of experience sharing within India and amongst Asian and African developing countries for inspiring such attempts at various levels. This compendium of good practices is targeted to make it easier for the governments globally to comprehend what millet mainstreaming entails and trigger informed decisions if they wish to initiate, validate, scale up/replicate any idea. It also helps unlock knowledge exchange and various South-South Cooperation (SSC) & South-South & Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) pathways and offers a policy choice of mutual collaboration through study visits, expert deployment, demonstration sites, peer coaching networks, technology and/or knowledge transfer, and policy dialogues.
The initiative invited stakeholders from
government or non-government organizations,
multilaterals or community level organizations
such as FPOs/SHGs/PACS/Cooperatives and
private sector/start-ups from across Asia and
Africa to share their proven solutions with
demonstrated results in field to submit their
entries in two main categories as per the millets
mainstreaming framework:
1. Millet value chain (production,
storage & transportation, processing,
packaging & branding, distribution,
and consumption)
2. Mainstreaming dimensions (insti-
tutional commitment & coordination,
multi-stakeholder partnership, sustain-
able & innovative financing, gender &
inclusion, and enabling environment
for safety nets inclusion).
An additional category on millet recipes to
enhance the knowledge on the cooking method
and develop diversified millet recipes was also
a part of the MEGP call, however those entries
have not been included in this compendium
and a seperate recipe book will be released
soon by calling for more entries.
METHODOLOGY
Eligibility criteria and outreach
strategy
Organizations and practitioners from African
and Asian nations were encouraged to
participate with case stories of demonstrable
solutions from grassroots to the regional level.
Solutions at conceptual stage were not eligible.
The solutions and good practices had to respond
to the demand and supply-side factors and
address the decline of millet production. The
MEGP encouraged submissions that captured
experiences of organizations working on reviving
forgotten practices, particularly traditional and
indigenous community practices. The case
stories could be submitted on the MEGP web
portal, which was launched on 19
th
July 2022.
Besides, the usual dissemination channels
including NITI Aayog website, Twitter, Facebook
and other portals, stakeholder consultations
with various government and non-government
organizations were also conducted between
August–September 2022 as an outreach
measure.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
3
phases A. Millet Value 
Chain Institution: Singhdev Farmer Producer Com-
pany
Summary: Minor millets are grown in the Kharif
season by tribal farmers on rough hill slopes,
less fertile land (barra), and along the edge of
the forest. Small grain crops including kodo,
kutki, kangni, savan ragi, and bajra are lifeline
of tribal communities. Also, kodo and kutki
do not get spoiled for many years. Singhdev
Farmer Producer Company, Sidhi, through its
efforts, strengthened the value chain for minor
millets. The current case study focuses on
all the aspects of millet value chain including
production, storage, transportation, processing,
packaging and branding.
Pitch: After selecting thirty-five villages of
Kusmi and fourteen villages of Sihawal, a survey
was conducted to understand the production,
sale arrangement rate, etc. It was observed
that area under cultivation for kodo and kutki
reduced despite being less labor intensive
and nutritious. The Aajeevika Mission team
contacted the Agriculture Department, and
Agriculture Technology Management Agency
(ATMA) to increase the area under these millets.
A meeting was held to discuss the cooperation
of the Self-Help Group formed by the Livelihood
Mission to grow kodo & kutki. Women were
informed about the benefits of cultivation and
use of kodo & kutki through village and cluster
level meetings.
Problem analysis: The key problems were:
i. Low yield of 1 to 2 quintals per acre
from local variety
ii. General reluctance to accept millets
as a food choice
iii. Obtaining a lower market price.
Solution: Minor millets are an excellent
option to fulfil nutritional needs. The solution
is focused on increasing awareness about the
minor millets besides providing new seeds to
increase production and motivating the women
of self-help groups to form a producer Millets
Location: Sidhi,  
Madhya Pradesh, India
Strengthening 
Value Chain of 
Minor 
Millets
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
7 Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African
Countries-A Compendium of Inspiring Stories
from Field company for purchasing of kodo &
kutki at a reasonable price.
Target population: The target population
included Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Schedule
Caste (SC) families in two blocks Kusumi
and Sihawal of Sidhi District, who have been
traditionally involved in growing minor millets.
These families have the traditional knowledge
and are interested in farming minor millets.
Results: Singhdev Farmer Producer Company,
comprising of 249 women shareholders, was
established to purchase kodo & kutki from
Livelihood Mission in Block Kusmi. In the
fiscal year 2020-21, the Producer Company
established purchase centers in nine villages.
WSHGs make purchases at the procurement
centers. 570 quintals of kodo & kutki have been
purchased so far. In addition, sesame, mustard
seeds, and maize are purchased at these
procurement hubs.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
To increase the area and production of kodo
& kutki in development blocks, Sihawal and
Kusmi by Aajeevika Mission, 12.40 quintals
of kodo seeds were supplied to farmers in 20
villages under Agriculture Department ATMA
Project. Additionally, training was provided for
its planting and farmers were motivated to shift
to line sowing from the broadcasting/ sprinkling
method that was used in the past. As a result,
production began to increase by 3 to 4 quintals
per acre, increasing farmers’ interest in growing
kodo & kutki.
Drivers of change:
€Kodo & kutki were sold at established
purchase center at a profit of Rs. 700-
1000 per quintal in comparison to local
markets benefitting farmers;
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
8 €At these procurement centers,
purchases were made through
electronic tokens and payments were
made to bank accounts digitally within
three days, bringing transparency and
awareness among the people;
€Income of women farmers has
increased.
Dilemma and barriers: Agriculture is gradually
changing with time and the newer generation
of farmers have partially or completely reduced
the cultivation of coarse cereals and minor
millet crops, leading to the loss and extinction
of seed varieties. Low prices of kodo & kutki in
the market is pushing farmers to shift to rice or
kanaki cultivation, due to which consumption of
kodo & kutki has also reduced in households.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
The solution provided improved variety of
seeds of kodo to farmers through convergence
with the agriculture Department. Nine procure-
ment centers have been opened with the help
of Foundation for Development of Rural Value
Chains (FDRVC). The new seeds and better culti-
vation practices like line sowing have increased
yields, consequently improving farmer incomes.
Contact details: Vijay Goswami, District
Ajeevika Office Sidhi, beside Union Bank of India,
Collector office, Sidhi. E-mail: swamivijay1678@
gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
9 Institution: Directorate of Research Services,
Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya,
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Summary: Directorate of Research Services,
Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya,
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh has provided farmers
the solution of practicing seed priming with
twenty percent liquid Pseudomonas fluorescens,
in combination with nutrient management,
comprising of 100 kg Neem, 12.5 tons Farm Yard
Manure (FYM) per ha, 50 kg Urea per hectare,
50 kg Single Super Phosphate (SSP) per hectare,
50 kg Muriate of Potash (MOP) per hectare
with top dressing of urea at four weeks after
transplanting with two percent Borax spray at
flowering. The solution has led to a significant
increase in field emergence, seed yield, overall
seed quality and net monetary returns. The
solution focuses on production aspect of millet
value chain.
Pitch: The area under millets in India has
witnessed a significant decline over the last five
decades. The biggest reasons for poor adoption
of millets by the cultivators is the low level of
productivity of these crops and consequently
poor economic returns. Being a minor millet,
kodo millet cultivation is traditionally practiced
in rainfed areas and is confined to marginal
soils, resulting in large yield gaps. Soil and land
related constraints such as poor soil organic
matter content, low moisture retention, macro
and micronutrients deficiencies, alkalinity and
undulated topography in the millet growing
region of India makes millet cultivation and
nutrient management in millets challenging.
Hence, efficient integrated nutrient management
approaches are among key strategies to
realize higher millet yields in rainfed regions.
The institution has made to optimize nutrient
management with emphasis on organics and
seed treatment with plant growth promoting
rhizobacteria. The solution has helped realize
enhanced seed yield of kodo millet.
Problem analysis: Farmers in various districts
of Jabalpur, such as Dindori, Mandla, Anuppur,
Chhindwara, Shahdol, Umaria, Balaghat, etc.
Integrated 
Approach for 
Enhancing Seed 
Yield and Quality 
in 
Kodo 
Millet
Location: Jabalpur,  
Madhya Pradesh, India
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
10 were highly reluctant to cultivate kodo millet due
to low seed yield/productivity. The integrated
nutrient management approach addressed
the problem with emphasis on organics and
seed treatment with plant growth, promoting
rhizobacteria, which further helped enhance
seed yield in kodo millet.
Solution: The best practice involves seed
priming with twenty percent liquid Pseudomonas
fluorescence in combination with nutrient
management, comprising of 125 kg Neem,
12.5 tons FYM per ha, 50 kg Urea, 50 kg SSP
and 50 kg MOP per ha. Top dressing urea at
3-4 weeks after transplanting + 2 percent borax
spray at flowering led to a significant increase
in field emergence, yield, overall seed quality
and net monetary returns. The integrated
nutrient management approach emerges as a
good potential to reduce the yield gap between
the potential and actual millet yield. Most soils
under millet growing areas have medium to low
soil nitrogen availability. Nitrogen management
increases yield and photosynthetic assimilation
in plants. The application of organic amendments
such as farmyard manure ensures supply of all
major nutrients and micronutrients necessary
for plant growth. FYM improves physical,
chemical, and biological properties of the soil.
Improvement in the soil structure leads to a better
environment for root development, improved
soil water holding capacity and maintains good
soil health, increasing phosphorous availability
to plants. Designing a potassium management
approach enhances crop stress tolerance
and helps maintain good plant health. Micro-
nutrient management approach through the
application of Borax leads to maintenance of
structural and functional integrity of biological
membranes, movement of sugar or energy into
growing parts of plants, and efficient pollination
and seed set. Seed bio priming helped achieve
better performance in germination, increase
tillering, enhance seed vigour and tolerance
against adverse environmental stress and
disease infection. The integrated nutrient
management approach in kodo millet helps
minimize inorganic fertilizer requirements,
add soil organic matter, and improve yield and
sustainability of the ecosystem.
Target population: 60,000 tribal farmers of
the tribal districts, particularly Dindori, Mandla,
Anuppur, Chhindwara, Shahdol, Umaria,
Balaghat, and some parts of Jabalpur, will be
benefitted through the implementation of this
technology in terms of yield enhancement and
increased monetary returns.
Results: The technology has been implemented
by 2,000 farmers of the tribal districts of
Dindori of Madhya Pradesh. The application of
the technology has led to an enhancement of
seed yield by 46.41 percent. An increase in the
field emergence was observed by 6.12 percent,
number of tillers by 15 percent, enhancement in
seed quality by 10.22 percent, increase in seed
germination and seed vigour by 28.39 percent
over state recommended package of practices.
The benefit cost ratio is 3.68:1 in comparison
with 1.67:1 for the state recommended package
of practices.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
technology was adopted by the 2,000 kodo
millet-growing farmers of the Dindori district of
Madhya Pradesh. The upscaling has a potential
in all kodo millet-growing tribal districts, namely
Mandla, Anuppur, Chhindwara, Shahdol,
Umaria, and Balaghat, where the uptake is not
at a scale large enough to trigger the desired
transformation in the potential yield. It is the
target for the next phase.
Drivers of change: The factors that were
crucial for the success of the practice include a
well functional organizational support (funding
support), well equipped bio fertilizer production
centre, financial support from the Government,
training and capacity building of farmers,
environmental benefits of the innovation, cost
effectiveness of the technology, results and
high impact on the productivity.
Dilemma and barriers: Lack of availability of
quality seeds to the farmers is a major barrier.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
11 Quality seeds are not available to the farmers;
hence it is necessary to make farmers self-
sufficient in seeds by giving them training in the
aspect of quality seed production technology.
This initiative demands financial funding from
the Government because using quality seed
alone will enhance seed yield only by 10 to 20
percent.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
novelty in the best practices developed includes
(i) Application of nutrient management approach
like use of borax spray at the flowering stage
for increasing the boron content in plants, (ii)
Adoption of bio priming of seed approach in the
integrated nutrient management module for
improving seed germination, seed vigour, rapid
crop cover, weed control, final plant stand and
(iii) Technology is viable in long term.
Contact details: Dr. G K Koutu, Dr. R Shiv
Ramakrishnan and Dr Ashish Kumar, Seed
Technology Research Centre, Department of
Plant Breeding and Genetics, JNKVV, Jabalpur.
Email: shivram.krishnan2008@gmail.com
Editor’s note: The story is promising. Further
results on nutritional enhancement of the treated
samples can be studied. Similar initiative has
been undertaken for little millets in Dindori by the
Directorate of Research Services, Jawaharlal Nehru
Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
12 Institution: Directorate of Research Services,
Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya,
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Summary: Sitahi kutki is an early duration (60
days) little millet landrace suitable for rainfed
areas and late sown conditions which can
withstand problems of draught tolerance,
moisture scarcity, resistance to major pest
(shoot fly), grain smut and brown spot traits
during all vegetative stages of crop, hence
helping farmers get a stable yield. Sitahi kutki’s
medium tall height with thick culm overcomes
the problem of lodging and can be grown
even under hilly, undulated and debilitated
soil condition. Achievements of the institution
include increased area under cultivation, stable
yield of 10-11 qtls/ha and income with good net
monetary returns for the Baiga and Gond tribes
of the area. The solution focuses on production
aspect of the millet value chain.
Pitch: The area under millets cultivation in India
has witnessed a significant decline over the last
4-5 decades. Low level of productivity of these
crops and consequently poor economic returns
as compared to other crops has discouraged
Indian farmers from growing millets. Little
millet cultivation is traditionally practiced in
rainfed areas and is confined to marginal soils,
resulting in large yield gaps. An increased area
of 10,395 ha under Sitahi kutki and a stable
yield of 10-11 quintals / ha in Dindori has helped
ensure livelihood, food and nutrition security in
the region.
Problem analysis: The hilly and problematic
tract of Dindori, namely Bajag, Karanjiya,
Samnapur, Amarpur, Mehandwani, Shahpura,
and Dindori, is dominated by the Baiga tribal
community. Tribal farmers face the problems
of livelihood, low nutrition, and food shortage
along with low productivity of crops as they are
cultivated in a highly undulated hilly topography
and on soils devoid of organic matter with low
moisture retention.
Increasing Area 
and Yield of 
Sitahi 
Kutki
Location: Dindori, Madhya 
Pradesh, India
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
13 Solution: Sitahi kutki is an early duration little
millet landrace for rainfed which can withstand
with problem of moisture scarcity during all
vegetative stages of crop. Sitahi kutki’s medium
tall height with thick culm, overcomes the
problem of lodging and can be grown even
under hilly, undulated and debilitated soil
conditions. Promoting Sitahi kutki in the skeletal
and undulated landscape of hilly areas of Dindori
has provided stable yield of 10-11 qtls/ha.
Target population: ~ 60,000 tribal farmers of
the tribal districts, particularly Dindori, Mandla,
Anuppur, Chhindwara, Shahdol, Umaria,
Balaghat, and some parts of Jabalpur can be
benefited through the adoption of this practice
in terms of yield enhancement and increased
monetary returns.
Results: The farmers were motivated to
cultivate millet. The total area of Sitahi Kutki
in the Dindori district has increased to 10,395
ha and is still growing. The acreage during the
period was even more than rice, til, and jagni.
Now, the cultivation of kutki is a priority for
the farmers. They are benefitting from the high
yield of around 10-11 qtls/ha, resulting in higher
monetary returns. The solution has enabled
profits to the 1,567 tribal farmers of seven
blocks and 54 villages of the problematic and
hilly tract of Dindori where cultivation of other
rabi crops is not possible.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
upscaling potential is for all millet-growing tribal
districts, namely Mandla, Anuppur, Chhindwara,
Shahdol, Umaria, and Balaghat, where still
diffusion does not occur at a scale large enough
to trigger the desired transformation in the
potential yield of little millet in the undulated
land topography. This is the target area for the
next phase.
Drivers of change: The factors that were crucial
for the success of the practice were:
1. Organizational support (funding
support)
2. Assured income to farmers
Pannicle
Black grain
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
14 3. Sitahi kutki’s resistance to insect, pest
drought, stable yield in problematic
soil and undulated topography
4. High demand of black grained Sitahi
kutki in the local market of Madhya
Pradesh
5. Training and capacity building of
farmers
6. Cost effectiveness of the technology
7. Results and high impact on the
productivity.
Dilemma and barriers: The key risks that were
factored in during the implementation are:
1. Lack of availability of quality seeds
to the farmers. It is necessary to
make farmers self-sufficient in seed
production by providing training. This
requires financial funding from the
Government in a project mode to
develop an informal seed system of
Sitahi kutki in farmers’ participatory
mode because using quality seed
alone will enhance seed yield by
10-20%
2. Commercialization and Standing crop
market linkage establishment for
Sitahi kutki is required, for which the
University is preparing a Geographical
Indication tag document for submis-
sion to the authority. This will establish
the brand name of Sitahi kutki at the
national level, and open new avenues
of the market, thereby enhancing the
income of tribal farmers cultivating
this millet.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
novelty in the best practices developed is the
dissemination and diffusion of Sitahi kutki, a
high yielding, drought tolerant, lodging resist,
insect/pest resistant millet landrace, with
proper agronomic package of practices in the
problematic soil of undulated landscape of hilly
tract of the Dindori.
Contact details: Dr D. N. Shrivas, Dr. R.
Shiv Ramakrishnan, Dr. Ashish Kumar, Seed
Technology Research Centre, Department of
Plant Breeding and Genetics, JNKVV, Jabalpur.
Email: sramakrishnan@jnkvv.org
Editor’s Note: Further studies on nutritional
contents of the crop can be undertaken. Similar
initiative has been undertaken for little millets
(Nagdaman Kutki) in Dindori by the Directorate of
Research Services, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa
Vidyalaya, Jabalpur
Standing crop
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
15 Market Access 
for Local 
and Regional  
Millet
Location: Pune, Maharashtra, 
India
Institution: AgroZee Organics Pvt. Ltd
Summary: Solution focuses on procurement of
millets rice from Farmer Producer Organizations
(FPOs), secondary processing at AgroZee
Organics for increasing the bioavailability of
millet-based products, distributing the product
through various channels such as retail chains,
wholesale shops, Anganwadi schools, local
market, and individual buyers, and popularizing
consumption by creating awareness among
people to include millets in their daily diets.
Hence, the solution focuses on processing,
packaging, branding, distribution, and
consumption of millet value chain.
Pitch: According to the National Family
Health Survey (NFHS), 51 percent of Indian
women between 15-49 years are anemic
(iron deficient). Large proportion of deaths in
India are attributed to lifestyle diseases e.g.,
diabetes. Hence, the solution designed and
validated millet-based products for breakfast,
snacks, and lunch to address malnutrition
and lifestyle diseases. The innovative solution
increased bioavailability in all products and
some trials have been conducted with Mid-Day
Meals Schemes (MDM) and Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS). The key impacts
observed include increased hemoglobin level in
pregnant and lactating mothers (from 9 g/ dL
to 12 g/dL) and balanced sugar levels of 560
people in the region.
Problem analysis: Malnutrition and lifestyle
diseases are critical problems in India. Statistics
show that 52% of pregnant women and 59%
adolescent girls are anaemic. Further, 35.5 %
of children are stunted and 19.3% are wasted.
Many farmers and industry workers are women
who are nutritionally at risk despite earning an
income. Low-income people also struggle to
afford a diet with adequate nutrition and tend to
have higher incidences of malnutrition. In India,
deaths due to lifestyle diseases are increasing
and so is the prevalence of non-communicable
diseases.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
16 Today, more than 77 million adults are living
with diabetes.
Solution: The solution focuses on different
aspects of the value chain. Firstly, it procures
millet rice (biofortified bajra and small millets)
from FPOs in the region, which is followed by
value addition and secondary processing at
AgroZee Organics into different products like
multi-millet laddoo, multi-millet drumstick
leaves chappati mix, wheat free cookies,
multi-millet upma mix, and low glycemic index
millet flour. Bioavailability studies have been
conducted under the guidance of Harvest Plus
to help in higher absorption of iron, calcium,
zinc, thiamine, and riboflavin. The products are
then distributed through various platforms like
retail chains, wholesale shops, Anganwadis, local
market, individual buyers, mobile marketing
units, social media platform, exhibition cum
sales, and promotion of millets in festivals.
The initiative is also aimed at popularizing
the consumption of millets through multiple
campaigns like Right Now, Running Movement
of Millet for Monday, One Millet Meal Per Day
to control diabetes and by showcasing various
regional and local millet recipes in millet
festivals.
Target population: Adolescent girls, women,
specially the pregnant and lactating women and
persons with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes
are the target population.
Results: The initiative has piloted a project
“Millets for Malnutrition” in the rainfed area of
Pune (Kaldari and Bahirwadi Village, Purandhar
Tehsil) with 169 pregnant and lactating mothers
as beneficiaries. Under the pilot, biofortified
bajra and foxtail millet was promoted at these
two villages with the help of a FPO which
distributed high yield seeds and built awareness
around better management practices. A health
camp for women was conducted to identify
anemic women who were pregnant and
lactating mothers. They were then supplied with
multiple biofortified products like multi-millet
laddoo and cookies, Millets Mainstreaming
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
17 in India, Asian and African Countries-A
Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field
Millets Mainstreaming in India, Asian and
African Countries-A Compendium of Inspiring
Stories from Field multi-millet drumstick leaves
chapati mix, multi-millet upma mix, etc. These
biofortified products were included in their
daily diet for three months and the process was
monitored by the local anganwadis. After three
months, 141 mothers showed an increase in
their hemoglobin levels from 9 g/Dl to 12 g/Dl.
Through this pilot, the value chain of millet
in the area has been strengthened and the
same model is being replicated in other parts
of Maharashtra with the help of Ministry of
Women & Child Development. A similar study
was conducted with 210 diabetic patients, out
of which195 balanced their sugar levels with the
biofortified millet products.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
initiative has received support from Harvest
Plus for scaling and has developed low-cost
machinery for primary processing. Farmers
are getting a good price of millet rice, and
Agrozee Organics is getting quality millet rice
at an affordable price for further adding value
and increasing potential for upscaling. The
innovative recipes developed have increased
the shelf life, and absorption capacity of iron,
calcium, zinc, and protein. It also has enhanced
the taste and made the product easy and
ready to cook, leading to increased customer
satisfaction. The products are affordable and
can be scaled to the last mile.
Drivers of change: The key drivers of change
are 1) Collaboration with different institutes like
Harvest Plus, Government Departments (e.g.,
Women and Child Development, Agriculture,
Tribal Department), Hotel Management College,
Home Science College and KVKs; 2) Biofortified
millets (bajra); 3) Affordable pricing of products
and improved shelf-life; 4) Customer satisfaction
and good result; 5) Creating awareness among
the community through various platforms at
festival, jatra, etc. and 6) Demonstration of
various regional and local recipes.
Dilemma and barriers: The key bottlenecks
were limited shelf life, lack of awareness, higher
cost of product and limited availability at various
locations. These challenges were addressed by
taking various steps through the project, such
as, (i) introducing vacuum packaging for grain
and other ready-to-cook products for improved
shelf life, (ii) promoting direct sales to the
consumer to get customer feedback, providing
guidance and suggesting products according
to customers’ requirement, (iv) reducing the
price by minimizing the number of value
chain actors by directly procuring millets from
Food Producing Organizations, (v) initiating
sale through e-commerce and social media
platforms, (vi) opening more retail outlets for
increased availability, etc. The changes have
been able to address the bottlenecks with
varying degrees of success.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
millet-based products developed have higher
absorption of iron, zinc, and calcium, thereby
address malnutrition and lifestyle diseases. The
products have low glycemic index and are ready
to eat and cook, affordable and sustainable.
The product processing has a copyright patent.
The solution is built on a foundation of strong
network, knowledge, skill, and education as
Certified Farm Advisor from IIMR in millets from
farmers to consumers.
Contact details: Mr. Mahesh Londhe. CEO
Agrozee Organics,
E-mail: agrozeeorganics2021@gmail.com
Editor’s Note: This initiative has a good potential
and solution to multiple problems. However, the
scientific scrutiny of the nutritional gains claimed
needs to be undertaken and methods need to be
well explained. If they are proven scientifically, it
will be a great addition to the body of knowledge.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
18 Institution: Joint Endeavour for Emancipation
Training & Action of Women (JEETA)
Summary: JEETA is a local awareness
initiative to promote millet consumption in all
households. The NGO organizes awareness
campaigns through market outreach in Mandis.
The key focus of the initiative is production and
consumption under the millet value chain.
Pitch: JEETA, a volunteer organization
working in Pallahara block of Angul district
of Odisha, conducts training and awareness
programmes on the techniques of System of
Millets Intensification (SMI), promoting millet
cultivation, nutritive value and consumption of
millets.
Problem analysis: Responsible factors for low
and declining consumption of millets in the
Angul region. Climate change has been one
of the many factors discouraging farmers to
work in agriculture on a large scale. Farmers’
willingness to embrace millets was very low
as they were unwilling to learn and adopt new
practices. Village Gram Panchayat and Block
level awareness programmes were required to
change the mind-set of the farmers and sensitize
them on new millet cultivation techniques,
improved farm practices (e.g., making and
applying organic fertilizers), nutritional value
of millets and innovative millet recipes. The
intervention enabled farmers to increase ragi
and other millet productivity, earn higher
returns and improve dietary diversity and millet
consumption.
Solution: JEETA has nudged all families in
village Jamudiha to start millet cultivation with
an active member. JEETA has sensitized the
local communities on new millet cultivation
techniques like Systematic Millet intensification
and preparation of organic fertilizers. Sushila
Dehury, an active member, is involved in
the food festivals organized by JEETA. She
regularly cultivates ragi and has learnt different
recipes of ragi. She started with easy recipes
and has gradually attained expertise in the
same. Further, JEETA also encouraged women
Ragi  
on my Plate 
Location: Angul, Odisha, India
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
19 members of SHGs like Sabita from Saraswati
SHG to include millets in their families’ diet
through regular follow ups and monitoring. The
positive push from JEETA and improved health
of their families encouraged the SHG members
to prepare easy millets recipes and sell in the
local haat. This led to increased demand for
such products and encouraged farmers to take
up millet cultivation again.
Target population: Target group were small
and marginal farmers from tribal households
having small land holdings and low awareness.
Results: All 37 families of Jamudiha village
started millet cultivation using SMI. All these
families learnt the process of preparation of
organic fertilizers that is used in ragi cultivation.
Small patches of land were cultivated, which
gave small & marginal farmers good production.
The trainings organized helped in developing
awareness on the nutritional value of different
types of millets which helped in increasing
consumption. The households realized that the
nutritional value of ragi is more in comparison
to rice. One family of Jamudiha village started
taking ragi in their daily food, observing which,
all other families also started consuming ragi.
Even children are now habituated to eating
ragi in the village. Regular consumption of ragi
has improved general community health. The
initiative has helped in creating a source of
income and has provided households access to
healthy food.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The NGO conducted awareness programmes
and training sessions in 35 villages in 5 GPs of
Pallahara Block. In Jamudiha village, 37 families
have started to consume ragi regularly. The
nudge mechanism has also led various other
villages start cultivating and consuming ragi. A
similar approach in other area can definitely
ensure good results.
Drivers of change: To promote millet
consumption among people, it was necessary
to start millet cultivation again in the villages.
JEETA’s interventions helped in changing the
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
20 negative mindset of the people about millet
being an unprofitable crop. People didn’t like
to consume millets and were not aware about
their nutritional value. Hence, knowledge and
awareness generated by JEETA served as key
driver for farmers to adopt millet cultivation.
Dilemma and barriers: Irregular rainfall and
wild animals destroying crops has decreased
the communities’ interest towards agriculture.
The easy availability of rice through the Public
Distribution System scheme at Rs. 1 per kg is
also leading to decreased interest in cultivating
millets as a means of livelihood, thereby leading
to the migration of the younger generation
to other locations for work. This has led to
change in the food and agricultural practices,
which consequently erodes traditional food
knowledge and leads to loss of local varieties
of millet seeds. Hence, restarting the practice
of millet cultivation among the people and
promoting traditional food practices are some
of the biggest challenges.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
In the tribal villages, there was a traditional
practice of millet cultivation and consumption
amongst the elderly. However, the younger
generation was not at all interested in the
consumption of millets due to the ease of
access to fast food. The initiative focused on
regular interactions and conducting awareness
campaigns with the help of elderly people to
promote millet cultivation and consumption
in the villages. Through regular awareness
campaigns, the elderly members of the villages
acted as catalysts and motivated their family
members to promote consumption. The
repeated awareness campaigns have been
very fruitful and there has been an increase
in the consumption of ragi in the community.
The consumption amongst youngsters has
also increased after increase in availability of
different variety of recipes of their taste.
Contact details: Joint Endeavour for
Emancipation Training & Action of women
(JEETA), At/Po-Pallahara, Dist-Anugul. Email:
jeetadeogarh94@gmail.com
Editor’s note: Similar initiative has been
undertaken in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India by
Gram Swaraj where awareness programme was
conducted wherein SHGs headed by Binodini
SHG as nodal CBO, along with Anganwadi
workers (AWWs), Sarapanchs, ward members, line
department officials participated.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
21 Sustainable 
Enterprise on  
Ragi, Suan, 
Gurji,
 and 
Kodo 
Millet 
Processing and 
Business of Allied 
Products by FPO
Location: Bargarh, Odisha, India
Location: Bargarh, Odisha, India
Institution: Chira Sabuja Producer Company
Ltd., Bijepur supported by Odisha Millet Mission
Summary: A NGO has been facilitating the
on-field identification of farmers and area
for production, procurement, processing and
marketing of raw millets and its allied products.
Pitch:. The Chirasabuja Former Producer
Company has been set up under the aegis of
the Agricultural Department of Bargarh District
with an aim to rejuvenate the production and
marketing of farmers’ products in a sustainable
way. As per the agreement of the organization,
the contribution of shareholders and distribution
of dividends has been decided the equal for
each to increase millet based enterprise.
Problem analysis: The FPO functioning under
the supervision of Mahasakti Foundation,
Bargarh is two years old. The FPO has limited
funds to invest, and it is not possible to set up
a processing unit to scale up the business. The
fund received from Chief District Agriculture
Officer (CDAO) to set up different enterprises
is very limited. The FPO can help farmers who
cannot sell their surplus millets and other
crops in Government supporting procurement
process or Mandi. However, because of the
scarcity of funds, the problem can’t be solved
leading to the farmers selling their produce in
distress.
Solution: The FPO is managed by its Board of
Directors (current strength is 10) and is led by
the Managing Director (MD) who looks after
the day-to-day activities of the FPO. As an
independent entity to run its business by the
shareholders, the FPO has signed an agreement
with CDAO, Bargarh in April, 2022 for delivering
the work of Agriculture in Bijepur Block under
the scheme of OMM for next five years. The FPO
has prepared its annual action plan and annual
budget of OMM for the Bijepur Block. The FPO
had procured ragi, bio-inputs and vegetables
from farmers and sold them to designated
agencies in local markets of block & district level.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
22 The business of the FPO was carried out by its
employees, Chief Executive Officer and Board
of Directors. The creation of FPO also allows
transparent fund flow and controls corruption
at all levels, leading to increased efficiency in
the system.
Target population: At present, 209 shareholders
(124 male & 85 female farmers) are members
of the FPO. Five Community Resource Persons
are also engaged under the FPO for promotion
of Odisha Millets Mission in Bijepur Block. In
future, to increase the shareholders and fund
of the FPO, necessary steps will be taken up by
the chief functionaries of the FPO.
Results: The contingency and administrative
expenditure of the FPO is borne by the
Agriculture Department of Bargarh District
under OMM budget. The FPO started its
business in August 2021 and invested funds
to purchase 2.5 quintal Ragi @ Rs. 30/-per kg.
and then processed, packaged, and sold in
powder form @Rs. 80/-per kg and raw Ragi @
Rs. 45/-per kg. in which total investment was
Rs. 9,200/-and profit gained was Rs. 7,300/-.
Similarly, the FPO purchased and sold bio-
inputs and gained profit of Rs.12,000/-. The
FPO received incentives from TDCCOL of Rs.
74,424/-for one procurement season of 2021-
22. By end of March 2022, the FPO increased its
fund value from Rs.1,27,000/-to Rs. 2,20,724/. In
1 year of the business of FPO, it is observed that
the market demand has increased for the millet
products. The FPO is undertaking a cost-benefit
analysis and is looking forward to enhance
scope for business development.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
FPO is engaged in production and marketing of
farmers’ products. There is immense potential
for the FPO and its profits to grow. The area
covered by the FPO can be increased so that the
business increases and consequently income of
the FPO also grows.
Drivers of change: The business of a FPO
depends on the yearly planning and budgeting.
The main factors for a sustainable business
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
23 are feasibility of the marketing of products,
number of consumers and amount of funds
required to take up the business. Awareness of
the shareholders, participation & accountability
of all stakeholders, advise of the general body
and resolution of issues by the executive body
or board of directors are the key drivers of
change. The digital and accounting calculation
of all expenditures must be correct and shared
with its shareholders.
Dilemma and barriers: The natural calamities,
loss of crops due to wild animals, etc. were the
key challenges faced by the FPO. Similarly, lack
of transparent fund flow and corruption can
also be major barriers that need to be checked
at all levels. Hence, the strategy for checking
irregularities has to be ensured by the Chief
Functionaries.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
prime objective of the involvement of FPO and
FA in the programme of OMM is to promote a
special programme of millets for tribal areas of
Odisha. Tribal areas often are not able to get
the benefit of different existing Government
programmes. Hence, the OMM scheme which
is highly applicable in tribal areas has been
leveraged by the FPO. The objective of the
programme is that people in remote areas are
able to avail benefit of Government incentives.
Contact details: Mrs. Saudamini Rana,
Managing Director, Chira Sabuja Producer
Company Ltd. Bijepur, Odisha.
Editor’s Note: It is an early-stage story by the FPO
which has experiences and learnings to replicate in
other areas. Continuation on the path undertaken
will contribute to the overall success of millets
story.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
24 Bonda 
Tribal 
Women 
 
in Odisha 
Battling Climate 
Change with 
Millet Farming 
Location: Khairput, Malkangiri, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Netaji Development Society
Summary: Bonda women farmers are taking
lead in reviving the cultivation of native varieties
of Finger Millet and Little Millet that are resilient
to drought, salinity, extreme heat, pests, and
diseases, need less water than paddy, and are
richer in nutrition. The solution focuses on all
aspects of the millet value chain.
Pitch: In Malkangiri district, over the years,
climate-change has irrevocably affected
subsistence living of tribal communities. The
adverse impact of climate change is more
pronounced among the Bonda community, one
of the PVTGs in Khairput block of Malkangiri.
Heavy rainfall washes away their fertile topsoil
from the slopes. The advent of mono-cropping
has influenced their traditional farming
practices from millet focused mixed cropping
systems to cereal centric cropping system.
It has also influenced their diets, thereby
altering their traditionally diverse food culture.
OMM supported Bonda women-farmers by
providing capacity-building programmes on
improved agronomic practices, organic inputs
preparation and application for soil enrichment
and increasing crop production.
Problem analysis: In the Bondaghati, heavy
rains often carry away the fertile top layer of soil.
Due to regular application of inputs, farm lands
have become less fertile and non-native seeds
often fail to withstand the weather extremities.
Crop failures impact the food and nutrition
security of these farmers. The farmers of the
Bonda tribe are addressing the issues of rising
temperature, heavy rainfall, flash floods and
landslides by reverting to cultivation of native
millet varieties-finger (ragi), foxtail (kakum or
kangni), proso (chena) and pearl (bajra) millets,
as these millets are climate-resilient and ensure
the community’s food and nutritional security.
Solution: With the support of Odisha Millets
Mission, local NGOs like Netaji Development
Society has been promoting traditional millet
farming in Khairput block. The initiative has
helped conserve surface soil and there is less
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
25 erosion and siltation on the Bonda hills. Millet
farming not only helps the Bonda women
farmers, but also protects the agricultural
lands of other communities dwelling on the
valley bottom of Bonda hills. The awareness
created by Bonda youth volunteers and local
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) about
cultivating millets through improved farming
techniques to meet nutritional and climatic
challenges, and the institutional impetus given
by the OMM, such as assured purchase and
higher prices, is steadily yielding results.
Target population: The Bonda community
comes under one of the particularly vulnerable
tribal groups in Odisha. They belong to the
Austro-Asiatic ethnic group and are believed
to be a part of the first wave of migration out
of Africa, which happened 60,000 years ago.
Their lives are interwoven with the forest land
they inhabit. For generations, the tribe has
sustained itself by cultivating traditional crops.
Millets are rich in nutrients, and their exclusion
in diet can result in nutrition-deficiency among
the indigenous-community. These crops can
help enhance nutritional-security, resource-
conservation, and soil health.
Results: Women farmers are reaping diverse
benefits from their indigenous climate-smart
crops like millets. Their farming practice has
evolved in sync with nature; climate resilience
is deeply interwoven with their ecosystem.
OMM has reinforced their traditional farming
system. Millets not only ensure the Bondas’
food and nutritional security but also preserve
biodiversity. They are also resilient to drought,
salinity, extreme heat as well as pests and
diseases. They can be cultivated on this region’s
undulating terrain. This initiative has promoted
households’ consumption of millets, improved
productivity of millet crops, ensured minimum
support price (MSP) for farmers, set up
decentralized processing-facilities, and included
millets in the state nutrition programme and
the public distribution system. Odisha has
seen a 215% increase in gross value of millet
produced per farmer household between
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
26 2017-18 and 2018-19 and, a 120% increase
in yield between 2016-17 and 2017-18. OMM
initiative has promoted seed-sufficiency and
promoted a culture of seed preservation for
the next cropping season. Community managed
seed centers have restored conservation and
availability. Women farmers played a key role
in seed identification, collection, selection,
preservation, and storage of the local resilient
varieties.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
OMM has adopted a decentralized operational
framework, comprising of financial and
institutional support from the Government
under various schemes and enabling policies,
promotion of rural enterprise in the millet
value chain, awareness campaigns for
behavior change, efforts to support household
consumption and the revival of indigenous food
culture. In each block, a civil society is chosen as
the facilitating agency to ensure the seamless
working of supply chain processes from farm
to the plate. Community-based organizations,
primarily Farmer Producers Organizations
(FPOs) and Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs),
also command power in the value chain, leading
to improved rural livelihoods. The Government’s
Agricultural Technology Management Agency
(ATMA), in each district, serves as the
administrative head of the OMM at the district
level, helping in monitoring the program on
monthly basis and overseeing disbursement of
funds to facilitating agencies.
Drivers of change: OMM has promoted
active engagement of local women farmers,
community leaders and community-based
organizations since the beginning. Participatory
capacity building programmes have helped
farmers adopt improved agronomic practices
under millet cultivation. Exposure visits have
also promoted farmer-to-farmer learning.
Identification of local millet landraces and
promotion under the OMM has also enhanced
farmers’ resilience towards climate change.
Dilemma and barriers: Initially, it was
challenging for the local civil society organizations
to mobilize communities to adopt and increase
their cropping area under traditional crops
like millets. This is because millets were not
considered as high value crops and held poor
marketing opportunities at the community
level. However, with comprehensive awareness
building programmes, and sensitization
campaigns on the benefits of millets and
highlighting the procurement support available
under OMM, farmers started growing millets in
their farms. Incentive support to the farmers
under OMM has also motivated many farmers
to increase their millet cropping area.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: OMM
is conserving agro-biodiversity in Malkangiri
district. Millet has been revived from farm to
plate while harmonizing farmers’ traditional
wisdom with modern technology.
The initiative has ensured access to a diverse
food basket for the Bonda community and
empowered them to grow organic nutritive food
for enhanced nutrition security. Several mandis
are set up in strategic community locations for
procurement of finger millet.
This has not only addressed transport and
logistics challenges faced by tribal farmers in
remote locations, but also encouraged them to
increase their crop coverage area under millet
cultivation.
Contact details: Netaji Development Society,
Khairput, Odisha
Editor’s Note: Editor’s note: In Bargarh district,
Mahashakti Foundation (FA) and Chirasabuja
Producer Company Ltd. (FPO) and in Mayurbhanj
district Center for Regional Education and Gram
Swaraj (CREFTDA) under the Odisha Millets Mission
(OMM), have been facilitating the identification
of farmers and area for production of millets,
procurement, processing and marketing of raw
millets and its allied products.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
27 Ragi 
Procurement by 
FPOs: A Farm-to-
Fork Strategy 
Location: 19 Districts of Odisha, 
India
Institution: 143 FPOs
Summary: FPO-an institution of the people,
by the people and for the people, ensures
distribution of the finger millet or ragi or
mandiya (as locally known in Odisha) from
people, back to people through procurement.
The focus is mainly on procurement, but it also
covers other aspects of millet value chain.
Pitch: Odisha Millets Mission is promoting
millets and millets-based dishes in the State
Nutrition Programs like–Integrated Child
development Services (ICDS), Mid-day Meals
(MDM) and Targeted Public Distribution
System (TPDS), ensuring consumption of
millets by all age groups. Empanelment of
FPOs as agencies under Odisha Millet Mission
for ragi procurement provides accessibility of
Government procurement services to tribal
farmers residing in remote villages and a
fraction of profit to FPOs in the value-chain. It
also ensures community-participation in making
the process more inclusive and convenient for
farmers. It cushions from selling the produce at
low-price during distress-sale to local-traders.
Problem analysis: Cooperative Societies
(LAMPCS/PACS) had very high workload and
were expected to procure all commodities under
different schemes of Government. Involvement
of FPOs as procuring agencies ensured smooth
operations for successfully procuring ragi,
exactly how it was done for procuring paddy-
the staple crop of the State. Since, ragi is mostly
cultivated by tribal farmers in remote villages of
hilly rainfed regions, there are logistic issues of
reaching out farmers in such remote locations
for procurement. FPOs supported by OMM filled
up these gaps by creating awareness among
people regarding ragi procurement. It provides
temporary infrastructure and controls quality
as per FAQ in procurement guidelines. FPOs
also do farmer registration in M-PAS (Millets
Procurement Automation System).
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
28 Solution: Community based organizations
like FPOs involvement in ragi procurement
increased outreach of the procurement
initiative of the Government of Odisha.
Promoting FPOs as an institution and an
important player in the agriculture value chain
resulted in higher ownership. It gives farmers
more decision-making powers and helped
strengthening agriculture-based supply chains
and livelihoods. Additionally, being a people’s
institution, the income or profit generated by
procurement business is distributed among
all its shareholders (who are the same millet
farmers) in the form of dividend. Therefore,
procurement through FPOs not only ensures
millet production and consumption but also has
the below given triple impact on the farmers:
€Buy-back guarantee for farmers’
produce at Minimum Support Price,
ensuring their livelihood from millet
cultivation
€Creates and strengthens farmer
owned systems within Government
programs
€Encourages millet production and
increase in area coverage in every
cumulative year
Target population: The focus is on farmers
growing millet across the state of Odisha.
Results: In 2018-19, Government of Odisha
started ragi procurement in 8 districts. In 2019-
20, the Government targeted to procure 1 lakh
quintal ragi from all 14 districts. In 2021-22,
state procured 3.23 lakh quintal ragi from 14
districts, sold by 43000 farmers and procured
by 59 FPOs. With the help of infrastructure
provided to these FPOs from OMM, they made
an earning of Rs. 82.17 cr in 2021-22.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
For this year, 76 FPOs have been selected and
prepared for procuring 6 lakh quintal of ragi
from 15 districts. MSP for FY 2022-23 has also
been increased from Rs. 33.77/-per kg to Rs.
35.78/-per kg.
Drivers of change: FPOs taking lead in
awareness creation among people on ragi
procurement process, farmer registration, MSP,
quality parameters etc. are important drivers
of change. “Running Rath”, a local practice
and relatable with people, can be used as an
awareness creation method. OMM provides
support infrastructure such as thresher, 2-deck
cleaner cum grader and 3-deck cleaner cum
grader, and ensures quality parameters for
procurement. Community Hiring Centers, Bio-
input Units and Community Seed Centers help
improve production.
Dilemma and barriers: Since Odisha is pri-
marily a rice producing state, paddy has always
been the major focus of LAMPS and PACS.
Since millet in Odisha is a Kharif (June-Sep)
crop, it coincides with Paddy. With millet losing
importance, it was difficult to promote produc-
tion, let alone promote of consumption. FPO’s
involvement as procurement agencies ensured
possibility of ragi procurement within the exist-
ing system of Government and gave a buy-back
guarantee for the product. This encouraged an
increase in millet farmers.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: FPOs
played a critical role in procuring ragi, thereby
strengthening the millet value chain. This
intervention has supported more than 1.6 lakh
millet farmers in the country and the number
is increasing. It is also helping in reviving as
well as conserving our food traditions. Selling
the produce at low-price during distress-sale to
local traders can be replicated in other areas.
Contact details: OMM, PMU, Krushi Bhawan,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Email: omm.spmu@ gmail.com.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
29 Location: Gajapati, Odisha, 
India
Institution: Taptapani Farmers Producer
Company Ltd. (TFPCL)
Summary: TFPCL with support of Odisha
Millet Mission (OMM) started the promotion of
many local landraces of ragi variety, including
Kantomera Ragi. Kantomera Ragi is one of the
most popular landrace varieties of ragi in the
region because of its orange color, delicious
taste, climate resilience and high yielding ability
(14 qtl/ha). This variety is one of the most
popular and has highest acceptance among
farmers. Despite being a local variety, TFPCL is
able to sell 8-10 quintals of seed to more than
1000 farmers every year. Hence, the solution
focuses on production.
Pitch: With climate uncertainty, farmers often
suffer crop damage, and Gajapati being a rainfed
region, only a single crop is generally cultivated.
Keeping this in mind, moving towards climate
resilient seed varieties and availing good quality
seeds becomes very important. For the past 3
years, TFPCL is involved in seed multiplication
of one such millet variety, Kantomera Ragi,
assuring farmers returns from the crop.
Problem analysis: Over a period of time,
it has been observed that due to climate
change, cyclones in the month of October and
November have become very frequent. This
being the harvesting season, farmers often
face crop damage. Kantomera Ragi is a late
duration variety seed that is resilient to climatic
risks like cyclones. Farmers have observed that
the variety often matures late and withstands
cyclone. This variety provides assurance to
farmers that despite climate change, families
would have grain to eat and sustain.
Solution: The traditional culture of seed
production is getting lost and getting good
quality seed that is climate resilient (majorly
landraces) is very difficult in current times.
Therefore, seed multiplication of local varieties
is very critical and TFPCL produces and sells
about 8-10 qtls. per year of seed locally and in
other districts.
Seed Production 
and Promotion of 
Kantomera 
Ragi  
Landrace
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
30 Target population: Most affected population
is often from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and
Scheduled Tribe (ST) community.
Results: More than 1000 farmers are being
benefited with the availability of climate
resilient ragi seed variety. Given that the variety
is high yielding, farmers are getting more than
14 quintals of yield per hectare.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
TFPCL has seen the increase in demand for the
seed with every successive year. Therefore, the
FPO is planning to increase the area under seed
production and market this variety in other
regions and increase sales.
Drivers of change: The uniqueness of the seed
variety is that it is climate resilient, high yielding
and has a unique orange color. These traits
help in its marketability.
Dilemma and barriers: Cattle grazing is the
most significant hurdle that the crop encounters.
During the dry season, the local tribe frequently
leaves their cattle for open grazing, putting the
crop, particularly the Kantomera Ragi variety,
at risk of grazing. The variety is at big risk of
overgrazing by local livestock.
Novelty and Innovation of the solution: Most
of the ragi value added products are dark brown
in color, which often makes it less appealing for
consumption. However, Kantomera’s beautiful
orange color enhances the color of the dish
made with it.
Contact details: Taptapani Farmers Producer
Company Ltd (TFPCL) Kharidhep, Mohana,
Gajapati, Odisha, 761017, Ph. No. +91-
9861025192. Email: taptapanifpcl@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
31 Promoting Minimum 
Support Price for 
Finger Millet 
and Little 
Millet 
Location: Gajapati, Odisha, 
India
Institution: Maa Kureisini Farmers Producer
Company Ltd.
Summary: Procurement of ragi through
Minimum Support Price (MSP) has brought smiles
on the faces of ragi farmers. Empanelment of
FPO has ensured an assured market along with
better price realization for the ragi farmers. The
solution focusses on procurement dimension of
the millet value chain.
Pitch: Finger millet (ragi) was once an
underutilized crop cultivated by mostly
marginalized farmers having very small
landholdings. They would get a good yield on
adoption of improved agronomic practices, but
lacked assured market. Before OMM initiated
ragi procurement, farmers used to sell their ragi
in the open market, which fetched them lower
price. Earlier farmers, didn’t have the bargaining
power, but now they are able to get MSP for ragi
procurement. When the procurement started in
Kharif marketing season (KMS) 2018-19, Large-
sized Adivasi Multipurpose Cooperative Society
Limited. (LAMPCS) were given the responsibility
of farmers’ registration; Regulated Market
Committees (RMC) were entrusted for awareness
on Fair Average Quality (FAQ) and MSP of
ragi, and providing the necessary equipment
support and infrastructure for conducting ragi
procurement. Farmers exclusion from the
procurement process was very common even
after submission of all relevant documents.
This exclusion led to distress sale and delayed
payment from the traders. Involvement of FPOs
changed the situation completely.
Problem analysis: There was no assured
market for ragi. As a result, farmers used to
grow ragi only for home consumption in small
landholdings and very little ragi was being sold
in the open market to the traders. Farmers
didn’t have the bargaining power, and they used
to sell it for a very low price. The area under
ragi was shrinking year on year. OMM started
ragi procurement to give assured market and
better price to farmers. Since LAMPCS are
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
32 also involved in paddy procurement, which
happens parallelly with ragi procurement, they
were overburdened, and many farmers, even
after submission of relevant documents, were
excluded from registration.
Solution: FPOs are community based
organizations, with farmer representation from
villages across the block and are led by farmers.
FPOs trying to set up millet-based enterprises,
with a holistic objective of welfare of millet
farmers were entrusted with the responsibility
of ragi procurement agency. The FPOs could
better mobilize the farmer’s registration process
as they have their presence spread out across
the block. Farmer exclusion could be minimized
because of a focused approach. This resulted
in reduction of distress sales. As FPO handled
exclusively one task, it could better focus on
processing the payments on a timely basis, thus
avoiding the delayed payments.
Target population: Small and marginalized
farmers who are the shareholders of Maa
Kureisini Farmer Producer are striving to
establish millet enterprise, and share the benefit
by putting collective effort for augmenting
farmers’ income through this process.
Results: With the support of OMM, the FPO
(Maa Kureisini Farmers Producer Company
Ltd.) is acting as a role model at the block level
for other Women Self Help Groups. During
the year 2019-20, the FPO had sold 6 quintals
of little millet @Rs. 60 per kg at different
Pallishree melas. During 2020-21, the FPO
also sold 12 quintals of little millet as seed @
Rs. 25per kg to the Department of Agriculture,
Keonjhar for OMM. In 2nd phase during 2021-
22, 2.5 quintals of little millet rice were sold
by the FPO to NABARD @Rs. 80 per kg. Maa
Kureisini Farmers producer company Ltd. has
set up their infrastructure, manpower and even
have their own fund and assets like thresher,
tarpaulin, sieve, moisture meter, weighing
machine for proper maintenance of standard
measure quality provided by OMM. During
2020-21, the FPO procured 1876.54 quintals
of ragi from 338 farmers and disbursed timely
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
33 payments to them. During 2021-22, the scale of
FPO increased and it procured 3098.65 quintals
from 526 number of farmers.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Empanelment of FPO can ensure an assured
market along with better price realization for
the ragi farmers in other areas as well. To
replicate this model and reach larger groups,
it important for stakeholders to ease farmer
registration facilitate sale through procurement
process, and ensure quick payments and better
price facilitation. FPOs need to work closely with
the farming community to generate awareness
about the marketing process and make it
available to all farmers at the village level.
Drivers of change: Focusing on the task at
hand, dividing the tasks to weekly targets,
working as a team, regular and periodic review
of the progress, planning for optimal utilization
of the resources available at hand, always being
ready for uncertain situations, sincerity and
persistence in efforts are some of the practices
essential for success of the enterprise.
Dilemma and barriers: Surplus generation
due to delayed verification process, delayed
arrival of trucks for loading of the procured
stock at mandi point, technical issues related
to procurement software, shortage of funds
for labor payment, loss due to storage, etc.
were some of the key challenges and risks
involved during implementation. The strategies
including regular follow up with TDCCOL
and revenue department for verification and
surplus generation, arrangement of temporary
godown for keeping the stock for temporary
period, follow up with TDCCOL technical team
for sorting out the technical issues, proper
fund management, timely bill and voucher
submission for reimbursement of the labor
payment and following proper storage practices
led to mitigating the risks to a great extent.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Representatives of the farmer collectives who
themselves belong to small and marginalized
groups can better understand the situation at
the farmer and village level, and working with
them for their income augmentation makes the
solution unique.
Contact details: Maa Kureisini Farmers
Producer Company Ltd., Ramagiri, Gajapati
District, Odisha. Email: maakureisunipcltd2016@
gmail.com
Editor’s Note: Similar initiative has been
undertaken by Ujalla Farmers Producer Company
Ltd., Guma in Gjapati District of Odisha. In Ganjam
district, different CBOs, FA, FPOs, SHGs, and NGOs
are helping ensure that all ragi surplus is sold at
Minimum Support Prices under OMM including
1. Dharakote Farmer Producer Company
Limited & SACAL,
2. PROGRESS (Peoples Radical
Organization for General Reconstruction
of Environment, Education and Social
Sanitation) and PFPCL (Panchanana
Farmers Producer Company Limited),
3. International Noble work Development
and Investigation Association (INDIA)
and Pragatishila Farmers Producers
Company Limited (PFPCL), and
4. Amakheta Farmers Producer Company
Limited and Voluntary Integration for
Education and Welfare of Society (VIEWS)
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
34 Seed  
Multiplication of  
Bherabi  
and  
Majula 
Ragi
Location: Raygada, Gajapati, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Mahedreswari Farmer Producer
Company Ltd. (MFPCL)
Summary: MFPCL is doing seed multiplication
of Bherabi and Majula ragi varieties in Rayagda
block of Gajapti District. They are doing seed
multiplication of more than 5 qtls of seed for
three years and are selling within and outside
the district. Owing to good germination of
the seeds, even Odisha PVTG (Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Empowerment and
Livelihoods Improvement Programme (OPELIP)
department is buying seeds from MFPCL. The
solution focuses on production of millets.
Pitch: The seed multiplication of local ragi
varieties like Bherabi and Majula (some of the
popular ragi varieties) has helped farmers
increase the ragi cultivation area.
Problem analysis: The decline in ragi
cultivation was due to unavailability of good
quality seeds. Most High Yielding Varieties
(HYV) often require extra inputs which was not
possible under organic practice for most of the
farmers. Since cultivation of ragi traditionally
happens following organic practices, farmers’
in the region were apprehensive to cultivate
ragi using HYV seeds. The need for local seed
varieties was thus pertinent for increasing the
cultivable area for ragi.
Solution: The seed multiplication of local
varieties with support from OMM is facilitating
farmers to move towards millet cultivation and
revival of millets in the region.
Target population: The Scheduled Tribe (ST)
community was the primary cultivator of ragi.
The solution supports ST farmers to avail good
quality seeds of ragi and training on technology
to revive ragi cultivation in their region.
Results: Due to seed availability of local climate
resistant variety, an increase of 200 hectares in
the area with 500 farmers was seen. More than
30 progressive farmers associated with MFPCL
have started seed production and are creating
additional income through the same.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
35 Potential for upscaling and replicability: In
next 2 years, MFPCL is planning to include 50
more farmers under seed multiplication and
provide the required certification for the same.
The increased quantity of seed would eventually
lead to promotion of Bherabi and Majula variety
in other districts and states as well.
Drivers of change: Since most of the HYV
varieties often require extra input compared
to local varieties, this results in increasing
input cost. Therefore, farmers often prefer to
adopt local land races/varieties available at
their doorstep, which have been produced and
marketed by local farmers, and supported under
Odisha Millets Mission and local facilitating
agencies.
Dilemma and barriers: Major risk factors are
limited accessibility of the market support and
agencies for the farmers. Secondly, farmers who
were engaged in seed multiplication were also
technically not so sound, which affected seed
purity. Therefore, under Odisha Millets Mission,
comprehensive on-field training programmes
were organized for the farmers, disseminating
essential and technical information to enhance
their seed germination rate, crop growth and
yield.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
This practice has helped farmers to avail good
quality seeds of millets, a climate resilient and
nutritious crop.
Contact details: Mahedreswari Farmer
Producer Company Ltd. (MFPCL), Raygada,
Gajapati, Odisha, India
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
36 Inclusion of 
Millet 
Based items in 
Morning Snacks 
of Pre-school 
Children under 
ICDS
Location: Keonjhar and Sundargarh 
Districts, Odisha, India
Institution: Dept. of Women and Child
Development, Govt. of Odisha (Implementing
Agency), Central Food Technological Research
Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysore (Technical
Agency), District Mineral Foundation (DMF)–
Keonjhar and Sundargarh (Funding Agency)
Summary: Ragi based ladoo in morning snacks
for pre-school children under Integrated Child
Development Scheme (ICDS) is provided in
Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts under OMM.
The scheme has been universalized since 2020
and has served 1,49,556 pre-school children in
7,066 Anganwadi Centers (AWCs). It has also
created livelihood for 58 Women SHGs (WSHG)
for value addition services. Other recipes made
from ragi, sorghum, and little millet are also
being provided to children under the scheme.
The focus of the intervention is on processing,
distribution and consumption.
Pitch: One of the objectives of the Odisha
Millets Mission is to include millet-based snacks
under ICDS. The cost of implementation did
not fit into the existing cost norms of ICDS and
support was sought from the DMF Keonjhar
and Sundargarh in this regard. The programme
on “Ragi Based Ladoo in Morning-Snacks for
Pre-school Children under ICDS” has been
universalized since August 2020 in Keonjhar
and Sundargarh districts. These ladoos have
greater acceptance from the community as they
were an additional nutritional support during
COVID. They were supplied to the houses of the
children during COVID.
Problem analysis: Odisha Millets Mission
(OMM), in its objective statement, declared
inclusion of millet-based snacks under ICDS.
Financing, technical and logistics support were
critical requirements for scaling the programme,
standardizing the process and strengthening
the millet supply chain.
Solution: The solution included the following
steps :
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
37 €Arrangement of ragi for millet inclusion
in ICDS: Raw ragi is sourced from
procured ragi at MSP from farmers
through engagement with TDCCOL.
€Selection of WSHGs as cleaning, grading
and destoning enterprise: Process of
WSHG selection through EoI process
as suggested by the Department of
Mission Shakti was followed. The
budget under OMM was utilized for
the establishment of cleaning, grading
& destoning enterprises. These
WSHGs are responsible to source ragi
from TDCCOL/OSCSC, cleaning and
storing it as per demand from the
value addition units at block level and
supplying desired quantities.
€Selection of WSHGs as ragi ladoo mix
preparation enterprise: Empaneled
WSHGs are nominated for value
addition and preparation of ragi ladoo
mix for supply to Anganwadi Center
monthly.
€Administration and management of
programme: A district level committee
has been formed under the
chairmanship of the Collector & DM
for implementation of the programme
including participants from all desired
departments and programme
secretariat under OMM, responsible
for funding through DMF, approvals,
review, day to day management,
monitoring etc. Existing monitoring,
system under ICDS helps in quality
check of the product served.
Target population: The key population
benefited include pre-school children and
WSHGs. Specifically, 1) Pre-school children
attending Anganwadi Center in Keonjhar
District and Sundargarh District are the primary
targeted beneficiaries under the programme
for additional nutritional support in addition to
the existing menu served at Anganwadi Center.
Children are served 2 ragi ladoos of 22.04 grams
and 4 ragi ladoos of 22.04 grams respectively.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
38 2) Women Self-help Groups: 58 women SHGs
are engaged as cleaning and processing
enterprises, contributing to their livelihood and
economic empowerment.
Results: During COVID situations, ladoo mix
was supplied to children at doorstep as per
monthly requirement and now it is served at
Anganwadi Center. Raw ragi was procured at
MSP from farmers through engagement with
TDCCOL. The programme is being implemented
in 7,066 Anganwadi Centres, covering 1,49,556
preschool children in 34 ICDS projects in
Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts of Odisha
since 2021. It was initially piloted in one block
of Keonjhar , and has been gradually scaled in
the entire district. Through learnings from the
programme, Government of Odisha is planning
to scale up the model of implementation for
Ragi based Take Home Ration (THR under ICDS)
for pregnant, lactating, normal and moderate
children, and severely malnourished children in
15 districts of Odisha from 2023-24.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The millet inclusion programme in ICDS, ST
& SC Development Department and other
supplementary nutrition programmes can be
explored for potential scale up with diversified
millet recipes following implementation
modalities of ICDS Ladoo programme. It is
suitable to scale up the model to other locations
with additional fund allocation from the State
Government Women and Child Development
Department. Government of Odisha has
proposed to scale the programme with Take
Home Ration under ICDS in 15 mission districts
of Odisha during 2023-24 with state support.
Drivers of change: With effective participation
of District Administration and line departments
along with technical support from Odisha Millets
Mission, local Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs)
and facilitating agencies have achieved visible
impacts. Comprehensive capacity building
programmes for WSHGs have also facilitated
quality outputs under the programme.
Dilemma and barriers: Ensuring hygienic
practices and quality is a key challenge working
with food items, as it is served to children.
It is a critical to ensure quality at all levels
such as during procurement of ingredients,
processing, storage conditions, preparation
of ladoo, serving, etc. Timely supply of ragi as
major raw material for implementation of the
programme is critical. As the ragi is sourced
from Government facilities, the process and
approvals need utmost care for ensuring
delivery of produce in time.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Inclusion of ragi based ladoo in ICDS scheme is
a first of its kind programme implemented by
the State Government. It contributes to nutrition
and health outcomes, and food diversification in
critical age for preschool children at Anganwadi
Centers.
Contact details: Dept. of Women and Child
Development, Govt. of Odisha. Email: wcdsec.
or@nic.in
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
39 District Level 
Training to Trainers 
on Fair Average 
Quality (FAQ) 
for Maintaining 
Hygiene and Quality 
Standard for  
Ragi 
Procurement
Location: Gajapati, Odisha, 
India
Location: Kalahandi, Odisha, India
Institution: Tribal Development Co-operative
Corporation of Odisha Ltd. (TDCCOL)
Summary: District level Training of Trainers
to the staff of Facilitating Agencies, FPO
members, LAMPCS/PACS staff, FCI staff on
maintaining FAQ of ragi for procurement. The
intervention focuses on procurement, storage
and transportation.
Pitch: Odisha Millets Mission has been
facilitating a Training of Trainers (ToTs) on FAQ
(Fair and Average quality) of ragi with support of
TDCCOL at the district level for the Facilitating
Agencies, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs),
LAMPCS/PACS, FCI, etc., covering agencies which
are involved in the procurement-activities.
These trainers then make farmers aware on
FAQ through village meetings/training. Manual
harvesting and threshing of ragi can cause
mixing of unwanted particles in the ragi, leading
to rejection of ragi in the procurement. These
trainings have helped the farmers maintain FAQ
of ragi and minimize the rejection rate.
Problem analysis: The small and marginal
farmers in the area have been growing millet,
focusing only on household consumption.
With the introduction of Odisha Millets Mission
(OMM), procurement of ragi on MSP has made
ragi emerge as a high value crop. Still the issue
was to maintain a standard and fair quality of
ragi to make it saleable at the TDCCOL mandis.
Due to poor quality, the ragi was rejected and
the farmers had to return with their produce
with no money in hand. Although there are
multiple mandi points of ragi, distance is a
big issue as tribal farmers have to travel long
distances for reselling the produce.
Solution: Ensuring FAQ of ragi grains is an
integral part of procurement. The farmer
needs to maintain the FAQ i.e., dried, and
matured grains of ragi with a uniform size,
shape and color. After harvesting, the farmers
clean and dry the ragi in the sunlight. The
farmers segregate the grains following the FAQ
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
40 norms that are free from molds, obnoxious
smell, mixture of deleterious substances and
any other impurities. District level Training of
Trainers (ToT) on maintaining the FAQ of ragi
helps in dissemination of information at the
village and block level. Meetings with farmers,
PRI members and other stakeholders, training,
and awareness campaigns are also conducted.
These ToTs are conducted before the opening of
registration for the procurement. Involvement
of multiple stakeholders at various levels
helps the farmers understand the possible
solutions for maintaining quality and following
due processes of procurement through the
FPO meetings, village committee meetings,
Panchayat meetings, etc.
Target population: The training program is
designed for participation from the Facilitating
Agencies, FPOs, PACS/LAMPCS, and farmers who
have a nominal exposure to the processes of
procurement. TDCCOL, which is the responsible
agency to ensure quality and standards of grain
in this process, is also involved in the ToT,
resulting in a better understanding of what is
demanded.
Results: Small and marginal farmers,
traditionally, practice broadcasting method for
cultivating ragi in the region. In the year 2021-
22, during the kharif harvesting period, 11,545
farmers were registered under procurement
processes from 88 GPs in the four blocks. In
2021-22, zero cases of rejections were reported
on account of poor-quality grains. This was a
result of the various capacity building programs
organized for the stakeholders involved in the
procurement process at different levels. In
2022-23, Kharif marketing seasons, 117 GPs
from 8 blocks will also follow the same process
and help in smooth functioning of procurement
in Kalahandi.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
initiative has given prime emphasis on ensuring
multi-stakeholder (TDCCOL, facilitating agencies,
FPOs, LAMPCS/PACS, Village-Members, WSHGs,
etc.) engagement. This played a critical role
in ensuring that the information reaches all
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
41 the farmers before the registration ends. In
2021, Kharif Season, all the farmers who had
registered for procurement were aware of the
standard fair and average quality of grains
to be sold in the mandi. This has a very high
potential for improving smooth functioning of
procurement of ragi which will further play a
major role in procurement of non-ragi millets
under Odisha Millets Mission.
Drivers of change: Agencies like Department of
Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment, Program
Secretariat, Facilitating Agencies (FAs), Farmers
Producers Organizations, FCI engage with
farmers to bridge the gap of information and
technical knowledge at the community level. It
addressed the issues of procurement through
ToTs of FPOs, FAs, LAMPCS/PACS etc. and has
been benefiting farmers with community level
discussions on issues and available solutions
before the opening of registration process. It
gives farmers time to process their harvest as
per the FAQ standards. Training of stakeholders
at various levels helps information reach through
various means, leading to bigger outreach and
adoption of practice.
Dilemma and barriers: The program
engages with the small and marginal farmers
who manually harvest and hull to produce
marketable ragi. Low ragi production and lack
of surety regarding sale at the procurement unit
are major barriers. Also, reaching a bigger pool
of farmers to promote the practices is difficult.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Ragi (of same quality) procured during kharif
marketing seasons are further distributed in
Public Distribution Systems. In some districts, it
is also used as raw material for preparation of
ragi ladoo and other recipes that are included
in the supplementary food provided in the
ICDS centers, and in the Mid-Day-Meal program
running in the Government schools. Hence,
the maintenance of FAQ becomes imperative
for the success of the endeavor to include the
millets in the diet of the poor and marginalized
sections through the Government programs. No
rejection has been reported during procurement
in the year 2022-23. This has motivated farmers
to cultivate ragi at a bigger-scale and ensure
involvement in procurement season.
Contact details: Tribal Development
Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd.
(TDCCOL). Email: admin@tdccorissa.org
Editor’s note: Such cases of capacity building of
farmers on maintaining Fair Average Quality of
ragi produce have been shared from Nuapada
district by (1) Odisha Millets Mission (OMM) and
Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of
Odisha Ltd. (TDCCOL) under Govt. of Odisha and
(2) Sahabhagi Vikas Abhiyan (SVA), Facilitating
Agency, Sinapali Block.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
42 Agronomy 
Training on SMI/
LT/LS and Bio-
input Units to 
Progressive 
Farmers 
and CRPs
Location: Keonjhar and Sundargarh 
Districts, Odisha, India
Institution: Development Agency for Poor
and Tribal Awakening (DAPTA), JanaSahajya,
Sahabhagi Vikash Abhiyan (SVA), and The
Human Development supported by Odisha
Millet Mission
Summary: Participatory capacity building
programs and introduction of improved
agronomic practices and bio-inputs to enhance
millet production and ensure better livelihood
and nutrition levels. The focus is on the on-farm
activities of the millet production system.
Pitch: Farmers in the region practice indigenous
farming techniques and as a result get lower
yields. To improve yield of millets, Systemic
Millets Intensification (SMI), Line Sowing (LS)
and Line Transplantation (LT) methods covering
around 6,000 farmers and 12,000 hectares in
the year 2021-2022 were introduced. Also, bio
inputs (like bijamruta, handikhata, jeebamruta,
ghanajeebamruta, neemashtra, etc.) which can be
prepared with materials that are easily available
in the surroundings were introduced. These
methods not only decrease the input cost but
also reduce the health risks caused by chemical
fertilizers. Participatory training programs are
conducted with an eco-friendly approach for
better yield and nutrition outcomes.
Problem analysis: The small farmers in the
region practice the broadcasting method to
sow millets which requires more seed. With the
introduction of the program, the farmers are
trained in SMI, LS and LT methods of sowing.
By adopting improved agronomic practices, the
farmers have realized the difference in the seed
requirement and the yield that they harvest.
Solution: Gram Panchayats (GPs) select some
progressive/lead farmers and give them an
exposure of the best practices. They are
further provided ToTs to teach other farmers
by sharing their experiences. The idea is to
facilitate the change by the local resource and
Agronomy Training on SMI/ LT/LS and Bio-input
Units to Progressive peer learning rather than
through an outsider. With smaller landholdings
and erratic rainfall, the farmers find it riskier to
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
43 adopt these practices. The yields of ragi, little
millet, kodo, sorghum, pearl millet and foxtail
millet through the practice of SMI/LT/LS are
reported to be threefold in comparison to the
yields obtained through traditional methods. In
the field schools, emphasis is given to practices
like the application of bio-inputs, timely weeding
and log rolling, etc. Discussions like cost and
benefit analysis, and crop cutting exercises
have proved to be effective in the adoption of
agronomic practices. The Community Resource
Persons (CRPs) conduct a regular follow up and
handholding work as a timely reminder and a
way to communicate the issues. The approach
is to promote farmer-to-farmer learning,
thereby developing local resources and support-
systems.
Target population: The intervention targets a
majority (90%) of small farmers.
Results: Kalahandi is one of the pilot districts of
the OMM programme. Through broadcasting,
the yield ranges from 4-5 quintals which
requires 10-13 kg of seeds, while with the SMI
method the yield ranges from 12-14 quintals/
hectare with 1.50 kg seed input. Through
capacity-building programs and field schools,
last year 6,713 farmers started practicing millet
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
44 farming in 12,847 hectares of the area, which
is very likely to increase up to 11,500 farmers,
covering approximately 24,000 ha in Kalahandi
District.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: With
every year passing under the project, more
farmers are showing interest to cultivate millets
at a bigger scale and become a part of OMM.
The increasing number of farmers establishes
the need for extension and replication of
the model in other suitable areas. Since the
inception of OMM in four blocks, farmers in
non-intervention blocks are also realizing the
benefits and demands for the extension of
the program. OMM supports farmers in terms
of capacity building, training, proper market,
better MSP, and incentive. OMM has expanded
the project to 8 blocks, adding 4 new blocks
of Kalahandi. The area coverage and farmer
numbers are expected to increase more in the
coming years.
Drivers of change: Creation of local-level
models helped farmers overcome the
reluctance to adopt new techniques. With the
identification of farmers who were the early
adopters of the practices and selection of plots
to demonstrate the change and benefits, the
local models and resources were created. The
CRPs were also introduced in the field to do
regular demonstrations, follow-up, and record
the issues and challenges faced by the farmers
in adoption. It helps in faster recognition and
finding resolutions for the problems not only
in adoption but also in procurement and
marketing. Fortnightly and monthly reviews are
also conducted to share the planning, tracking,
and reaching the community with solutions.
Developing IEC materials in vernaculars and
pictorials has also helped farmers understand
techniques easily.
Dilemma and barriers: The age-old practice
of broadcasting has been limited to household
consumption. The acreage for millet cultivation
was lesser as millets were a low yielding crop.
Farmers were not willing to invest labor and
time in following agronomic practices.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Under OMM, the local partner NGOs in
collaboration with the District Agriculture
Officer, Block Agriculture Officer, FAs and
CRPs working at different levels helped in the
identification of issues at different levels. These
issues in transportation, procurement and
MSP were addressed under the program. The
backup provided from time to time created
an ecosystem that ultimately motivated the
farmers to take up new agronomic practices.
These capacity building programs include
various village-level participatory and interactive
sessions like sharing experiences of progressive
farmers on cost and benefit reaped, benefits of
bio-input application and its difference on food-
intake and health, crop-cutting sessions with 100
farmers in field schools with one best practice
field and three random fields, the demonstration
by CRPs on preparing bio concoctions etc. The
idea was based on a farmer-to-farmer learning
approach. Besides improving production, OMM
also supports backward and forward linkages
like transportation, procurement, MSP and
marketing of millets, making the program
holistic and efficient.
Contact details: Development Agency for Poor
and Tribal Awakening (DAPTA), Bhawanipatna,
Kalahandi, At/-Near Old Cinema Hall,
Bhawanipatna, India, 766001. Email–dapta@
rediffmail.com
Editor’s note: Such ToT training is also being
provided by JanaSahajya Organization, Lanjigarh
Block, Kalahandi (FA) and Anchalika Agri Producer
Company Ltd, Lanjigarh (FPO) in Lanjigarh block,
Kalahandi, Odisha
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
45 Establishment of 
Millet  
Tiffin Centres/ 
Kiosks for 
Reviving Millet 
Consumption
Location: Kalahandi, Odisha, 
India
Institution: Maa Thakurani SHG promoted
by Mission Shakti and Odisha Millets Mission
(OMM)
Summary: Establishment of millet tiffin centre/
kiosk for improving consumption of millets
through varieties of recipes and strengthening
WSHGs by providing a source of income. The
intervention focuses on millets consumption.
Pitch: A baseline survey undertaken indicated
that the household level millet consumption
has decreased drastically. Earlier, millets
were the staple diet of tribal population in
Kalahandi. However, prior to formulation of
OMM, absence of recipe diversity, unavailability
of channeled marketing system, lack of support
from Government and Non-Governmental
Organizations led to decreased consumption in
tribal areas. OMM included millet tiffin centers
as a special part in its program for increasing
consumption. People are happy to eat healthy
millets for its multiple health-benefits. Also,
the footfall has been high in almost every
established location providing a better income
to SHGs to happily manage their household
expenditures through these tiffin centers.
Problem analysis: In terms of millet
consumption, tribal communities of Kalahandi
know very limited recipes such as ragi porridge.
Kalahandi is a land of diverse varieties of
millets. In addition to ragi, other varieties of
millets such as foxtail millet, kodo millet, pearl
millet, sorghum, and barnyard are grown.
However, lack of knowledge and awareness
about recipes and nutritional benefits limited
the consumption. Through millet tiffin centers,
SHGs are generating awareness among people
about the nutritional values of millets, therefore,
people are also getting an idea about diverse
food items which can be prepared from millets.
Solution: Increasing household consumption of
millets is one major component under Odisha
Millets Mission and establishment of kiosk/tiffin
centers has been a very fruitful initiative. Under
OMM, each tiffin center has a budget provision
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
46 of Rs. 30,000, which is provided to the SHG/FPO
selected for its management. Selection is done
as per the approved guidelines from Mission
Shakti for SHG selection. SHGs are given training
on different recipes, business development and
other aspects by a trained resource person.
Major focus is given to the SHGs with existing
tiffin stalls or with experience of managing any
kind of shop. These establishment of millet
tiffin centers at village-level have resulted in
improvement in millet consumption. In remote
blocks like Lanjigarh, it’s very difficult to find a
normal tiffin center, hence the establishment
of millet tiffin center not only provides good
income to WSHGs, but also helps in providing
variety of millet recipes to the local community.
It also creates awareness in the locality and in
a way helps in promoting millet-recipes such
as ragi poori, ragi pakoras, ragi samosas, gurji
kheer, etc.
Target population: Key targets are children
and youth who prefer modern and attractive
cuisines. The tiffin centers make an effort
to provide food that is palatable to people,
satisfies tastes of different age-groups and is
made with millets. Malnourished children in the
age group of six to eighteen who usually lack
basic nutrition from their daily diets are also a
major focus. Tribal regions of Kalahandi which
have reported a series of droughts and high
malnutrition rates in the past are the major
focus areas under this tiffin centre program.
Results: The District level budget allocation
permits provision for 10 tiffin centers per
block. One tiffin center has been established
at Lanjigarh block by Maa Thakurani SHG. The
tiffin center has generated a minimum income
in the range of Rs. 20,000 to 30,000 per month.
The center has also created awareness among
people about nutritional values of millets and
ensured availability of diverse recipes.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The initiative has a great potential in terms of
providing a good source of income to WSHG
and the model is replicable in other areas.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
47 One such SHG has been provided additional
support through a loan amount of Rs 3 lakhs
by Kutia Kondh Development Agency and
has converted the tiffin center into a small
restaurant. It is in plan with Facilitating Agency
JanaSahajya and Mission Shakti for providing
additional financial support to Maa Thakurani
SHG for improving the established tiffin center. It
has also been discussed with ITDA for providing
a stall to the SHG at Musanal.
Drivers of change: Timely monitoring and
guidance by block level coordinators from Odisha
Millets Mission as well as Mission Shakti have
resulted in smooth functioning of these tiffin
centers. It is very important to identify a location
which will attract more consumers and result in
more sales. Facilitation by block members work
ensured a good location to WSHG. Training
WSHGs on recipes and business development
plan by programme secretariat has also been
helpful. Earlier, it was planned for FPOs which
were only one per block under Odisha Millets
Mission. Involving SHGs for management made
everything more convenient.
Dilemma and barriers: Finding a suitable
location is always difficult for the establishment
of kiosks. It required additional effort from SHGs
as well as the block members to get involved in it.
Support amount of Rs. 30,000/-is comparatively
less for complete establishment of tiffin canteen
and SHGs are usually encouraged to use funds
available in their account for it. However,
generally SHGs seem to be reluctant to invest
extra money for kiosks. This additional support
was sought from other departments. Difference
of opinion is quite a common barrier in terms of
fund utilization and division of responsibilities
between SHG members. Such barriers need to
be regularly monitored and managed by block
members.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Establishment of millet tiffin centers provides
nutritional benefits to the local consumers and
improves household consumption of millets.
Also, by involving women SHG members, the
initiative has helped empower women. The
collaboration between the Department of
Agriculture and Mission Shakti has resulted in
selecting SHGs for various schemes, which is a
very innovative approach to engage a large set
of women workforce and earn income through
various means.
Contact details: Department of Mission
Shakti, Lok Seva Bhawan, Sachivalaya Marg,
Bhubaneswar, 751001. Email–missionshakti.
od@gov.in
Editor’s note: Different CBOs, FA, FPOs, SHGs,
and NGOs are promoting millet tiffin center/millet
kiosks across Odisha under OMM.
In Mayurbhanj district – (1) Baba Simreshwar SHG
in Bangriposi
In Sundergarh district – (1) Subhashree SHG and
Basudha Farmers FPO In Koraput district – (1)
Dhan Foundation
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
48 Improved 
Procurement, 
Transportation 
and Storage of 
Finger Millet, Little 
Millet, Foxtail 
Millet, Sorghum, 
Pearl Millet 
and Kodo Millet 
through Community 
Participation
Location: Kalahandi,  
Odisha, India
Institution: JanaSahajya Organization,
Lanjigarh Block, Kalahandi (FA) and Anchalika
Agri Producer Company Ltd, Lanjigarh (FPO)
Summary: The FPO has led a community
participation awareness program in which the
farmers from the remotest locations can sell
their ragi in mandi. The FPO also provides the
facility of pick-up vehicles and spaces to store
the grain. The solution focuses on storage and
transportation for procurement.
Pitch: Due to poor transportation facilities, the
farmers were bound to sell their produce at the
local market. The price of ragi in
the local market is low and sometimes the
farmers have to incur losses when prices fall.
The pick-up-vehicle arranged by the FPO has
increased the accessibility of the farmers to
the market and mandis. This saves their labor,
time, money and helps them realize better
prices. The introduction of the pick-up vehicle
encouraged-farmers to increase their area
under millet-farming.
Problem analysis: One of the main objectives
of OMM is to enhance farmers’ income through
the revival of millets. With surplus production,
comes the requirement of a market. So, with a
hope for a better price, the Adivasis in the region
increased the acreage under millet cultivation.
The poor road connectivity in the interior areas
also compelled the farmers to sell the produce
in the local market at lower and irregular rates.
Sometimes these rates did not meet the cost of
production for the farmers. The transportation
cost for better price realization was unaffordable
for the small and marginal farmers.
Solution: In 2021-22, from November end
till the beginning of January, the FAs and FPO
members intensively conducted awareness
programs using leaflets/pamphlets in vernacular
language to reach out to maximum farmers.
The idea was to spread the word pertaining to
the services provided by the FPO for handling
and transporting millets. In addition to this, FPO frequently organized
meetings with farmers and prepared a record of
the number of farmers who needed the pick-up
vehicle, forming groups for transport, and listing
the places for collection from farmers. Then all
the ragi is collected at the seed centers or at
a Community Resource Person (CRP)/farmer’s
place before sending it to mandi. TDCCOL
provided a small vehicle that helps in covering
small pockets in the interior areas in time. The
PVTG communities in Lanjigarh like Kutia-Kondh,
Dangaria-Kandha, Taraja, and Bhumia live in the
remote Niyamgiri hill range. With the onset
of OMM and the solution provided by FPO
in the area, these bodies helped in bridging
these gaps. The communities are motivated to
augment the area under millets. Lanjigarh block
reported approximately 12,000 quintals which
is the highest production of millet in Kalahandi.
Target population: In the Lanjigarh block,
there are 26 villages with 1500 marginal and
small farmers under the OMM program.
These farmers face difficulty in handling and
transporting produce due to poor-connectivity
and transport services. There are a total of 6
mandi points in Lanjigarh, yet the small farmers
in the distant villages were not able to transport
the products for procurement. The support
provided by the local FAs and FPOs has helped
the farmers in saving both cost and time.
Because of these systems in place, OMM has
reached the adjacent-areas of Niyamgiri and
the dwelling tribal-groups.
Results: Lanjigarh block has been using these
practices for the last 2 years and has reached
thousands of their farmers. Till now, the initiative
has benefited more than 6,000 farmers (35-40%
are female farmers), covered 1,530 ha area and
successfully procured 11,499.88 quintals of
millets. Now farmers themselves contact FA/
FPO for access to the services they need. For
the current year, this block has engaged almost
7,500 farmers which are going to be part of
such support and initiatives simultaneously.
In 2020-21, procurement target was 4,000
quintals, which increased for 2021-22 to 11,500
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
50 quintals and farmers earned approximately Rs.
4.9 Crore.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The farmers have benefitted from the support
system developed by the FAs and FPOs. This
year, 25 villages of 2 new GPs have been added
under the program in the block. These examples
will help the farmers in visualizing the aid they
will get by being a part of the scheme and the
support system it creates for them. The FAs
are finding potential in the neighboring villages
to involve farmers facing the same issue. The
number of farmers impacted has increased
from 3,357 in 2020-21 to 4,104 in 2022-23. The
increase reflects that the farmers are willing to
engage in millet cultivation at a larger-scale and
are responsive to the need for collective-action.
The simple solution has catalyzed the millets
value chain.
Drivers of change: The coordination between
the FA, FPO and farmers reflects the success of
these practices. The strong record management
system and the responsiveness of farmers to
prepare and provide the required documents
in time runs this system. Timely communication
among all the stakeholders regarding any
changes in the processes or any problems faced
at the community level is the key to success. The
storage facility provided by the FPOs to reduce
the cost for the farmers has also played a crucial
role in the time of procurement. Additionally,
the pro-activeness of FAs in leveraging
resources from different departments and
quick responses from departments have been
a reason for the success.
Dilemma and barriers: Mobilizing farmers
for growing millets for income generation was
initially a challenge. In case of paddy and other
cash crops, the Government provides damage
cover and MSP that works as a buffer for the
cultivators. Whereas in case of millets, these
crops are considered low value crops, thereby
offering lower market rates. Initially, lack of
support for procurement, transportation, other
incentives were a barrier. In many villages
where the primitive tribes reside, the language
became another barrier.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
The solution of providing handling and
transportation support bridged the gap between
production and procurement, resulting in
better price realization for the tribal farmers in
the difficult to reach areas. The issue of road
connectivity was recognized in several blocks
and FPOs, FAs, departments, and panchayat
level functionaries. These bodies were also
approached to support in organization of
village-level meetings, involvement of PRIs, and
documentation for starting the collection. FAs
and FPOs also came forward with the intent to
make the process cost-effective for the farmers.
The pro-activeness of FAs resulted in engaging
multiple stakeholders at multiple levels like
liaising with TDCCOL for vehicle support to the
service system.
Contact details: Jana Sahajya Organization,
Lanjigarh Block, Kalahandi.Email: janasahajya@
rediffmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
51 Institution: Social Welfare Agency and Training
Institute (SWATI)
Summary: The story focusses on improving
millet production through adoption of the
practice of SMI, LT and LS with raising nursery
beds for transplantation, seed treatment
through Bijamruta for good germination
and use of Handikhata & Jeevamruta to help
farmers produce more with low investment.
The package of practices is applicable for ragi,
little millet, foxtail millet, pearl millet, sorghum,
barnyard millet and kodo millet.
Pitch: Farmers have observed that quantity of
production has increased with the adoption of
new practices like SMI & LT. Raising nursery
beds for millet cultivation was never practiced
until OMM was introduced. Package of practices
(PoP) such as use of Beejamruta, Jeevamruta
and Handikhata for seed treatment to enhance
soil health and improve production at a lower
cost was also introduced. Millet production,
after adopting such agronomic practices, has
grown remarkably, thus, enhancing farmer
livelihood.
Problem analysis: Earlier, while using
broadcasting method, there was problem in
weeding. Plants used to be comparatively small
and unhealthy due to lack of passage for wind
flow. Germination of seed also was affected due
to lack of knowledge about seed treatment and
storage. After the intervention of OMM, farmers
learnt and adopted the process of SMI & LT as
well as preparation and usage of Beejamruta,
Handikhata and Jeevamruta.
Solution: The solution promoted the following
practices: (1) Nursery Bed Raising-Raising of
nursery beds was practiced only for paddy
cultivation in the district. Now through OMM,
farmers prepare them for millets as well.
Almost 70 percent of the farmers raise nursery
beds and have adopted SMI or LT successfully.
(2) SMI and LT-The methods are easy to adopt
for better millet yields, and its efficacy has been
acknowledged by the local farmers. (3) Improved
PoPs and Agronomic Practices-Improved use
Adoption of 
Improved Package 
of Practices 
for Increasing 
Millet 
Production
Location: Khandhamal, Odisha, 
India
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
52 of Handikhata, Compost Pit and Tarala Sara
for soil nutrient and the use of Beejamtura,
Jeebamruta and other organic pest repellent to
manage the pest changed the farmers’ mind-set
away from chemical fertilizer towards organic
method. Improved agronomic practices like
summer ploughing, nursery bed, weeding, use
of bio-input, and selection of healthy panicles
for seeds are also being widely adopted by
the farmers. (4) Custom Hiring Centre (CHC):
Processing of millets is difficult, time consuming
and laborious activity, particularly for women
farmers. Now, women farmers are able to
hire small agriculture implements from the
CHC, which helps women farmers reduce their
drudgery. By adopting organic package of
practices, the cost of cultivation has been kept
low while the yield has increased. Traditionally,
millet fields weren’t weeded; now weeding is
being practiced up to three times for better
yield. The availability of agriculture implements
for hire at the CHCs also helps the small and
marginal farmers.
Target population: The small and marginal
farmers is the target group for this initiative.
Results: 70% farmers are preparing nursery
beds and transplanting for better yield. The
cost of cultivation has been reduced after using
the PoPs. The CBOs are managing the Seed
Centre to provide better quality seeds to the
interested farmers and the revenue generated
supports them in increasing their income levels.
Similarly, the millet kiosks/ tiffin centers are
also managed by the FPO members. The millet
cultivation ratio has increased from 15 percent
to 70 percent in the area. The average land size
for millet has increased from 0.1 ha. to 0.6-0.8
ha/family. As of now, a total of 1455 farmers
are involved in millet farming, covering 862 ha
under millets cultivation.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Millets are available throughout the year in the
mandi as the farmers are cultivating the crop
in both Kharif and Rabi season in some areas.
If more processing units are established for
different activities like cleaning, destoning, it
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
53 would help in upscaling the millet production.
Currently, there is no MSP fixed for millets
other than ragi, leading to the disinterest of
farmers in growing non ragi millet crops. If MSP
is declared for other non-ragi millets as well,
it would encourage farmers to cultivate other
millets as well.
Drivers of change: Adoption of any new
practice is not easy. The fear of uncertainty often
prevents farmers from shifting from traditional
practices and adopting new practices. Changing
their practice of sowing from broadcasting
method to SMI & LT was initially challenging.
Similarly, convincing farmers to shift from
readily available chemical fertilizers to bio-inputs
was an arduous task. However, after realizing
the advantages of bio-inputs, farmers’ mind-
set changed. Almost 90% prefer to use natural
bio-inputs, which is easily prepared with locally
available resources at minimum/low cost.
Dilemma and barriers: One of the key
dilemmas faced by farmers with regards to
millet cultivation is that, for other crops, there
is instant price realization, whereas for millet
crops, farmers have to wait for long, which
makes farmers hesitant to shift to millets.
Culturally, millet is one of the staple foods of the
tribal and hence, considered as poor peoples’
food in many areas. Furthermore, as a result
of modernization, the younger generation is
drawn to other trendier food selections that are
readily available in marketplaces.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
PoPs are highly appreciated by the farmers
as the ingredients are available locally and at
low/no cost. The agronomic practices help the
farmers get higher yields while supporting soil
fertility management. The crop is more climate
adaptable than other crops, ensuring income
and food security for small and marginal
farmers.
Contact details: Social Welfare Agency and
Training Institute (SWATI), Kandhamal. Email:
swati_pab@yahoo.co.in
Editor’s note: Different CBOs, FA, FPOs, SHGs,
and NGOs are promoting adoption of improved
practices in millet cultivation like System of Millet
Intensification (SMI), Line Transplantation (LT) and
other agronomic practices like use of bio-inputs,
weeding, setting up of CHCs and CSCs across
Odisha under OMM.
In Khandhamal district–(1) Jagruti (FA) and Pahadi
Framers Producers Company Ltd. (FPO),
(2) NIRMAN, Kotagarh (FA) and PFPCL, Kothaguda
(FPO) and (3) Shanti Maitree (FA) and Vikash Jyoti
Farmers Producer Company Ltd. (FPO)
In Koraput district – (1) Professional Assistance for
Development Action (PRADAN) (FA) and Koraput
Nari Sakti Farmers Producer Company Limited
(KNSFPCL) (FPO), (2) MS Swaminathan Research
Foundation (MSSRF)
In Mayurbhang district – (1) Jashipur Farmers
Producer Company Ltd. (JFPCL), (2) Center
for Regional Education, Forest, and Tourism
Development Agency (CREFTDA), Jashipur
In Tamil Nadu, Centre of Excellence in Millets,
Tamil Nadu Agriculture University is promoting
Systematic Finger Millet Intensification as well as
Inter-cropping to improve yields and food security.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
54 Promoting 
Organic 
Manure 
 
for Yield 
Enhancement 
 of Millets   
Location: Keonjhar,  
Odisha, India
Institution: Dasery Producer Company Limited
(DPCL) (Community Based Organization) and
Saunta Gaunta Foundation (SGF) (FA)
Summary: Organic liquid manure enhances the
resistance of plants against pest attacks, disease
control and helps enrich soil. The intervention is
on production dimension of the value chain.
Pitch: All the WSHG members of Gayatri
SHG have been preparing organic manure
i.e., Handikhata & Jeevamruta for more than
last three years. It is eco-friendly, cheap, cost
effective and can be made easily with locally
available materials. The farmers are very
happy as these bio-inputs have increased the
productivity by upto 20 percent per hectare.
Problem analysis: For the last few decades,
farmers have adopted a practice of using
chemical fertilizers and insecticides for faster
and better yields despite knowing the harmful
effects of using such inputs. Capacity building
of farmers for producing organic manure is a
solution that is not only favorable to the farmers
cultivating produce but also protects the health
of the consumers.
Solution: It is challenging to raise farmers’
awareness about the revival of the cowshed. It
presents difficulties to restore the animals or
cow sheds in the tribal areas of the Keonjhar
district. Community realized the importance
of bio-fertilizers and started the practice of
collecting cow-dung. Communities, federations,
FPOs, WSHGs, and even farmers have approved
the use of organic manure since the formation
of the Odisha Millets Mission (OMM). OMM was
launched in Keonjhar in 2019 after cluster-level
SHG identification, and it was decided that the
strategy would be through FPO. OMM supported
the manufacturing of organic manure by FPO.
Target population: The strategy mostly had
a favorable impact on small and marginal
farmers. The beneficiaries of vulnerable tribes
in Odisha who are primarily women have used
organic manure in their fields. Dasery Producer
Company has benefitted many disadvantage
people.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
55 Results: The process started in 2019, and
the Dasery Producer Company facilitated the
preparation of large volumes of organic manure
i.e., Handikhata, Jeevamruta, and Beejamruta
for 18 Gram Panchayats of Jhumpura Block. The
practice was initially adopted among the rural
villages, but has now drastically increased. All
the surrounding communities in the villages are
also utilizing this service to use organic manure.
The bio-inputs have increased the productivity
by up to 20 percent per hectare. The WSHG
members in the villages are now economically
empowered and are earning an additional
income of~INR 5000-6000 per annum. There
has also been a qualitative impact as the mind-
set of the farmers has changed and they are
willing to adopt organic manure. This has also
brought behavioral changes in the community
and provided opportunity to work as collectives
which drastically improved their social life.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Although there is a limitation on potential of
cowshed in Jhumpura block, the FPO, with
its efforts managed to provide service to the
smallest farmers and marginalized group
of people in the remotest of the villages. As
Keonjhar has the potential to cultivate cereals
like millets, the FPO can be a boon for them in
order to save time and utilize those in other
different skill development activities and gain
additional income source. However, a greater
number of the WSHG (at least one WSHG per
GP) should be involved in the process of organic
manure preparation along with bringing
materials to make the soil healthy and enhance
yield.
Drivers of change: The most important factor
for the success of the intervention has been
the support of the local tribal communities and
their adaptability to keep the livestock safe. The
effort of the Community Cadres in the village
to spread awareness among the farmers,
supporting them to adopt the process has also
played a major role in its success.
The support of the district administration and
Odisha Millet Mission has helped resolve many
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
56 issues in the process of the promotion of
organic manures.
Dilemma and barriers: The challenge of
preparation and application of organic manure
has been addressed by creating awareness
through regular meetings by the Community
Cadres in the villages. The traditional practice
of cultivating millets organically was getting
lost due to shift in priority of farmers to high
yielding varieties requiring more chemical
inputs. However, building capacity of women
farmers, adoption and large-scale dissemination
activities helped in convincing farmers about the
advantages of organic farming and sustainable
agriculture practices. The experiences from
the practices were also consolidated for wider
dissemination.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
practice/solution of use of organic manure is
novel as it has helped farmers change their
mind-set and shift to use of organic manure or
compost, which is the need of the hour, given
the climate risk. The current practice adds
tremendous value to the local community and
has the potential to increase the yield of the
crops.
Contact details: Saunta Gaunta Foundation
(SGF), Keonjhar, Odisha. Email: info@
sgfoundation.org.ins
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
57 Conservation and 
Multiplication of 
Land races of 
Finger 
Millet, 
Foxtail 
Millet 
and 
Little Millet
Location: Koraput, Odisha, India
Institution: Gupteswar Farmers’ Producer
Company Ltd. promoted by Koraput Farmers’
Association (KFA)
Summary: Conservation of landraces of
various millets is an important component
to multiply seeds and protect the land from
getting degraded. GFPCL is conserving land
races/indigenous seed varieties by promoting
community seed centers that provide local
farmers with required input seeds for farming
as well as training the farmers in improved
agronomic practices to increase their yields.
Pitch: Gupteswar Farmers’ Producer Company
Ltd. has been working with its shareholders
and other small and marginal farmers on
promoting cultivation of millets and adoption of
different agronomic practices. Many indigenous
varieties of millets are disappearing; therefore,
it is necessary to conserve the indigenous/
traditional varieties through promoting seed
centers.
Problem analysis: For a long time, different
seed supply agencies/business entities have
been motivating small and marginal farmers to
go for improved or other seed replacements.
They have preferred buying instead of
conserving their traditional seeds for cultivation
in the upcoming agriculture seasons. This
has resulted in the community losing their
traditional seeds and increased dependence on
seed supply agencies for genuine seeds. Over
a period, many indigenous varieties of seeds
have been lost and its dangerous impact is
now visible among the small and marginal land
holders.
Solution: Gupteswar Farmers’ Producer
Company (GFPCL) came up with the solution
of conservation of these landraces/indigenous
seed varieties through community initiative.
It started discussions with one of the Women
SHGs of Manabar village named Maa Tarini SHG
to get involved in the process of conservation of
traditional varieties. The group agreed to work
on the process and established one Community
Seed Center (CSC) in a rented house in their
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
58 village. They collected around 10 local/traditional
varieties of finger and little millets from the
small and marginal farmers of different villages
in their Panchayat and also from the Panchayats
around. The group then managed the Centre
and multiplied the seed varieties collected from
different sources. The group was also actively
involved in the Participatory Varietal Trial
conducted by Koraput Farmers’ Association in
Mastiput Panchayat of Koraput Block as a part
of the implementing process of Odisha Millet
Mission (OMM) in Koraput Block. The group
is now providing traditional/indigenous seeds
to the farmers, and helping them multiply the
seed and get back the equal quantity of seeds
from the farmers during harvest.
Target population: The small and marginal
land holders, specifically from the Tribal and
Scheduled Caste categories, are benefiting from
the Center. The CSC is supporting the farmers
in availing seeds of their choice, which were
once lost but are now being preserved at the
Centre for cultivation.
Results: The group has preserved around 10
varieties of finger millets. The quantity is also
large because they process and multiply the
seeds in all the seasons. The farmers in their
vicinity are getting traditional/indigenous seeds
of their choice for cultivation. 80 percent of the
villagers are getting seeds from the Center for
kharif cultivation. Gradually, the group is also
considering preserving other varieties from
other places and save them for multiplication
and distribution. Overall, the process has helped
the farmers in protecting their land from getting
degraded.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: Till
date, KFA has promoted only 4 seed centers in
the entire block. There is a need to establish
one seed center each in all the 13 Panchayats
of Koraput Block. As it is not an expensive
venture, it can be scaled and replicated in all
other parts of the district/state. The community
members are also thinking of scaling it up to
other Panchayats with the help of SHG groups.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
59 Drivers of change: The key drivers of change
are (1) active participation of the community
members like the SHG members, village
development committee members and other
village institution members and (2) suitable
policy changes for preservation of land races by
Government department. Necessary support
should be provided to village institution for
preservation of the varieties in all crops.
Dilemma and barriers: The tribal farmers have
the practice of cultivating a crop and keeping
a small part of it for future use as seeds.
They do not differentiate between seeds and
grains. They need to be oriented properly to
differentiate between seeds and grains. They
should also be trained on seed management
and multiplication.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Getting genuine seeds and preserving the local
traditional land races is a very big problem.
Preserving and conserving the landraces is
perceived as a difficult process. The seed centers
which are managed by SHG members are easy
to run and smooth to manage. It is also cost
effective as there is very less expense involved.
That is CSC is considered as an innovative idea
for establishment.
Contact details: Koraput Farmers Association
(KFA), 1st Lane, Goutam Nagar, Koraput, Odisha,
India. Email: Kfakoraput@gmail.com
Editor’s Note: In Koraput district, under OMM,
Sabujima Farmers Producer Company (Community
Based Organization) and Centre for Youth and
Social Development (CYSD) (FA) together are also
promoting preserving traditional landraces in
CMSCs
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
60 Custom Hiring 
Centre Facilitating 
Increase in 
Incomes for 
Marginalized Group 
of Tribals Growing 
Millets
Location: Koraput, Odisha, India
Institution: Jagarana Farmers Producer
Company (FPO) and Centre for Youth and Social
Development (CYSD) (FA)
Summary: A community-managed Custom
Hiring Centre (CHC) makes agricultural tools
more accessible to farmers while simultaneously
helping and strengthening the business abilities
of the community’s small and marginal farmers.
Modern agricultural tools and implements help
in increasing agricultural efficiency and reduce
the loss of natural resources.
Pitch: Before the intervention, the small and
marginal farmers in Laxmipur Block of Koraput
had limited knowledge and access to modern
farm equipments like cycle weeders, weighing
machines, threshers, etc. The CHC provided
access to farm equipment, thereby helping poor
farmers generate income. The intervention
drastically brought down their drudgery and
provided them a better life and income. It
created an ecosystem for poor farmers to
be self-dependent and emerge as individual
entrepreneurs.
Problem analysis: The traditional method of
cultivating millets and other crops by small
and marginal farmers in the area was primarily
aimed at household consumption and not
generating an income. The introduction of
modern farm practices changed the mind-set
of the poor farmers, however accessing modern
farm technologies and machinery was still a
distant dream. The problem of “more drudgery
less income” and inaccessibility of farm
machinery continued. The CHC concentrated
on making the proper equipment available to
impoverished farmers at the right time and at a
very low cost, which immediately assisted them
in decreasing their drudgery and increasing
their income through revenue production from
renting the equipment.
Solution: Millets have been an underutilized
cereal crop, mostly cultivated by marginalized
communities in degraded lands. Along with
making the farmers aware, easy access of the
Custom Hiring Centre: Facilitating increase in
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
61 outcomes for Marginalized Group of Tribals
Growing Millets farm mechanisms and
machineries in the rural areas like Laxmipur
was managed through establishment of Custom
Hiring Centre. The CHCs helped reduce the
drudgery of woman farmers, save time, ease the
processing and generate income from lending
the small equipment within the community
itself. In the year 2019, for the establishment
of the CHCs, cluster wise SHG identification
was carried out, and it was agreed that the
approach will be through Producer Company.
After selection of a rental house in the village, a
committee chaired by The District Collector was
formed for its approval. The plan was made to
establish CHCs in five Gram Panchayats namely
Kutinga, Odiyapentha, Goudaguda, Toyaput and
Kusumguda of Laxmipur block. An agreement
was made between PD-ATMA and the Producer
Company, after which the Odisha Millet Mission
(OMM) provided the support of machineries to
the CHCs. The equipments provided were cycle
weeder, tarpouline, weighing machine, thresher,
moisture meter and drum. Farmers could rent
these implements at reduced cost which helped
increase their agricultural efficiency by reducing
labor costs, drudgery and time taken to carry
out cumbersome agricultural activities like
manual weeding.
Target population: The intervention brought
about positive changes mainly among the
woman farmers of the small and marginal strata.
Women have been facing more drudgery than
men and were among the most marginalized
and excluded groups.
Results: The process started in 2019, and
the CHCs were established in the month of
September in five villages of five GPs in Laxmipur
block. All the surrounding communities in the
villages are also using the service of the CHCs.
The success can be seen from the promotion
of enterprises in the villages and generation
of additional income of atleast INR 5,000-8,000
during the harvesting season. The intervention
has not only reduced the drudgery, but also
improved the mind-set of the farmers to adopt
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
62 modern farming technologies. This has also
brought behavioral changes in the community
and provided opportunity to work as collectives
which drastically improved their quality of life.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: Such
interventions have a huge potential for upscaling
in the near future. Not only Laxmipur, but
many other blocks of Koraput have also started
CHCs in the remotest villages and are able to
provide service to the most marginalized group
of tribals. As Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangur,
and Rayagada have the potential to cultivate
millets, the CHCs can be a boon for them and
can help save time and utilize that time in other
different skill development activities and gain
additional income. Hence, more CHCs should be
established (at least one CHC per GP) and new
technologies should be introduced, replacing
the old ones. The scaling up and replicability
should happen along with improved servicing/
maintenance of the equipment by building the
capacity of the local community.
Drivers of change: The most important factor
for the success of the intervention has been
the support of the local tribal communities and
their adaptability to modern technologies. The
effort of the Community Cadres in the village
to spread awareness among the farmers and
supporting them to adopt new technologies
and machineries has also played a major role
in its success.
Dilemma and barriers: Major risk was involving
SHGs and bringing their attention towards
the CHCs, leaving their own major activities of
cultivation, marketing, and group governance.
As the machineries needed maintenance and
repair, there was a risk of damage which has
been addressed to some extent by involving
the staff of CYSD and OMM, who have been
helping the farmers to bring mechanics from
outside. This can be further improved by
training the community members themselves
on maintenance and repair of the machineries.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
solution of CHCs is novel as it has changed the
perception of labor. Previously, the tribal small
and marginal farmers were doing more labor
and getting less income as they were not aware
about the use of modern practices as well as
farm machineries. Use of modern implements
reduces the labor costs and hence the cost of
cultivation. CHCs have not only helped reduce
the physical labor, but also given emphasis on
saving time and utilizing it in other development
activities. The current practice adds tremendous
value to the local community and has the
potential to not only increase the income of the
farmers but change their mind-sets towards
promotion of enterprises.
Contact details: Centre for Youth and Social
Development, E-1, Institutional Area Gangadhar
Meher Marg, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751013.
Editor’s note: Different CBOs, FA, FPOs, SHGs,
and NGOs are promoting CHCs across Odisha
under OMM.
In Mayurbhanj district – (1) Jashipur Farmers
Producer Company Ltd. (JFPCL)
In Koraput district – (1) Sabujima Farmers Producer
Company (Community Based Organization) and
Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD)
(FA), (2) Jaivik Sri Farmer Producer Company Ltd.,
(3) Gupteswar Farmers’ Producer Company Ltd. and
Koraput Farmers’ Association (KFA). In Malkangiri
district – (1) Guru Priya Farmer Producer Company
Ltd.
In Rayagada district – (1) Maa Tarini SHG, Rayagada
Farmers Producer Organization, Kalyansingpur
and NIRMAN organization.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
63 Enhancing 
Production of 
Finger Millet, 
Little Millet, 
Foxtail Millet 
and Sorghum, 
and Establishing 
Market Linkage 
through ProcurementLocation: Koraput, Odisha, India
Institution: Sabujima Farmers Producer
Company, Community Based Organization
and Centre for Youth and Social Development
(CYSD) (FA)
Summary: The improved Package of Practices
(PoP) has helped enhance production of
millet (thereby enhancing the income of the
millet growers) and enabled community-level
organizations to procure millets. Community-
level organizations procure the same millets
and engage women in production of various
value-added products.
Pitch: Before the intervention, the millet was
grown only for grower’s household consumption
purpose and a very meagre amount was sold
through distress selling in Boipariguda. After
the intervention, with the help of the improved
PoP, millet production significantly increased,
leading to its mass consumption and selling.
The community-level organizations played a
pivotal role in this.
More production means more procurement,
and this procurement has helped the
Governmenthave millet in the PDS. As a
nutrient-rich food, millet has carved its way into
the urban kitchen.
Problem analysis: Although practice of millet
cultivation has always been a part of the tribal
farming systems in South Odisha, it was not
as popular as paddy. While millets have been
a part of the staple diet of tribal for centuries,
the potential of the crop was being hampered
because of low yield, use of chemical fertilizers,
distress selling, and no value-addition was being
done. Less production led to only household
consumption, not commercialization. The most
affected were the small, marginal and landless
farmers who have very small land holdings
and couldn’t do much. With improved PoP,
the production has increased significantly,
which paved way for various opportunities
like involvement of CBOs, MSP, etc. The
grass-root level organizations worked on the
implementation of the pre-designed roadmap
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
64 set by OMM, and millet production increased
significantly.
Solution: One of the good initiatives of the
OMM was the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and
including every farmer starting from landless,
small, marginal to medium and big farmers
under the scheme. MSP was introduced by the
Government for buying bulk produce from the
farmers. But most farmers were unaware about
it. Hence, the first step was to make community
aware about the scheme through campaigns,
leaflets, village meetings and support
throughout the entire process. Awareness
campaigns were led by the community resource
persons with help from CYSD, starting from the
farmer registration to selling of their produce.
Categorization of farmers, their relevant
documents and getting them registered were
part of that initiative. Trainings covered for the
community members included moisture check
for the millets, their storage, various kinds of
value addition, etc.
The procurement was done by TDCC in 2018-
2019, but the local FPOs have become a part of
it since 2019-2020.
Target population: The target population
was the landless, small, marginal farmers and
farmers who have land under the Forest Rights
Act.
Results: Though most of the initiatives by
the Government were meant for the last mile
population, they hardly ever get glimpse of
it due to lack of awareness. With the help of
awareness campaigns and village meetings,
the last mile population came to know about
the scheme and participated in it. In 2018-19,
only 336 farmers sold their produce and got
benefitted the number later increased to 780
farmers in 2019-20, 1,231 farmers in 2020-21
and 2,307 farmers in 2021-22. The amount
of produce procured from the farmers also
increased from 2,200 quintals in 2018-19 to
20,489.76 quintals in 2021-22. In the process,
the left out or the last mile population had
their share in it and got benefitted from the
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
65 initiative. This has helped raise the confidence
in most of the community members to not only
devote themselves to follow the practice but
also inspire others to take up the same. This
has also helped millet secure a spot not only in
the rural, but also in the urban market.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
increasing procurement ratio over the years
since the program’s inception at Boipariguda
shows that people are getting benefitted and
acknowledged for their efforts for conserving
millet all these years. This also inspires other
farmers or community members to take up the
practice. Fueled by the community’s interest,
CYSD is planning to expand the program’s reach
to the remotest Gram Panchayats in the block
and focus primarily on the last mile populace
there.
Drivers of change: In this case, the key drivers
of change were the FA, the FPO and the farmers.
The facilitating agency in this case is CYSD,
which implemented the program on the ground
level, starting from selecting the beneficiaries,
registering them for selling their produce to
facilitating the FPO for procuring their produce.
Another important player would be the FPO,
which procured the produce of the farmers
and provided relevant help to ensure longevity
of the produce by storing it in store houses,
godowns while keeping the quality assured
so that the farmers can get a good price. The
most important factor in this case or any case
is its beneficiaries. The farmers believed in the
practice and adhered to the PoP, which led
to more production and ultimately to more
consumption and procurement.
Dilemma and barriers: While implementing
an initiative, there’s often a resistance from
the community itself. The key is to start with
a small batch of farmers and convince them
about the outcome. While implementing, the
community took their time to get adjusted with
all the new practices that came along with it like
preparation and application of bio manures,
following plantation techniques, weeding, and
hoeing etc. The team overcame all the hurdles
by conducting village meetings, showcasing
videos depicting the practices, and documenting
their whole process. This initiative was taken to
convince them about the positive impacts of
the practices. Another thing which scared the
community was the documents required for
getting MSP or for selling their produce. The
FRA landowners and farmers who owned a
meagre amount of land were at first hesitant,
but with support from CYSD, they overcame all
the challenges.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
system helped eliminate the role of middlemen.
With the introduction of Mandi and with support
from CYSD and the concerned FPO, it’s seen
that people were more interested to sell their
produce at a Mandi rather than to middlemen
or through the barter system. This enhanced
their income and helped them realize their
potential through various training programs
for value additions and business initiatives.
The initiative also helped women farmers
who are the invisible labour force for any
kind of intervention. Women are now actively
participating in the training and making their
share by selling their produce at the Mandi.
The innovative idea of making procurement the
goal might sound odd at first but looking at the
success rate and rise in confidence level from
the farmer’s perspective, it has been one of the
key drivers for the success of the programs.
Contact details: Centre for Youth and Social
Development, E-1, Institutional Area Gangadhar
Meher Marg, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751013
Editor’s note: In Koraput, similar work on
procurement awareness and facilitation is also
being done by Koraput Nari Sakti Farmers
Producer Company Limited (KNSFPCL) (FPO) and
Professional Assistance for Development Action
(PRADAN) (FA)
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
66 Development 
of a Holistic 
Millet 
 Value Chain by 
Jaivik SRI 
 FPC Ltd.
Location: Koraput, Odisha, India
Institution: Jaivik SRI Farmers Producer
Company Limited (JSFPCL), Koraput supported
by Odisha Millets Mission (OMM)
Summary: Jaivik SRI Farmers Producer
Company, Limited (JSFPCL), Koraput with support
from Odisha Millets Mission (OMM) addresses
agrarian as well as nutritional challenges by
promoting millet value chain with seed-to-
seed approach, involving local communities in
Koraput District. Under the approach, farmers
are encouraged to produce quality indigenous
seeds locally through seed village programmes
and participatory varietal trials, which are then
conserved in the community seed center so
that they can be utilized for the next cropping
season. Improved millet agronomic Package
of Practices (PoP) is also promoted to improve
yields. The intervention aims to enhance
production of finger millet, foxtail millet, small
millets (suan) and pearl millet.
Pitch: JSFPCL initiative focuses on addressing
agrarian as well as nutritional challenges by
promoting millet value chain with seed-to-seed
approach involving local communities in Koraput
District. There is a need to focus on dry lands
to increase grain production and meet growing
demand for food. Owing to low fertility and
climate change, millets score highly over other
grains like wheat and rice in terms of marginal
growing conditions and high nutritional value.
The conservation and revival of indigenous
millet seeds can lead to enhanced productivity
amidst climatic adversities for nutritional food
security and income enhancement of small
farms. It focuses on all aspects except branding
and packaging of millet value chain.
Problem analysis: The initiative has attempted
to solve the problem of lack of quality seeds
of millets, which is one of the key factors for
decrease in cultivation and consumption of
millets. The indigenous varieties of millets
which dominated the farming system in Koraput
District are on the verge of disappearing due to
promotion of rice and other cash crops. Thus,
area of land under millet cultivation has been
continuously declining. Furthermore, products
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
67 such as rice and cash crops are sensitive to
climate change and require additional irrigation
and chemical inputs to maintain output, which
is challenging and inconvenient for small and
marginal farmers. The small farmers have found
it very difficult to invest in inputs and meet their
food requirements from their farm production.
Solution: Environmental degradation and
climate change in dryland areas threatens food
production, leading to food insecurity. JSFPCL
has tried to address this problem through
breeding of millet varieties to ensure food
security. Community seed systems approach
has been followed under which the farmers
are encouraged to produce quality seeds and
the seeds are conserved in the community
seed center so that they can be utilized for the
next cropping season. Indigenous varieties of
millet seeds have been collected from different
farmers and seed savers.
Seed production is done through seed village
programmes and participatory varietal trials
involving the farmers and the technical team.
Improved Package of Practices (PoP) like
System of Millet Intensification, use of organic
nutrient and pest management measures have
been followed to ensure production of quality
seeds. Through seed selection, the pure seeds
are collected and conserved properly in the
community seed center. Different millets like
finger millet, foxtail millet, little millet and pearl
millet have been conserved and made available
to farmers and different agencies.
The farmers and different agencies procure
seeds from the community seed center which
generates revenues for JSFPCL. The company
has marketed around 90.3 metric tons of millet
seeds.
Target population: The major target groups
are the small and marginal farmers of Koraput
District involved in millet production.
Results: The millet crops hold great potential for
further breeding. Most of the millets collected
and conserved by JSFPCL are from farmers’ fields
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
68 and local landraces (farmer-selected “varieties”),
with unique traits and properties that could be
useful in other regions. JSFPCL has been able to
reach out to more than 10,000 farmers directly
and 20,000 farmers indirectly through other
NGOs and agencies following community seed
systems approach in production and marketing
of millets. Around 6,000 farmers are involved
in production of 4,000 metric tons of finger
millets and 1,000 tons of foxtail and small
millets in Koraput district every year. Around
1,823 farmers are involved in production of
millet seeds. Different millet seeds are procured
by the company and sold at different levels
including farmers, NGOs, research institutes
and different agencies working with farmers in
Odisha as well as other millet producing states
of India. The company has so far marketed 90.3
metric tons of millet seeds, generating revenue
of Rs 29.35 lakhs.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
solution has immense potential for scale up in
the millet sector value chain and can also be
replicated for other crops that are gradually
disappearing. The millet seed production can
be replicated in all rainfed farming systems as
millets are climate resilient crops. Community
managed seed centres can be the most
practicable solution to address the crisis in
seed sector which can be scaled up through
the organized Farmer Producer Groups. The
local landraces of millets can be revived, and
research (followed with scientific validation)
can be conducted on the purities of landraces
with the support of research institutes and
Krishi Vigyan Kendras so that millet seed chain
can be strengthened for the future of food and
nutrition security.
Drivers of change: The practice can be more
successful through policy support and scientific
validation involving the research institutions.
Research institutes can conduct field level trials
on indigenous varieties of millets and claims
can be established in production, resistance to
climatic adversities, nutrition content, etc. These
claims can be validated so that the findings of
lab can be replicated in the farmer’s field.
Dilemma and barriers: The major risks that
emerged during the implementation was
the mobilization of farmers for quality seed
production as the farmers have difficulty
distinguishing between seeds and grains.
They generally used to keep a part of the
grains as seeds for the next cropping cycle.
The technical team had to provide regular
handholding support and ensure maintenance
of purity of seeds. Selected farmers were also
trained in seed selection and harvesting of
seeds. It was also quite challenging to ensure
proper management of the community seed
centers. However, the involvement of the
farmers during the time of implementation of
the programme helped address the challenge.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
seed-to-seed approach is itself innovative as
the quality seeds further produce enhanced
quality seeds. The involvement of farmers and
demonstration in the farmers’ field has helped
in community ownership of the programme.
Local production of quality seeds could decrease
costs and, as a result, (most likely) increase
farmer adoption. In the seed sector, there is a
general tendency of focusing on input supply
and increased production.
The production of seeds has established that
farmers have started seeing the importance
of seed production for marketing. The solution
has created market for indigenous seeds. The
Farmer Producer Company has started to
procure seeds from farmers and market seeds
in bigger volume not only for farmers, but
also to other agencies and seed enterprises. It
has generated revenues for the FPO and the
farmers.
Contact details: Jaivik SRI Farmers Producer
Company Limited (JSFPCL), Koraput, Odisha,
India.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
69 Promoting  
Bio-Input Business 
for Ensuring 
Healthy  
Finger Millet 
and  
Little Millet 
Crop
Location: Malkangiri, Odisha, India
Institution: Saveri Setu Farmer Producer
Company Ltd.
Summary: Preparation and sale of bio-input
liquid manure and fertilizers to farmers for
ensuring healthy crop and high productivity.
Pitch: Increased application of chemical
fertilizers and insecticides by farmers to
increase productivity has led to increased cost
of cultivation and degradation of soil quality.
To minimize the cost of cultivation, Saveri Setu
FPC has prepared bio-inputs like Handikhata,
Bijamruta, Jeevamrutha, Panchyagabya,
Bramhastra for sale at a nominal price. Use of
these bio-inputs will not only decrease cost of
cultivation, but also improve soil quality.
Problem analysis: Farmers were obliged to
use chemical inputs to reduce pest attack and
increase crop productivity. This had a harmful
impact on public and soil health. Overtime, use
of chemical inputs has also led to increased
cost of cultivation.
Solution: The FPO was trained in producing bio-
inputs, which were bottled and stored for longer
usage. The FPO educated the farmers about its
application, utility, benefits, and impacts. The
FPO also provided assurance that the bio-input
is non-hazardous and would not decrease the
productivity of the crops. It would also help
farmers pursue natural or organic farming.
Target population: Around 5150 liters of bio-
inputs has been supplied to more than 2000
farmers in 10 GPs of Mathili block so far.
Results: The application of bio-inputs increases
productivity and reduces the cost of cultivation
for farmers. Bio-inputs help in improving
soil health, soil fertility, increasing genetic
diversity, re-establishing ecological balance,
and encouraging sustainable agriculture. The
application of bio-inputs ends chemical pollution
and toxic residues, and ensures that the food
items produced are free of harmful chemicals.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
70 Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Awareness on application of bio-inputs and
its benefits will increase the demand for
preparation of bio-inputs and more farmers will
be able to avail the bio-inputs easily. Setting up
separate units that can prepare the bio-inputs
will help supply to larger markets.
Drivers of change: The mind-set of farmers
and their practice of using fertilizers in the fields
are the key elements that need to be worked
on to increase usage of bio-inputs. The drivers
for change are the FPOs themselves as they can
convey the impact in a more relatable manner
as compared to any third party stepping in to
convince the farmers.
Dilemma and barriers: The farmers need to be
sensitized, convinced, and made more aware of
bio-inputs usage, which will consequently help
increase productivity and reduce the cost of
cultivation.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: In
Mathili Block, there was no facility of selling
different bio-input products like Handikhata,
Neemastra, Jeevamrutha, etc., but with the
support of Saveri Setu FPC, many farmers are
showing interest to apply organic manure in
place of chemicals.
Contact details: Saveri Setu Farmer Producer
Company Ltd., Mathili Block, Malkangiri District.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
71 Custom Hiring 
Center (CHC) and 
Barter System for  
Finger 
Millet, 
Sorghum
 and 
Little Millet 
— A Ray of Hope 
for Bisoi Block
Location: Mayurbhanj, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Babita SHG and Gram Swaraj (FA)
Summary: Custom Hiring Center (CHC)
provides essential farm machinery and serves
as a platform to provide livelihood support to
the farmers.
Pitch: CHC managed by Babita SHG is a
center which provides agricultural implements
to farmers at an affordable rent. These all
are essential implements needed for millet
cultivation. The initiative also encourages
women to cultivate millets. Farmers are
already reaping the benefits by using the
CHC’s implements. The members of Babita
WSHG act as a catalyst of CHC and encourage
villagers to take part in millet mission initiatives
aggressively. Three cluster based sub-centers
benefitting 1200 farmers have been established
near the millet cropping area and are being
managed by WSHGs.
Problem analysis: Bisoi block of Mayurbhanj
has 156 villages. Most of the farmers in the
block belong to the tribal communities. Farming
is carried out with the traditional methods and
implements. Previously when the population
was low, it was quite easy to practice farming
with indigenous machineries as only small
portions of land were cultivated. Over time,
the population increased. As per the data of
2011, this block has a population density of 202
persons per sq. km. With increase in population,
the demand for food also increased and people
started to cultivate larger portions of land.
Traditional machines led to increased drudgery
of farmers. Based on the farmers’ demand, it
has been decided to procure farm implements
for cultivation of non-local millets. Storing the
machinery at village level has become difficult
and activities like record keeping, maintaining
day to day databases, etc. are all quite
challenging for CHC members.
Solution: The CHC has made a provision of
payment in kind for farmers facing difficulty
to pay cash to encourage farmers to cultivate
millets. Along with one nodal CHC, three cluster
based sub centers have been established in Bisoi block, which provide benefits to around
1200 farmers. Facilitating Agency Gram Swaraj
conducted capacity building programme and
training for SHG members who are engaged in
CHC management under Odisha Millet Mission.
Annual business plans have been shared with
them and handholding support has been given
by the CRPs, which help CHC members to be
visionary. There are some conflicts in rent
fixation, but equipment wise, minimum price
has been fixed through the CHC management
committee which can support the poor farmers.
Target population: Targeted people are
schedule caste, primitive tribes, and other small
and marginal farmers belonging to Bisoi block.
Results: After establishment of CHC, farmers
are availing farm implements for millet farming
which are helping them adopt improved
Package of Practices (PoP). The inclusion of a
barter system instead of cash to rent equipment
also helped in smooth recovery of rents. One
beneficiary farmer of Kundra village of Luhakani
GP, Bisoi said that “Last year I saved my crop by
providing irrigation through a diesel pump which
is available in CHC in crucial periods”. Similarly,
another farmer from Babaijada village of Asana
GP, Bisoi said “I availed weeder, sprayer and
water pump at minimum price at my doorstep last
year which helped increase my production”. After
establishment of CHC, it has been observed
that revenue generation has increased. Item-
wise service charge for sprayer, pump, drum,
cycle weeder etc. are different. In one season,
one CHC makes an average profit of Rs. 5500.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: In
the remote villages of Odisha, availability of
cash is a prominent problem. Hence replacing
that with the barter system in CHCs is a good
option and is viable in all the locations. The
model is replicable in tribal/rainfed areas where
subsistence farming is practiced.
Millets Mainstreaming in India, Asian and
African Countries-A Compendium of Inspiring
Stories from Field.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
73 Drivers of change: After knowing the benefits
of farm implements, farmers are being
motivated to cultivate more millet crops. Live
field demonstration by CRPs, time to time field
monitoring by FA staff, day to day database
management by SHG key person with the
support of CHC are the different mechanisms
behind the success of this intervention. Local
technicians also play a major role in this whole
process. These implements not only support
millet crops but are also helpful for other crops.
Dilemma and barriers: Some of the barriers
faced are lack of farmer interest and trust,
loss or breakdown of machinery, difficulty in
paying rents in cash, and unavailability of local
technician or local skill labor for operating
machines. To tackle these barriers, during
village meetings, volunteers were identified,
and the facilitating agency trained them on how
to operate and deal with machinery. Further,
register maintained by the CHC management
committee set terms and conditions for availing
the farm implements on rental basis and anyone
who would break the rule would be penalized.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Through this kind of intervention, SHG got
a new livelihood support which empowers
women socially as well as financially. Liquid
cash availability is a big problem in remote
Odisha villages. If farmers don’t pay the rent
of machinery on time, the system would
fail. However, by innovatively integrating the
traditional barter system into the CHC system,
farmers often feel comfortable to hire the
equipment on a rent basis. This is commonly
practiced in remote villages for years. Under
OMM, the barter system of the communities
has been reinforced.
Contact details: Gram Swaraj, Near
Budhikhamari Primary School, Bhanjpur,
Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, PIN-757002.
Editor’s note: In Malkangiri district, Nari Shakti
Panipariba Utpadanakari Mahila Smabaya Samiti
Ltd.is also promoting CHCs with unique angle of
barter as payment mechanism under OMM.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
74 Strengthening 
Livelihood of 
Women SHG 
Members through 
Establishment of  
Finger 
Millet 
Processing Units
Location: Mayurbhanj, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Saraswati Mahila Mandal (SHG),
Badsialinai Jashipur
Summary: A group of women SHG members
is successfully generating income by managing
a millet primary processing unit. The Saraswati
Mahila Mandal, a women SHG Group consisting
of ten members, is engaged in operating and
managing a pulverizing unit for local farmers.
These women provide a service of processing
locally grown millets and other cereals into
flour at a cost of Rs. 5/kg.
Pitch: The group was formed in the year 2001
with 12 women members belonging to the
Bathudi community. The group was initiated
purposefully for thrift and credit programs,
which are still functional and running smoothly.
The strong understanding between the SHG
members, sense of ownership and leadership
amongst the group made a strong foundation
for the group’s success. Bathudi communities
are also traditionally organic farmers and saviors
of ecology. Hence, when the Millet Mission
reached them through CREFTDA in 2018, they
were the first community to respond to it. They
started cultivating and consuming millets.
Problem analysis: Traditionally, millets were
processed manually by women in the tribal
areas using wooden/stone grinders. Women in
the small millet farming household in general
spend about three to four hours to process 5-8
kg of grains of millets. This process involves
considerable drudgery and physical efforts. This
was one of the major reasons that in course of
time led to decline in consumption of millets.
Keeping this in mind, Millets Mission facilitated
decentralized mechanized processing of millets.
Solution: Members of Saraswati Mahila
Mandal applied to CDPO, Jashipur to provide
the support to the business opportunity of
mechanized processing of small millets. Once
the application was received by the CDPO a joint
field visit and verification was done by CDAO-
cum-PD, ATMA, Representative of OMM, DSWO,
Electrical Engineer, NESCO, Representative
of OLM and Representative of FA for need
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
75 assessment and feasibility of the enterprise.
The team unanimously approved the proposal
and disbursed the machine to the group in
April, 2021. The WSHG consists of 10 members,
who are engaged in operating and managing
the pulverizing unit.
Target population: The targeted population
belongs to schedule tribes and primitive tribes
residing in remote locations. The intervention
brought about positive changes mainly among
the small and marginal women farmers. The
intervention benefitted 200 farmers.
Results: The most important factor for the
success of the intervention has been the
support of the local tribal communities and their
adaptability to modern technologies. The group
is managing the unit and it has started earning
an additional income for them. All members of
the group are trained to operate the machine
and they do it in rotations as decided by them.
The unit earns for them in two ways. Firstly, they
get flouring charges of Rs 5 per kg from every
farmer including members. Secondly, after
processing, the members for their own millet
flour get additional Rs 20 per kg. In addition, the
unit conducts flouring of other cereals which
also generates income. On an average, the
group processing charge of millets is Rs. 3000,
charge for cereals is Rs. 7650 and labor expense
is Rs. 3250. So, the net income of the group is
Rs. 7700. Hence, altogether this processing unit
generates substantial income for the group and
its members.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
This unit is currently involved in the processing
and marketing of ragi flour. It has also been
involved in supplying ragi flour to Millet Tiffin
Centre/Kiosk and has a tie-up with Jashipur for
supply of grain and flour to Millets on Wheels.
In the future, it is planned to establish 5 more
WSHG managed pulverizer units in Jashipur
block. Through this, 50 WSHG members will get
support in enhancing their income.
Drivers of change: The group members
appreciate the support provided by Facilitating
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
76 Agency, Millet Mission and Mission Shakti for
establishment of the enterprise which were key
drivers and hope for replication of such units in
nearby areas.
Dilemma and barriers: The unit was first of
its kind in the area. Majority of the women
were not convinced that traditional crops like
millets could be processed and sold at a good
market price. Initially, they were skeptical,
but the support of Odisha Millets Mission in
participatory training, and capacity building of
the SHG members resulted in development of a
feasible business plan.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Proper market linkage with high volume of
business will support the sustainability of their
business. Ensuring supply chain management
of raw material is also important. The solution
is novel because it is fostering revival of
additional practices of millet consumption and
cultivation as well. It has also helped them learn
and feel proud of their culture and tradition.
The most important factor for the success of
the intervention has been the support of the
local tribal communities and their adaptability
to modern technologies. It is not only inspiring
and empowering the women communities but
also those who are engaged in supporting or
facilitating such solutions.
Contact details: Saraswati Mahila Mandal
(SHG), Badsialinai Jashipur, Mayurbhanj, Odisha.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
77 Millet Processing 
Factory as a 
Livelihood Option 
for  
Nuapada 
Millet 
 
Grower 
Location: Nuapada, Odisha, India
Institution: Maa Sunadei Farmers’ Producer
Company Limited, Odisha Millet Mission, CDAO,
Nuapada, Western Odisha Development Council
and District Administration, Nuapada
Summary: A processing unit that establishes the
example of value chain addition and enterprise
generation, benefitting the FPC.
Pitch: Majority of people in Nuapada depend
upon agriculture for their livelihood with OMM
farmers majorly cultivating millets. However, it
had been witnessed that the tribal population
from Sunabeda plateau had shown less interest
in millet cultivation because of uncertain
reasons. To revive millet cultivation among
the tribal families, the families have taken the
role to set up the factory in the district. After
establishment of the Processing Unit, farmers
were interested to cultivate more millets like
little millets which could be sold at a higher
price than before.
Problem analysis: Nuapada is a major grower
of minor millets cultivation in the district. Minor
millets are grown in 7000 hectares in Nuapada
District, out of which 3500 ha is under ragi,
3200 ha is under little millet and the rest 300
ha is under sorghum, kodo, foxtail, etc. There
is an assured procurement process and MSP
support for ragi but not for other millets. Lack
of processing facilities is also considered to
be one of the major reasons for the declining
popularity of these grains among the growers,
as the major load of processing falls on women.
Approximately, 15,000 quintals of little millets
are produced every year and sold at a very low
price i.e., at Rs.15–20 per kg., whereas dehulled
little millets are sold at Rs.100–130 per kg.
Solution: There is marketing and procurement
support for ragi, but not for little millets,
thereby, leading to distress selling by farmers.
As little millets have been an underutilized
crop, CDAO, Odisha Millet Mission, WODC, FPO
and District Administration established a minor
millet processing unit at Siletpani in Komna
Block with a total project cost of Rs. 110.31
Lakh. The unit processes millets for commercial
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
78 and household consumption. Per kg charge
is collected by the FPC from households for
processing services like threshing, cleaning,
grading, destoning and grinding. Under OMM,
different events, food festivals and pilots are
conducted, hence, an active demand for millets
exists for sale to customers and preparation
of different recipes. Processed grains are also
required to fulfil the demand for millet-based
kiosks and similar initiatives. OMM facilitates
linkages with different partner organizations
and service providers for this purpose.
Target population: The target population
includes millet growing farmers of Nuapada
district. The unit targets members of FPOs from
all the five blocks of Nuapada who are going to
form an apex company and own the project. The
project will lead to little millets being cultivated
in 600 ha. of land with machines being run for
8-10 months in a year.
Results: The Nuapada millets factory can run for
8-10 hours per day with a capacity to produce
40-50 quintals per day of little millet rice, 1200-
1500 quintals per month and approximately
15,000 quintals per year. There is a possibility
of price recovery to the tune of Rs. 15 crores
every year out of little millets if dehulling is
done properly ensuring aleuronic retention.
The Nuapada millets factory is supplying little
millets rice to two Blocks of Koraput and
Malkangiri district to distribute little millet rice
in Take Home Ration (THR) for Anganwadi
children, pregnant and lactating women of the
mentioned district for pilot projects undertaken
by Odisha Millets Mission.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: This
millet processing unit is an example for other
districts growing minor millets to replicate the
same model. The Nuapada millets factory can
supply the little millet rice to the entire state
and neighboring states if proper marketing
is established. There is a scope for extended
supply chain pan India.
Drivers of change: Scientific orientation,
adoption of improved Packages of Practices
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
79 (PoP) and marketing support are the major
drivers. Other drivers include value addition and
processing, individual household consumption,
putting little millets in the Public Distribution
System (PDS), Massive Awareness and Publicity,
Govt. Policy, etc.
Dilemma and barriers: During implementation,
challenges like erratic and irregular rainfall
pattern and long gestation period, is
causing farmers to not adopt little millets.
Improved Packages of Practices (PoP) like line
transplanting or line sowing are not adopted
fully, farmers only occasionally use organic
manures, unscientific methods of harvesting,
etc. The budget provision under Odisha Millet
Mission is very less to set up a high-capacity
processing unit. But after the support of the
District Administration, WODC, the processing
unit establishment has been successful.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
Nuapada millets factory is supplying little millet
rice to two Blocks of Koraput and Malkangiri
district. They are distributing little millet rice in
Take Home Ration (THR) for Anganwadi children,
pregnant women and lactating women of the
mentioned districts. The factory has the capacity
to supply little millet rice to all districts of the
State and can supply to the State Government
under Public Distribution System (PDS) and
Integrated Child Development Centre (ICDS).
The technologies used for primary processing of
little millets is unique wherein abrasion of millet
grains is devoid, so that shelf-life of processed
grains is increased.
Contact details: Maa Sunadei Farmers Producer
Company Limited, Nuapada, Odisha
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
80 Little 
Millet 
Dehuller Field 
Demonstration 
with WSHG 
MembersLocation: Nuapada, Odisha, India
Institution: National Rainfed Area Authority
(NRAA) and FAO India
Summary: Household level millet mixer
developed through participatory machinery
development approach to reduce drudgery of
little millet dehulling in remote locations.
Pitch: Nuapada is one of the tribal hinterlands
of Odisha. It is also one of the districts with
high prevalence of malnutrition and is prone to
droughts. Little millet is one of the traditional
millet crops which used to be grown abundantly
in the region. Due to market constraints, poor
yield and high level of drudgery involved
in processing, little millet cultivation has
witnessed a significant decline. Development
of technological solutions is serving remote
locations not just in Nuapada, but also other
little millet growing areas of Odisha. These
solutions lower drudgery, are functional on
single phase electricity, and are easy to use.
Problem analysis: Little millet is one of the key
rainfed crops grown by tribal in the uplands of
Nuapada. The shorter duration variety of 65 to
75 days is traditionally grown in Nuapada. It is
widely considered as a cash crop, in addition
to being a part of the traditional food basket.
However, due to the high level of drudgery
associated with dehulling of little millet
combined with lack of options and proliferation
of rice through PDS, there has been a marked
reduction in the consumption of little millet.
Using the traditional method of manual little
millet dehulling, it took 4-5 hours of labor to
dehull 1 kg of rice. In remote areas, setting up
processing units is difficult where only single-
phase connection is available. An attempt to
find a localized solution for this initiative was
explored as a part of the NRAA-FAO project
initiative which was taken up in convergence
with OMM.
Solution: During the inception meeting for
the FAO-NRAA Project on “Landscape-based
Integrated Rainfed Agriculture Systems for
Dehuller Field Demonstration with WSHG
Members Improved Income and Nutritional
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
81 Security Through Convergence’’, the issue of
laborious little millet dehulling and associated
fall in consumption was identified. In this
regard, on a pilot basis, OMM developed a
minor millet dehulling mixer which can dehull
300 gm of little millet in 30 seconds. Including
the cool down time for the machine, about
4 kg of little millet could be processed in an
hour. Around 16 kg of dried and cleaned little
millet procured from the FAO-NRAA project
village was tested using the millet dehulling
mixer for parameters such as broken grain,
unhulled grain and successfully dehulled grain.
Three Mission Shakti SHGs undertaking the bio-
manure and sub-CHC enterprises in Samersingh
and Silva GPs of Komna block were identified
for the field demonstration, keeping up with
OMM guidelines. 3 SHGs were identified in
consultation with the OLM MBK. The approach
is to have a package of activities to increase
the viability of the enterprises, and in turn their
sustainability beyond the project. Three recipe
trainings for SHG members were conducted in
Bhurukadhoda, Patperpali and Chhindpani. The
demonstration of the millet mixer dehullers
was carried out.
Target population: Target population is the
little millet growing households in the 4 blocks of
Nuapada. This will specifically focus on the tribal
households, women, and children. In addition,
wherever possible, nutrition rehabilitation
centres under the Government of Odisha shall
also be targeted for the intervention as anaemia
is one of the major nutrition related issues in
the district.
Results: Intervention was made on a pilot
basis. Results of the intervention have been
very effective. Little millet dehulling, which
would earlier be very taxing and would take 30
mins to one hour of physical labor, can be done
within 10-15 mins without any physical exertion.
This can be done with the use of single-phase
electricity and without any huge infrastructure
requirement. Dehulled grains were of good
quality and households showed a lot of interest
in consumption of little millet. This is a cost-
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
82 effective solution which has potential to revive
the little millet consumption.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
little millet mixer is a very cost-effective solution.
Total cost of the mixer does not exceed Rs
5,000. It can provide enough dehulling services
for 10 households in one hour. It also operates
on single phase and can be handled by anyone.
This eliminates the need for large scale units
which needs space, investment and 3 phase
power connection.
It is a low-cost solution which can be easily
replicated through Odisha Millets Mission
and other schemes. In addition, given the
low cost of the intervention, each village or
WSHG can also explore purchasing the mixer
without Government subsidy. As OMM is also
supporting market linkages through local
kiosks, they can also earn money by supplying
small quantities of dehulled millets to kiosks.
This makes it an easily replicable and scalable
technological intervention in all the little millet
growing regions.
Drivers of change: FAO-OMM joint initiative
focused on adoption of Free and Prior Informed
Consent (FPIC) approach to the project
execution. In this approach, consultation with
the community and active consent is sought.
Solutions are developed with active participation
from all sections of the villages. In addition,
community cadre and WSHGs of Mission
Shakti Dept., community resource persons of
Odisha Millets Mission, District and block level
agriculture officials played a very active role in
deliberations.
In addition, dehulled little millet could also
be supplied to local millet kiosks for usage
in different preparations. Such an active
participation ensured that the solution
developed was suitable to needs and is accepted
by the community.
Dilemma and barriers: The millet mixer
dehuller had to go through several iterations
of design changes in order to make it efficient
and user friendly. Trials were conducted in
different geographies for different little millets.
The feedback received during field trials and
demonstrations were incorporated into the
design.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Instead of developing machinery from scratch,
a technology currently available at a mass scale
was modified to develop this technology. This
not only kept the technology low-cost, but it
already had well-developed features for ease of
usability.
Contact details: FAO, UN House 55 Lodi Estate,
Max Muller Marg, New Delhi, India and National
Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government
of India. 3rd Floor, Directorate of Extension
Krishi Vistar Bhawan, Dev Prakash Shastri Marg
PUSA, New Delhi – 110012, Phone No.011-
25842836. Email-nraapc2007@gmail.com
Editor’s note: Vikash Jyoti Farmers Producer
Company Ltd. (FPO) from Khandamal district
with the support of FA Shanti Maitree has
similarly utilized thresher provided by OMM for
ragi processing. The thresher saves time, labour
and protects ragi from unwanted particles, thus,
obtaining grains of FAQ standard.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
83 WSHG Collective 
Farming of 
Finger 
Millet
Location: Komana, Nuapada, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Maa Saraswati WSHG associated
with FAO India and National Rainfed Area
Authority (NRAA)
Summary: The WSHG Maa Saraswati of
Bhurkadhoda village, Komna block, Nuapada,
took 2 acres of land on lease for collective
farming of ragi. They earned Rs 35,000 through
the sale of seed to Komna block’s Maa Sundei
FPO and received Rs 5,000 as incentive from
OMM for improved practices.
Pitch: The FAO-NRAA Project in convergence
with OMM was implemented in 3 villages which
were predominantly rainfed and without pre-
existing OMM intervention. During the project
period, it was observed that selected villages
experienced frequent dry spells and were rain
shadow areas. Despite this, majority of the
cultivated land was under paddy (55%).
Millets only accounted for 13 Ha (1%) of
the cultivated area. Leasing of underutilized
uplands by labor-groups, WSHGs, JIGs, FPOs
and other farmer-groups could be supported.
Through convergence with OMM and other
such programmes, the farmer groups could
be provided with high-quality seeds in a timely
manner, trained as per improved PoP, given
access to critical irrigation infrastructure, and
remunerative market linkages.
Problem analysis: Nuapada is one of the tribal
hinterlands of Odisha. It is also a drought prone
district with high prevalence of malnutrition. The
FAO-NRAA project in convergence with OMM was
to be implemented in 3 predominantly rainfed
villages without pre-existing OMM intervention.
It was observed that not only did the selected
villages experience frequent dry spells but were
also rain shadow areas. It was also observed
that while some of the uplands were converted
to midlands for paddy cultivation, some of the
upland remained relatively underutilized and not
very productive. For instance, ragi, horsegram,
little millet (gurji) and kodo were grown in the
uplands of these villages. However, minimal
inputs and labor were put into these crops.
During the production cycle, other crops such
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
84 as paddy, cotton and maize took precedence
and there was a shortage of labor to tend to
the upland crops.
Solution: A series of village meetings were
held to explore solutions for the labor shortage
and gauge the potential for establishing labour
groups for ensuring PoP in various rainfed
crops. During these discussions, the WSHG
Maa Saraswati, Komna block, Nuapada, showed
interest in taking up ragi cultivation collectively
on 2 acres of land taken on lease. They followed
the recommended PoP, such as nursery
preparation, line transplantation, weeding and
application of bio-manures and pest repellents.
However, due to long dry spells and no access
to irrigation, weeding and application of bio-
inputs could be done only once. The 2 acres
yielded around 12.5 quintals of ragi. While the
SHG initially planned to sell the produce at the
mandi collection point in Bhurkadhoda village,
they sold 10 quintals of seed for Rs 35,000 to
Komna block’s Maa Sunadei FPO. The SHG also
received Rs 5,000 as an incentive from OMM
for improved practices. The remaining produce
was distributed among members for household
consumption. The remnant stalk of the ragi crop
left on the land was consumed by small and
large grazing ruminants during the rabi months.
Target population: The target population
was the motivated members of women SHGs,
Common Interest Groups and other farmer
groups. Distribution of agricultural labor among
group members allows for timely adherence
to improved practices, which further leads
to higher productivity and higher return on
investment.
Results: Their field was one of the best
performing ones in the project area. Collector &
DM, Nuapada, visited the field and commended
the SHG for their initiative. The CDAO also paid
multiple visits to the field. The SHG made Rs
40,000 in total which was divided among their
10 members. Seeing this, two other SHGs in
the village also showed interest in taking up
collective farming in the coming seasons.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
85 Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Farmer groups can take up collective farming
provided they are ensured fair leasing costs, as
well as access to good quality and timely inputs
and market linkages. With such institutional
support, it will be possible to scale up this
model of collective farming.
Drivers of change: FAO-NRAA convergence
project focused on adoption of Free and Prior
Informed Consent (FPIC) approach to the project
execution. In this approach, consultation with
the community and active consent is sought.
Solutions are developed with active participation
from all sections of the villages. In addition,
community cadre and WSHGs of Mission Shakti
Department, community resource persons of
Odisha Millets Mission, District and block level
agriculture officials played a very active role in
deliberations.
Dilemma and barriers: Inadequate involvement
of all SHG members, for example, members
from two families took on much of the work
involved, while the other members were not as
active. However, when it came to splitting the
earnings, all members made their claims. Hence,
the distribution of labor and profits were not
even, discouraging the members who did most
of the work. Moving forward, forming Common
Interest Groups (CIG) of active members may be
a better idea. The CIG could be nested within
SHGs or FPOs. The second issue faced by the
SHG was that in the subsequent season of
Kharif 2021, the lease amount for the same
land was substantially hiked. Ensuring access to
reasonably priced land is something that may
be taken up by the Government.
Novelty and innovation of solution Collective
farming through WSHGs is not a new concept,
but the idea of engaging WSHGs through free
and prior informed consent and taking up
collective farming supporting crop diversification
in uplands is novel. Also, this involved adoption
of new production technology by women
farmers, such as weeder, was never practiced
before in case of millet crops. Quality of produce
was good enough to be bought as seed which
speaks about diligence in following up with the
PoPs.
Contact details: FAO, UN House 55 Lodi Estate,
Max Muller Marg, New Delhi, India and National
Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Governmentof
India. 3rd Floor, Directorate of Extension Krishi
Vistar Bhawan, Dev Prakash Shastri Marg PUSA,
New Delhi– 110012, Phone No: 011-25842836.
Email-nraapc2007@gmail. com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
86 Participatory 
Varietal Trials 
– First Step 
Towards Improved 
Finger 
Millet 
Production
Location: Pallahara, Angul, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Joint Endeavour for Emancipation
Training and Action for Women (JEETA)
Summary: Identifying farmer’s preferred
varieties of ragi for a micro agro ecological zone
through Participatory Varietal Trial (PVT) – the
first step for crop production.
Pitch: Landraces are populations of plants that
have been cultivated for many generations in a
certain region, being shaped by biotic and abiotic
stresses, crop management, seed handling,
and eating preferences. However, the yields of
these landraces are very low and are given least
attention by researchers and academicians.
Therefore, in Angul district, ragi disappeared 30
years ago. Odisha Millets Mission in partnership
with District Mineral Funds (DMF) revived ragi
cultivation in the district and introduced ragi
varieties from other districts.
Problem analysis: Very few landraces of ragi
were available in the district. OMM supported
20 ragi landraces for PVT. The major challenge
was that the new generation or middle aged
farming communities were not interested
in cultivating millet as they did not perceive
millets to be a high value crop. Therefore, OMM
sensitized them about the importance of millets
and its resilience towards climate change. OMM
has worked with the farming communities to
design the Participatory Varietal Trial (PVT) in
their field.
Solution: In each block, planning meetings
were conducted with farmers for the availability
of local ragi-varieties, selection of plot, farmers,
source of irrigation, layout and designing. The PVT
trial was designed in Randomized Block Design
(RBD) in three replications with Government
recommended varieties as check. The minimum
plot size per variety per replication was 25 sq.
m. Distance between replication to replication
was kept 100 cm and variety to variety in the
replication was kept at `60 cm. Around 21 to
25 days’ seedlings were uprooted and planted
in rows of 20 x 10 cm. The plots were treated
with 5-7 quintals dried Farmyard Manure (FYM)
as basal dose and ploughed thoroughly. Equal
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
87 Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
88 amount of Jeevamrutha was applied to each
plot after first weeding (15 DAT) and after 30
and 45 DAT. Water was ensured during late
vegetative, flowering period and milky stage. In
each crop growth stage, farmers were involved
and exposed to trial plots to understand the
process. Farmers of different age groups and
gender were invited from different villages for
field visits. The block level agriculture staff was
also invited. On the field day, a meeting was
conducted near the trial plot to explain the
purpose of the trial and process of farmer and
scientist selection.
Target population: The target groups were
small and consisted of marginal farming
communities having cultivation experience and
traditional knowledge. With their traditional
agronomy backgrounds, farmers identified
and selected their preferred ragi varieties from
the trial during field day exercise which was
conducted during physiological maturity stage.
Simultaneously, the researcher also randomly
collected sample plants for recording as per
modern agronomic data in accordance with the
All India Research Coordinated Project.
Both the data were compiled, and best varieties
selected helped in finalizing the next step for
seed production of selected varieties.
Results: OMM conducted PVT not only in 5
blocks in Angul district but also in 79 other
blocks of 14 districts from 2018 to 2022.
Around 86% of farmer selected varieties were
traditional and 14% were Government notified
varieties. Few of the traditional varieties were
higher yielding than Government notified
varieties. All the varieties were monitored
both at vegetative and productive stages for
adaptability to climate change. Selection of
best varieties from the blocks was followed by
quality seed production in the second year. 10
out of 15 districts selected seed production of
traditional varieties going forward. Following
seed production, a mass selection process was
followed which is one of the breeding processes
for new varieties. In the Pallalahada block, ten
traditional varieties and one HYV were taken for
PVT in farmer’s fields. After both the selection
process, Karkati and Taya varieties were finally
taken for seed production in 2022-23. Presently,
2.5 acres are cultivated under quality seed
production in farmer’s fields.
Potential for up scaling and replicability: The
PVT can be conducted with other field crops like
rice, maize, pulses, and oil seeds as well. The
experience of OMM is now replicated in the
Integrated Farming System project implemented
by the Department of Agriculture, Government
of Odisha. The PVT model of OMM has reached
other states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh etc.
for identification of farmer’s preferred varieties.
The selection process is easily understood
not only by farming communities but also
any agriculture worker. The seeds of selected
varieties giving better yield for the micro agro-
ecological areas and remaining varieties are
kept in Crop Diversity Blocks (CDB) for future
conservation.
Drivers of change: Farmers play a major role in
these PVT, because they preserve and conserve
these valuable germplasms of millets at their
personal cost. The plant passport information
of these varieties will enable them to register
these varieties as farmers’ varieties under
the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’
Rights Act, 2001. The selected varieties help
farmers grow on a large scale for better yield
and marketing. The local Community Based
Enterprisers will go for further multiplication
with seed farmers to sell as truthful label
seeds in the market. The organic input in the
trial reduces cost of cultivation and enhances
soil fertility. Involvement of Department of
Agriculture, workers from grassroots and
farmers during the trial creates a strong linkage
for accessibility to other Government inputs.
The agronomic data collected through AICRP
is acceptable to research organizations for its
legitimacy.
Dilemma and barriers: The key challenge
was caring of the plot during nursery, tillering,
flowering, and harvesting. Early nursery sown
plants reduce the impact of disease and pest
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
89 infestation and climate variation. Long dry
spells due to climate change is one of the
major risk factors. OMM has introduced a
critical irrigation component to reduce the risk.
Designing the layout is also a challenge for the
trials. The RBD must be properly done in the
field for giving justice to equal subplot of each
replication for each variety. Farmers’ saved
seeds collected from farming communities have
more heterogeneity, therefore, monitoring of
these varieties during physiological stages is
most needed.
Labelling and other required materials for PVT
trial should be arranged timely. Timely data
collection and organizing field days are a major
logistic challenge because of the unavailability
of different age and gender groups.
Novelty and innovation of solution:
Conventional breeding failed to make a significant
impact in vast farming areas characterized by
diversity in soil, weather, crops, local farmers’
needs, and farming practices. It still takes a long
time (about 15 years) to develop and release a
new variety in developing countries. Farmers
adopt only a few of the officially released
varieties.
Inspite of the above issues, the conventional
approach remains as the main pathway for
public and private-research organizations at
national, regional and global levels. Participatory
approach helps in integrating farmers’ expertise,
their indigenous technical knowledge, ecology
and growing environment of the local varieties
synergistically with appropriate scientific skill
and knowledge.
Participatory approach need not be considered
as an alternative method to the conventional
approach of crop improvement. Both could
complement each other to reach the benefits
of scientific and indigenous knowledge to the
farmers of diverse farming situations in the
shortest possible period.
Contact details: Joint Endeavour for
Emancipation Training & Action of women
(JEETA), At/Po-Pallahara, Dist-Angul. Email:
jeetadeogarh94@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
90 Establishment 
of Cleaning 
Unit for  
Ragi 
Processing
Location: Sundergarh, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Jyoti SHG, Mahesdihi supported by
Odisha Millets Mission and Mission Shakti
Summary: Millets are highly nutritious in
nature. However, production alone does not
ensure attainment of nutritional security.
The millets produced need to be cleaned
and processed for consumption. Linking this
opportunity with Women Self Help Groups
helps attain nutritional security and financial
empowerment.
Pitch: Millets are highly nutritious in nature.
The millets produced need to be cleaned and
processed for consumption. Millets, being small
grains, have foreign materials like sand, husk,
dust, etc. and are not suitable for direct human
consumption. Jyoti SHG, Mahesdihi has set up
a cleaning unit in 2020. The unit cleans ragi for
the ICDS Ragi Ladoo Programme implemented
in Sundargarh district. The process will help
the public get cleaned millets for trying new
millet recipes and getting habituated to millet
consumption, ultimately leading to nutritional
security and financial stability of WSHGs.
Problem analysis: Improper cleaning of millets
leads to public disinterest in millet consumption.
The inclusion of millets in ICDS for preschool
children has made it imperative to supply
cleaned ragi for consumption. The quantity of
ragi to be supplied under this programme on an
average was 150 quintals per month. Cleaning
this quantity of ragi manually is difficult. This
creates a problem for not only the targeted
beneficiaries (preschool children) but also the
general public. Hence, consumption of highly
nutritious millets has reduced in the district.
Solution: Establishment of a mechanized
cleaning unit becomes necessary. Linking this
opportunity with Women Self Help Groups
solves the problems of nutritional security
and financial improvement. Keeping this in
mind, a WSHG was selected by Mission Shakti
in collaboration with Odisha Millets Mission to
establish a cleaning unit in the district.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
91 A 3 Deck Cleaner cum Grader with separate
destoner with a capacity of 2-3 quintals per hour
was provided to the WSHG. The WSHG now
cleans ragi not only for Ragi Ladoo Programme
but also extends its business for local FPOs,
SHGs and farmers.
Target population: The target population of
this intervention was initially the pre-school
children. Cleaned ragi is supplied for an
average of 63,000 pre-school children every
month amounting to about 150 quintals of
ragi. Gradually, even SHGs and FPOs started
giving orders to the unit for cleaning of millets.
The charges for cleaning ragi also were less
compared to the manual labour required to
clean. So, farmers cultivating millets are now
easily able to clean their ragi. Given that the
machinery provided is not engaged to its full
potential, there is a scope for expansion of the
business to various millet-based companies.
Results: This initiative helps in supplying cleaned
ragi for the ICDS Ragi Ladoo Programme for
pre-school children. The unit supplies ragi for
about 63,000 children per month. Preparing
new recipes became easy for the public as it is
easier to get their millets cleaned. The initiative
not only helps in improving consumption but
also provides livelihood opportunities for WSHG
members. The annual turnover of the WSHG is
around Rs. 12 lakhs which has strengthened
the SHG members financially. The members are
now earning an average of Rs. 5000-Rs 7000 for
a maximum of 15 days’ work.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Demand for millets is growing day by day as it
is highly nutritious. To encourage consumption
of millets, processing of these grains becomes
necessary. The initiative is successful as the
annual turnover and profit (Rs. 12 lakhs) exceeds
the investment (Rs. 5 lakhs for machinery, Rs.
2.5 lakhs for 3 phase electricity and Rs. 1 lakh
for storage and building) for establishment. The
initiative not only provides financial stability to
WSHG members but also drives improvement
in consumption of millets. Provision of more
such high-quality millets will help people shift
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
92 to millets more easily as there would not be any
dearth in supply.
Drivers of change: The key drivers of change
include (1) Interest and motivation of the
members, (2) Market linkages (WSHGs, FPOs,
Individual Farmers) and (3) Linkage with
Government programmes (e.g., ICDS Ragi Ladoo
Programme).
Dilemma and barriers: Transportation and
distance were a problem for the initiative as it
limits the outreach to the local community only.
This problem can be solved by establishing
more cleaning units. Day to day machinery
maintenance is a costly and time-consuming
affair. The WSHG members managing the unit
need to be trained for day-to-day machine
maintenance.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Millets
being super foods have got the attention of
the public for their nutritional value. However,
most people show disinterest in consumption
due to its lengthy process of processing and
value addition. Establishment of a cleaning unit
makes processing millets easier and caters to
the interest of millets consumption. It also
becomes a source of financial stability for
women involved in this process.
Contact details: Jyoti SHG, Mahesdihi
(Collaboration of Odisha Millets Mission and
Mission Shakti)
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
93 Creating 
Sustainable 
Business for FPOs 
by Promoting 
Traditional 
Millet 
Recipes
Location: Sundergarh,  
Odisha, India
Institution: Janavikash FPC Ltd., Kutra
and Centre for Integrated Rural and Tribal
Development (CIRTD)
Summary: Janvikash FPO under OMM, is a part
of both production and value addition process.
The FPO bagged the opportunity of serving a
customizable menu to the customers using the
most preferred variety of millets.
They even prepare packaged items like ragi
powder, murukku, and rose cake.
Pitch: Janvikash FPO prepares food like hot
cooked meals and dry snacks. The food van
serves delicious hot cooked meals at the most
affordable cost. They also provide millet grains
in direct packages which can be processed
and consumed, thereby driving a habit change
as well. BOD members involved with FPO are
mainly producers of millets. They understand
the local demand and market of diversified
locations.
Problem analysis: Consuming millet-
based products provides better nutritional
supplement. However, many people due to busy
work schedules prefer not to cook and end up
eating unhealthy food. Also, many individuals
and students wanting to have millets cannot
avail millet-based products due to unavailability
in nearby areas. Even in restaurants, the items
sold are very costly. Millet based packed or
powdered products are not trusted by many
customers due to possibility of adulteration,
hence farmers are also impacted because of
less demand for millets. During any event or
occasion, procuring hot cooked items from any
hotel is a problem.
Solution: Janvikash FPO took the opportunity to
establish a food van which can provide different
food items at multiple locations. The van can
serve breakfast and lunches at marketplaces
and near offices respectively. Evening stalls can
be installed near any college where students
can have millet-based food items like chicken
pakora or noodles with tea. Also, dinner can
be made accessible in the nearby residential
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
94 areas. They also provide packaged product and
grains directly to the consumers maintaining
the demand and supply gaps of millets without
failure. Unprocessed grains have a larger market
base in comparison to powdered products. The
FPO could also provide local varieties of millet
seeds during the season when it is in demand.
As a FPO which works with farmers, they could
customize the products based on different
farmer needs who belong to diversified areas
in the block.
Target population: The food served in these
vans by the FPO has been curated to cater all
age groups and categories of people including
office goers, students, or families on an
outing. The products are based on seasonality
and availability, therefore guaranteeing the
freshness of the product. As the van is moving,
it does not differentiate the customer line
and any person in the vicinity can afford it. It
promises quality food to those who are not able
to afford it at expensive restaurants.
Results: An increase in recipe development
and acceptability of millet-based products has
been observed because of the initiative. Local
people are aware about the benefits of millets
and the variety of millets. The major catering
area of Janvikash FPC is in rural areas. Being
portable, they are getting orders for festivals
and marriages from many customers. A mini
and decorated food van is eye-catching for
everyone. Majority of group members are BOD/
farmers who collectively decide according to
the benefits of farmers and low-income groups.
The outreach has been done in the entire
Kutra block. Even during the Urban Internship
Campaign in Rourkela, they catered at several
locations. The major indicator of its success is
affordable pricing, product range and being
mobile and hence being able to cater to a larger
population.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Instead of having a fixed or permanent location,
mobility helps in increased acceptance of
traditional and new millet recipes. This factor is
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
95 increasing the potential of such an initiative to
be replicated in other blocks. Major advantage is
that the FPO does not need to have a permanent
vendor. They can change the food type as per the
demand of the customer. A food van requires
lower investments, working capital, equipment
and resources in comparison to restaurants or
tiffin centers, making it a profitable business in
a short period. Besides, it can explore markets
based on the local produce grown by farmers
according to season and can sell the same.
Drivers of change: As the entity is controlled by
farmers, they have better access to raw material,
sourcing, transportation etc., and there is very
limited wastage of raw material. Mobility allows
the van to be in different premium locations
helping the FPO sell products according to
the market demand, develop better customer
relations and gain confidence. Being managed
by local farmers, they have better knowledge
about customers, and they can take care of
cultural constraints of the particular location.
These are some of the elements which help the
FPO in running the business smoothly.
Dilemma and barriers: Acceptance of
new recipes in the market is a major risk.
Identification and research strategies to find a
suitable location is a tedious job and requires
time, hence, one needs to be ready for profit
and loss. Making food items pocket friendly
is challenging as it takes time to become
profitable. Market and customer behavior is
often unpredictable for acceptance of millets.
Apart from the customer and taste of the
product, the van requires regular maintenance
for which mechanics are not readily available.
Moreover, people of various skill sets are
required for such an initiative.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Attractive
food van in a rural area is an eye-catching and
new concept. Such farmer owned businesses
develop their entrepreneurial skills and benefit
the farmers in the long run. The farmers can train
and become a model for various other FPOs.
The solution is also unique as it continuously
focuses on both millets’ recipe development
and customer preferences. This gives a scope
of growth to the farmers to understand and
realize the value of their own produce. The
concept of farm to plates completes a circle in
this practice.
Contact details: Centre for Integrated Rural
and Tribal Development (CIRTD), Opposite
Government College Post Office, Rangadhipa,
Sundargarh, Odisha
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
96 Packaging and 
Branding by  
Small Scale  
Millet 
Enterprise
Location: Sundergarh, 
Odisha, India
Institution: 38 SHGs working as THR unit,
Dibyajyoti SHG (Café of Sundargarh) and local
FPO
Summary: Introduction and acceptance of a
particular product in a new rural market is a
challenging process for every stakeholder. To
achieve the objectives, products are processed,
taste is improved as per preference, and
the product is packed in safe and attractive
packaging.
Pitch: Packaging and branding of products
and its associated costs vary according to the
product being sold. Problems associated with
acceptance of products are also very different.
The packaging and branding are taken care
of according to the product. Brand labelling
is done for Take Home Ration (THR) units by
38 SHGs. Cookies and dry snacks packaging
is done by Dibyajyoti SHG Café of Sundargarh
and grain packaging is done by FPO. However,
establishing a larger business can help improve
the packaging and branding of such products.
Hence, the local FPO has stepped up and taken
the responsibility for packing the products.
Problem analysis: The problem lies in product
awareness and its health information. Small
scale businesses in rural areas use newspapers
for wrapping food items and polythene bags for
packing liquids. No animal products are used
for packaging. Such kind of packaging can be
used for a short duration and the products are
meant for immediate consumption.
Solution: THR units’ products like ragi ladoo
mix are packed in good quality plastic packets.
The sealing is done in a small sealing machine
or manually. The entire process is carried out
manually with the help of a weighing machine
to maintain the quantity prescribed per ragi
ladoo mix. The quantity is mentioned on the
packet. A recipe manual and usage direction
are also mentioned on the sticker. For packing
of dry snacks like cookies and ragi biscuits,
clear plastic boxes with zipper locks are used.
The containers are made airtight so cookies can
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
97 last longer and can be consumed even after 20
days. However, support is required to improve
the method of packaging. Unprocessed millet
grain is high in demand. FPOs are involved in
catering this product segment. For this purpose,
transparent food grade quality polythene is
used. FPO details, food license mark and quantity
are mentioned on the packets for branding and
building trust. Packaging is done with the aim
to create awareness among customers, build
recognition of products, support categorization
of products and make the packaging durable.
Target population: Target population of
products of THR units are mostly between the
ages of 3 to 6 years. However, the products
can be consumed by all age groups. Attractive
packaging is being used for innovative products
like ragi cookies, sorghum flour, bajra cookies,
ragi sev, mixture and cakes. For grain packaging,
clear transparent polythene is used so that the
product is visible. These products cater to the
general public.
Results: Consideration has been given on brand
awareness and seller recognition based on
location of business and scalability of business.
For example, the millet shakti café is based
in an urban area. Their millet-based products
have successfully merged in the market and
there has been a favourable demand for the
product. Although to not hamper the cost
and affordability of the product, expensive
packaging technology is yet not utilized by
any of the stakeholders. The basic, reasonable
and attractive packaging technique has been
successfully able to win trust of customers
within the target segment.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Being locally affordable and cost effective for
small scale enterprises, its scope of replicability
is favourable. As it does not use advanced
technology, this practice is scalable in the
long run. However, the practice still has scope
of development as millet and millet-based
products are in a developing stage. If there is
a provision of adding health and nutritional
benefits on the millet-based product, a class
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
98 of informed customers shall be created. Word
of mouth can play a major role in making the
products scalable.
Drivers of change: Simple technology,
affordable cost, transparent product visibility,
product preparation description, information
about involvement of Government and
necessary department and the shelf life of the
product are the key drivers of change.
Dilemma and barriers: The key barriers are trust
in the product as well as people’s perception.
The business is not readily recognized and is
competing with other products. The people
are also not usually aware about the millet
products. Packaging was a critical issue; when
done locally, people didn’t find the products
attractive, and when it was done properly,
people perceived the product as too expensive
to buy.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
scalability to cater to larger segments of
population using a cost-effective method has
been a unique approach. Product description
to a limited extent has been helpful to create
curiosity amongst customers and they are
willing to experiment on new products in similar
categories. The value addition has impacted
the lives of customers by adding a nutritional
product in their list. The entrepreneurs are
earning by making the products cost-effective.
Contact details: Dibyajyoti SHG (Café of
Sundargarh), Bisra block and local FPO,
Sundargarh, Odisha
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
99 Gender 
Sensitive Farm 
Mechanization - 
A Success Story 
of Mrs. Binodini 
Barwa of Radha 
Krishna SHG
Location: Sundergarh, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Radha Krishna Self Help Group
Summary: A SHG member from Kuarmunda
block overcame the barrier of technological
divide when she decided to step up and bridge
the gap between women and machines. Not
only did she empower herself, but her group
also drew inspiration from her.
Pitch: A SHG from Kuarmunda, Radha Krishna
SHG has members who are mostly uneducated.
They had never seen a Thresher machine
before, and when they were provided with one,
they immediately wanted to return the machine
and were reluctant to operate it. At that time
Mrs. Binodini Barwa, who was the President,
stepped up and went to Nuagaon block to
learn how to operate the thresher machine.
After coming back from Nuagaon block she
gave training to SHG with support from Odisha
Millets Mission block staff. OMM Staff also gave
quarterly refresher training to Radha Krishna
SHG.
Problem analysis: Kalosihiria is a tribal village
under Kalosihiria GP of Kuarmunda block
situated 9 km from the block headquarters. It
has 188 households (HHs), of which 90% are
tribal people who are dependent on agriculture
(paddy and ragi) and livestock for their income.
Farming is completely done manually, with no
machinery used or available nearby due to the
remoteness of the place. The initial introduction
of farm machinery was met with reluctance
from the SHG as it was treated as an alien
concept. Therefore, it was not acceptable to
them to utilise it regularly. They did not show
any confidence to learn in the first attempt.
Solution: The president Mrs. Binodini Barwa
of Radha Krishna SHG, showed her exceptional
confidence and stepped up to try and learn
about the machinery and its functionality.
OMM arranged a separate training in Nuagaon
block where it was already operational. After
her training, she gained confidence to operate
the machine and began to convince her team
members. OMM team helped her in providing
training to the other members of the SHG. As a
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
100 practice, OMM block staff started to train Radha
Krishna SHG on a quarterly basis so that they
could operate the machinery easily and were
self-dependent.
Target population: The target group were the
188 HHs of Kalosihiria village, which constitute
90% tribal population mostly dependent on
agriculture (paddy and ragi) and livestock as
their major source of income. Radha Krishna
SHG members became one group in the block
to adopt the machinery for post-harvest activity.
Results: In 2020, when Radha Krishna SHG
received thresher from OMM they started
cleaning ragi in the thresher which saved
farmers’ time. In the 2021 Kharif season, Radha
Krishna SHG cleaned 60 quintals of ragi and
earned around Rs. 21000/-in 20 days. In 2022
Kharif season, Radha Krishna SHG targeted 120
quintals including a nearby village with 955 HHs.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: This
case story is a good example of how individuals
can inspire, motivate, and build capacities of
groups to adopt changing technology with the
help of ground agencies. Regular follow ups also
help in building the confidence of the members.
The women associated with the group have
gained sufficient confidence to take over larger
machinery and new assignments as well. Such
training and snowball effect learning can trickle
down to other areas easily.
Drivers of change: Mrs. Binodini Barwa acted
as a driver of change not only for herself but
also for the group. OMM supported the process
and could find ways to anchor this change. The
provision of machinery for making the work
easy and more refined, as well as a chance to
learn and explore new things are the key factors
that helped empower these women.
Dilemma and barriers: Not having experience
in machinery, their reluctance, ignorance
and hesitation to use new things as well as
remoteness contributed to the task being
difficult to accomplish. The surety for everyone
to show the same courage and enthusiasm as
Binodini is difficult.
Novelty and innovation of solution : This
practice came with a manifold effect. It not only
opened the doors to explore new spheres of
work and overcome the hesitation and doubt
on their own capacity but also increased the
profit of the group. It sets up a good example
that showcases that the gap between women
and technology is gradually reducing.
Contact details: Radha Krishna Self Help
Group, Kalosihiria Gram Panchayat, Sundergarh,
Odisha
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
101 Promotion of 
Millet 
Based Recipes by 
Tribal Woman
Location: Balangir, Odisha, India
Institution: Youth Council for Development
Alternative (YCDA)
Summary: Padmabati Bariha, a tribal woman
from Odisha’s Balangir district is promoting
millet-based recipes in Odisha’s Balangir district.
Pitch: Padmabati Bariha is a tribal woman hailing
from Dhandamunda village in Khaprakhol block
of Balangir district. She is 41 years old and lives
with her husband and two children. She has
been associated with the SHG federation at GP
level. Apart from her household work, she works
with local women of SHGs. With the support of
Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), she has been
helping local SHG members learn different
millet-based recipes and earn income from
selling the same to customers. She has been
also instrumental in organizing food festivals
and promotion of traditional cuisine and crops
like millets in rural areas.
Problem: Women in tribal areas of Balangir
mostly engage in agriculture work and
supplement their household income through
collection and selling minor forest produce at
the local weekly market. With the support of
local NGOs, and OMM, women in the district like
Padmabati have been able to set benchmarks.
She is not only able to instill confidence among
local women SHGs to prepare a range of millet-
based recipes, but also enable them to earn
more through selling millet food items. After
being able to supplement their household
income from millets-based food items, these
women are now more confident and actively
taking part in major decision making at their
household and community level.
Solution: To create awareness on increasing
household level millet consumption, YCDA
had organized a two-day training session on
millet recipe preparation in September 2019.
10 identified SHG members were trained
as millet recipe masters and Padmabati
Bariha was amongst them. After the training,
Padmabati trained 9 more SHG members,
facilitated awareness campaigns, food festivals
and participated in the Block level Krushi
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
102 Sampark Mela at Khaprakhol and District
level Lok Mahotsav at Balangir. During these
programmes, she and her colleagues prepared,
sold, and served several types of millet recipes
to the people and also sensitized them about
the benefits of millets consumption.
Target population: Target groups under the
initiative are women belonging to marginalized
groups such as scheduled tribes, other
backward caste communities and often single
women. They are working in collectives such as
SHGs and leading millet-based small-scale food
enterprises to supplement their household
income. This also helps them enhance their
social dignity and instils a sense of self–
confidence to deal with multiple stakeholders
at community, block, and district level.
Results: After the training, Padmabati came to
know about the millet recipes like Mandia Bada,
Pakoda, Laddu, Jalebi, Malpua and Gurji Khir,
Khechudi etc. She has facilitated events as a
resource person for which she receives payment
from the project. She also got selected as SHG
leader and has become popular as a millet
recipe master. She constantly receives party
orders for supplying Mandia Jalebi, Malpua and
Laddu. For the last 3 months, she has earned
income of Rs. 4400 as a resource person and
Rs. 12000/-from 4 party orders.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Padmabati says that earlier she was only a
housewife, and nobody knew her, but due to
the mandia recipes, she has been recognized at
block level. Her work has been appreciated and
she has been felicitated at the Kansa Darbar,
Khaprakhol by the Kansa Maharaj.
As a result, BDO Khaprakhol assured her to
provide a stall for millet food selling which is
her dream.
Drivers of change: Training programmes on
millet-based recipes to local women SHGs
played a key role in mobilizing women to adopt
millet-based small-scale food enterprises.
This has enabled them to augment their
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
103 household income and has empowered them
to invest more on their health and childrens’
education. Learning from WSHGs-to-WSHGs
members through exposure visits and training
programmes also helped local NGOs to
effectively disseminate vital information among
the WSHG members. This has ensured smooth
functioning of their business and has helped
them make more profit.
Dilemma and barriers: Lack of financial
support often poses as a major barrier for
the local WSHGs to venture into business
enterprises. Also, lack of training and capacity
building programmes often limits their ability to
operate and manage income generating models.
However, with OMM assistance in the form of
interactive and practical training sessions on
millet recipe preparation, enterprise setup,
and management, these women SHGs are
now paving the way for other women in their
communities.
Novelty and innovation of solution :
Involving women resource persons in recipe
training programmes and promoting model
entrepreneurs like Padmabati and other local
WSHGs-led enterprises has boosted confidence
among the women members in the rural
area. Earlier, they used to consider millets as
traditional food only, but now OMM has given
them a new platform to harness rich dividends
from nutritious millet food enterprises. They
are showing keen interest to set up and expand
their millet enterprises in the locality.
Contact details: Youth Council for Development
Alternative, Rajendrapara, Near Dampara,
PO-Palaceline, Balangir, Dist-Balangir -767001,
Odisha, India, Tel: 06652–230231
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
104 Location: Balangir, Odisha, India
Institution: Youth Council for Development
Alternative NGO in collaboration with OMM
Summary: The traditional pearl millet is helping
tribal farmers in Balangir district of Odisha
increase income and food security.
Pitch: Arjun Prasad Gupta is a small farmer
hailing from Malpada village in Khaprakhol
block of Balangir district. He lives in the village
with his family members and his main source
of income is farming. Arjun has 3 acres of land,
out of which he cultivates paddy in 1 acre and
cotton in 2 acres. Besides farming, he does not
have any other alternative income sources.
However, due to erratic rainfall and prolonged
dry spells, farmers like Arjun incurred crop
damages several times. Local NGO YCDA in
collaboration with Odisha Millets Mission (OMM)
introduced pearl millet in rural villages. Millets
are highly climate resilient and can withstand
water scarcity conditions. Arjun was the first
farmer in his village to grow pearl millet after
receiving training and seed support under the
OMM programme.
Problem analysis: Arjun was cultivating cotton
for the last 10 years in the same field. Earlier,
cotton was profitable, but since the last 2 to 3
years with increasing cost of cultivation and low
productivity, the crop has been failing. Erratic
rainfall also affected the crop productivity and
reduced yield of cotton. Arjun was not able to
earn enough to take care of his family. To tackle
such challenges, OMM in collaboration with the
district agriculture department, local NGOs and
technical experts, introduced a millet revival
programme. This has improved farmer’s climate
resilience, food security, and their household
income.
Solution: With the support of OMM, in 2021-22,
the millet promotion program extended to the
village Malpada, and Arjun was encouraged to
cultivate pearl millet. He cultivated pearl millet
in 2 acres of land, replacing cotton. Technical
guidance and seed support was provided to him.
He also attended training Crop that Increased
Income and Food Security among Tribal
Pearl 
Millet: 
A Crop that 
Increased Income 
and Food Security 
among Tribal 
Farmers
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
105 program on improved agronomic practices. The
program technical team made multiple visits to
monitor the crop. Arjun followed the SoP for the
pearl millet cultivation. He ensured proper seed
treatment with Beejamarut and applied Handi
Khata twice during weeding. A farmer field day
was conducted at Arjun’s pearl millet crop stand
where more than 50 farmers participated and
saw a field demonstration of pearl millet.
Target population: Small-scale farmers received
training and capacity building programmes
on improved agronomic, seed treatment and
organic way of soil enrichment methods to
boost their production and yield.
Results: Arjun harvested 14 quintals of pearl
millet grain which was worth Rs 31500. The cost
of cultivation was Rs. 12,000, and he earned a
net profit of Rs. 19500. Arjun kept 4 quintals
of grain for his own consumption and seed
purpose, and the rest of the grain was sold
in the market. He also got Rs 2000 from the
agriculture department as an incentive.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
After seeing the success of Arjun, many farmers
in the area have adopted pearl millet farming in
the district. Pearl millet needs less inputs, and
is less labour-intensive unlike cotton, leading to
farmers increasing their cropping area under
pearl millet. Gradually, pearl millet is emerging
as a high value crop, which can also withstand
climate change, less rainfall among small-scale
farmers in the area. This initiative is easy to
replicate.
Drivers of change: Arjun and his family
members are happy that they are growing a
crop which they can consume daily throughout
the year and get more income than the previous
crop. Arjun has been recognized as a progressive
farmer in the area and many farmers come to
him to know about the crop. During the crop
period, many visitors also came and appreciated
his effort. In the coming year, he has planned to
upscale the pearl millet cultivation and mobilize
other farmers.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
106 Dilemma and barriers: Since market price
for traditional crops like pearl millet is low,
farmers often show reluctance to grow it in
their farm. OMM, in collaboration with the local
NGOs, and progressive farmers like Arjun have
been mobilizing farmers and sensitizing them
about the multiple benefits of millet cultivation,
reflecting its climate resilient qualities, rich
nutrition content and longer storage quality.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Result
demonstration and on-field training for farmers
has been one of the key factors that has
ensured quality outcomes under the initiatives.
Encouraging progressive farmers like Arjun
also motivated and convinced other farmers
in the area to adopt cultivation of pearl and
other millets in their farms. This has resulted in
better yield, improved household income, and
ensured intake of nutritious millet-based food
at the household level
Contact details: Youth Council for Development
Alternative, Rajendrapara, Near Dampara,
PO-Palaceline, Balangir, District-Balangir
-767001, Odisha, India, Tel: 06652 – 230231
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
107 Sample Household 
Survey for 
Preparing Prevailing 
Benchmark Price for  
Little 
Millet
 and 
Foxtail 
Millet
  
for Justifying MSP
Location: Kalahandi, Gajapati, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Odisha University of Agriculture
and Technology
Summary: Among the millets, ragi has been
covered under Minimum Support Price (MSP)
programme by the Governmentof India.
However, for minor millets (little millet and foxtail
millet), there has been no MSP declaration.
Pitch: For estimation of benchmark price
of little millet, the survey was conducted
in 6 major districts of Odisha, viz. Koraput,
Nuapada, Gajapati, Rayagada, Kandhamal and
Kalahandi. The area is selected based on the
implementation of the Odisha Millet Mission
(OMM) in the district during the initial phases
of its inception in 2017. From the survey it was
found out that by adapting better agronomic
practices from OMM, the yield of millets has
increased in the last two years. Even though
they have surplus production of minor millets,
there was no MSP for them, and hence were
sold to local traders at a lower price.
Problem analysis: Little millet and foxtail
millet are majorly cultivated in Nuapada,
Kalahandi, Koraput, Kandhamal, Gajapati,
Rayagada districts of Odisha in solo, inter-and
mixed-cropping system. The tribal farming
communities have been cultivating millets since
their forefathers for their own consumption
and selling purpose. Due to its lower yield in the
traditional practice, the marketable surplus is
less. These two millets are highly nutritious, rich
in fiber and micro-nutrients and are very much
suitable for rainfed and dry land agriculture in
the era of changing climate. They are resistant
to disease and pests and require very few
inputs. But there is no MSP declared for these
two millets neither by the Centre nor by the
State. There is a need to justify study to decide
the MSP at state level which should be done
by State Agriculture Universities or research
organizations.
Solution: The demand from farmers,
CDAOs, Academicians, FPOs, SHGs came for
procurement of little millet and foxtail millet
surplus. Series of discussions were held with the
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
108 Department of Agriculture & Food Production,
WASSAN, OUAT, SSTL, OSSC, TDCCOL and other
allied departments. The responsibility was given
to OUAT to work with WASSAN for an immediate
survey in potential little millet and foxtail
millet districts with an objective to provide the
provisional estimate of benchmark price as well
as cost of cultivation and cost of production of
little millet and foxtail millet of sample farmers
based on survey of past two years of selected
tribal districts of Odisha. For Koraput, Nuapada,
Gajapati, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, little
millet was selected, whereas for and Gajapati,
Rayagada, Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts,
foxtail millet was selected. A group of B.Sc.
students were trained on OMM activities in
those districts and their field-visit for the study
was organized. The OUAT has developed a
standard survey format on cost of cultivation
and cost of production. WASSAN has provided a
list of farmers cultivating little millet and foxtail
millet during 2020-21 and 2021-22. Out of the
list, 100 farmers were randomly selected for
interview from 10 GPs of 5 blocks of 5 districts
in case of little millet and 80 farmers from 8 GPs
of 4 blocks for foxtail millet.
Target population: The target groups are
small and marginal farming communities. The
line sowing of little millet and foxtail millet,
application of adequate FYM, timely application
of liquid manure like Jeevamrutha and Handi
Khata, thinning & gap filling, and weeding at
15-days interval increased the productivity of
the millets from 3 to 5 qtl/ha to 8 to 10 qtl/
ha. OMM has trained women-SHGs to prepare
different-types of value-added-products like
kangu kheer, suan upma to enhance household
income. Providing a thresher and multi-grain
mini-flour mill saves time and drudgery. The
benchmark price will help SHGs/ FPOs sell their
produce to Government Mand is with MSP price
which is 20-25% more than the local price.
Results: Based on the two years’ data collected
from the 100 and 80 respondents during the
survey, the prevailing benchmark price was
proposed to be Rs. 4282/qtl for little millet and Rs.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
109 4161/qtl. for foxtail millet, which is 20-25% more
than local price. It will reduce the middleman
intervention and engage FPOs for aggregating
marketing. After submission of the report by
OUAT, the Agriculture Commission Committee
will decide the MSP for both little millet and
foxtail millet for the state. In 2020, similar
activities were conducted by the Chhattisgarh
Government to fix the MSP for Kodo millet for
tribal areas of Chhattisgarh. Once the MSP will
be fixed by the state Government, there will be
an increase in area under little millet and foxtail
millet cultivation, employment generation in
the agriculture sector and availability of raw
materials for value added products.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
benchmark survey will solve the problems of
marketing for non-MSP commodities for small
and marginal farmers. The area under cultivation
for minor millets is expected to expand to other
districts of Odisha past the declaration of MSP
by the state. The raw materials will be easily
available to the food industry to prepare the
value-added products. Involvement of FPOs
in the aggregating marketing process will
increase their marketing ability and bargaining
power. Accurate costing allows more informed
agronomic and financial decisions to be
made. This in turn helps businesses overcome
challenges posed by changes in commodity
prices and input costs, Government policy,
tighter regulations, or shifting pest and disease
threats.
Drivers of change: The rainfed areas, soil
types and different types of land categories are
major factors behind cultivation of the crop.
These two millets are cultivated mainly by tribal
farming communities where women are taking
the major role from sowing to harvesting and
post harvesting. So, more women farmers will
be benefited for this benchmark price. B. Sc.
(Ag) graduates were involved and guided by the
OUAT professors for collection of information,
data compilation and report. The respondents
properly understood the purpose of the
study and answered, so that the data has a
high accuracy level. Data on cost of inputs,
household-labour, hired-labour, bullock-labour
etc. is crucial for getting the benchmark price.
Dilemma and barriers: The benchmark survey
should be carried out every year to determine
the MSP for Kharif & Rabi considering the
market fluctuation and cost of production.
The State Government should continue the
study before the season starts, as MSP is
generally announced by the Government at the
beginning of the sowing season. Delay in the
study will lead to delay in all processes. The
factors like cost of production, changes in input
prices, input-output price parity, demand and
supply, inter-crop price parity, effect on cost
of living, effect on general price level, effect on
issue prices and implications for subsidy are
to be considered for calculation of benchmark
price of minor millets as these values change
over time.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
Minimum Support Prices is a guaranteed price
for their produce from the Government. The
major objectives are to support the farmers
from distress sales and procure food grains
for public distribution. In case the market price
for the commodity falls below the announced
minimum price due to bumper production
and glut in the market, Government agencies
purchase the entire quantity offered by the
farmers at the announced minimum price.
Similarly, the State Government’s decision on
MSP for little millet and foxtail millet is a wise
decision to help the tribal farming communities
get fair prices at their doorstep.
Contact details: Odisha University of Agriculture
and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar-751003
Odisha, India. Email: registrarouat@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
110 Farmers Producer 
Organization as 
a Procurement 
Agency under 
Odisha 
Millets 
Mission
Location: Malkangiri, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Saveri Setu Farmers Producer
Organisation
Summary: To promote farmers’ organizations
in agriculture value chain development, FPOs
supported under the Odisha Millets Mission
(OMM) are empaneled as procurement agencies
for ragi procurement in addition to or instead
of LAMPCS and PACS in selected blocks of the
programme areas under OMM.
Pitch: The Saveri Setu FPO provided a range
of services to farmers by spreading village-
level awareness campaigns, registering millet
growing farmers on MPAS online portal and
hosting Ragi Procurement Centre (mandis). The
entire procurement operation was decentralized
from earlier one or two societies in a block to
multiple points in a cluster of GPs this year. Ragi
aggregation points were set up at the village/GP,
where farmers brought their ragi to be tested
for FAQ and get it packed. The TDCCOL checks
quality, lifts the produce and initiates payment
to farmers directly from decentralized mandi
points, thereby reducing overall transaction
costs for farmers.
Problem analysis: The main problems were
less farmer registration and low procurement in
non-programme areas. This initiative was taken
to increase the outreach of the ragi procurement
initiative of Government of Odisha to the
doorstep of the farmers. The empaneling of
FPO as a procurement agency helped bridge the
gap between the village and procurement point
and motivated the FPC to reach the doorstep of
the farmers. The community resource persons
of the FPC have been instrumental in facilitating
the registration of farmers and after surplus
generation.
Solution: It solves the problem of registration
of farmers which in turn increases farmers’
coverage and the procurement of finger millets
at the village level. More farmers have been
registered under this initiative. It helped create
awareness on ragi and hosted the procurement
centers in the vicinity of potential Farmers
Producer Organization as a Procurement
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
111 Agency under production areas. The produce
was packed in the aggregation center itself
which helped in early transport of the ragi to
the TDCCOL godown. In the Kharif Marketing
Season 2021-2022, the FPC has procured
9323.47 qtl. in Mathili block of the Malkangiri
district.
Target population: The target groups are
the millet farmers who have been engaged
in the cultivation of finger millets for a long
time. Village wise farmers were identified, and
Community Resource Person facilitated the
process of farmers’ registration for the ragi
procurement. They have registered the farmers’
Panchayat wise and submitted the forms to
the FPC office. FPC digitized the form, and it
helped generate the surplus for the farmers
which in turn helped the farmers sell at the
ragi procurement centres and get the amount
through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode
within 7 days of the procurement.
Results: Millets provide food and nutritional
security at household level. It enhances
household income by disposing the surplus to
the market distributors/wholesalers/retailers
in nearby markets. In the past, the farmers
were not able to get the right price for their
produce in the local market and there was a lot
of exploitation by the private traders. However,
owing to the intervention by the Government
towards promoting and strengthening the
FPOs, Saveri Setu Producer Company is offering
a range of services to the farmers, leading to
growth in ragi procurement and enhancement
of farmer income.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Millets have enormous marketing potential;
also, they offer tremendous scope for
commercial scale cultivation in tribal areas in
Odisha. Millet is a perennial product and is
used extensively in many food preparations.
Millet also has more nutritional value and is
used in many households. The exports of these
products have also increased manifold in recent
times. In view of the increasing application of
these products in the various food and allied
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
112 industries in the country and abroad, there is a
good scope for large scale millet cultivation and
market linkages through various entrepreneurs.
Drivers of change: The CRP engaged under
the FPC have been the driving force behind
the implementation of this initiative. They have
basically identified the village wise farmers,
collected the documents, filled up the application
forms for the farmers and submitted the forms
at the FPC office. They have also played a key
role in awareness raising of this initiative at
the village level. After surplus generation, they
informed the farmers regarding the same and
it helped them bring the exact quantity of ragi
to the procurement center and enabled them
to get the price within 7 days of selling the ragi
at the procurement centers. A positive thought
by the Odisha Government of focusing on
promoting and strengthening the FPOs which
aims to follow a low risk-low reward strategy
than a high risk-high reward one is also a driver
of change.
Dilemma and barriers: Lack of recognition of
women as farmers, access to credit, know-how
to maximize productivity in small patches of
land, critical irrigation facilities in drought prone
areas, long dry spells, remote project locations,
no collective bargaining power and distress sale
and exploitations by middlemen due to lack of
knowledge about market are some of the key
barriers in the system.
Novelty and innovation of solution: This is the
first intervention by a State Government where
millets are being procured through FPO. The
Saveri Setu FPO has welcomed this development
and hopes to get space in other Government
operations as well where FPO can provide a
better quality of service for the Government
and the end user-be it farmers or consumers.
Based on the outcomes of the intervention, it
is expected that a similar procurement model
can be implemented in other crops to increase
the basket of Government procurement at MSP.
This will provide an assured price guarantee on
main food crops to a farmer while also reducing
the cost incurred to sell the produce.
Contact details: Saveri Setu Farmers Producer
Organisation, Mathili Block, Malkangiri, Odisha
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
113 Community-
Managed Seed 
Centres (CMSCs) 
Improving Yield 
with Resilient 
Seeds
Location: Rayagada, Odisha, India
Institution: Maa Tarini SHG, Rayagada Farmers
Producer Organization, Kalyansingpur and
NIRMAN organization.
Summary: In 2020, a community-based seed
center called ‘Maa Sitalama SHG Seed Centre’
was established in Budaguda village with the
support of OMM and NIRMAN. The center stores
and conserves different varieties of indigenous
seeds and provides them to farmers during
Kharif and Rabi seasons, helping improve millet
cultivation.
Pitch: FA staff interacted with farmers on various
improved agronomic practices like System of
Millet Intensification (SMI), Line Transplanting
(LT), Line Sowing (LS), seed purification,
conservation, and seed multiplication to
increase millet productivity. However, farmers
were initially not following these practices, so
multiple trainings and awareness campaigns
were conducted to emphasize the importance
of quality seeds and these practices. Seed
conservation training programs were also
conducted to teach farmers how to collect and
store indigenous seeds.
Problem: The key problem was that farmers
were not using improved agronomic practices,
such as SMI, LT, and LS to enhance production
and productivity. Additionally, managing the
seed centre was challenging, from identifying
and treating the seed to connecting with a large
number of farmers to sell the seeds.
Solution: To solve these issues, the
management team collaborated with Rayagada
Farmers’ Producer Company Ltd. to produce a
particular variety of seeds in the farmers’ fields,
which were graded, treated, and packaged
before being stored in the seed centre. FPO
started promoting the use of indigenous seeds
for millet cultivation, and in 2022, collected 27
quintals of seed from ten farmers from various
villages of Kalyansinghpur block. SHG members
helped grade and treat the seeds in the seed
centre, and FPO sold 24.5 quintals of seed to
local farmers at affordable prices for better
millet practices in the blocks.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
114 Target population: In the last Kharif season,
500 small and marginal farmers received
indigenous seeds from the Seed Management
Centre and benefitted from the program. The
farmers involved in seed production sold their
ragi seeds to the FPO at Rs. 36,000 per quintal.
The Seed Management SHG members were
also benefitted by supporting the FPO in seed
center management.
Results: The Seed Management Centre provided
24.5 quintals of treated indigenous seed to 500
small and marginal farmers. The FPO earned a
profit of Rs. 3,300/-through the seed business.
Ten seed production farmers also benefitted
from the FPO by selling their seeds at Rs.
36,000 per quintal. Other local farmers are
visiting and learning about seed conservation
and understanding the process of proper seed
storage from the Seed Management Centre.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Unavailability of quality seeds at the appropriate
time during the cropping season is a common
concern in all regions. The CMSC is one solution
to address this issue. As per the unique feature
of OMM, the choice of seed and crop is decided
and managed by the farmer and community
itself. Such seed centers need to be expanded
to help all farmers access good quality seeds.
The Rayagada Farmer Producer Organization
plans to collaborate with women SHG members
to expand the CMSC across the blocks where
millets are being promoted and connect to
every farmer household through a Direct-to-
Customer business model.
Drivers of change: The Seed Centre’s
management by the local FPO/WSHGs/ farmers
convinced farmers to procure seeds from the
CMSC. The cluster-level approach played a
crucial role in reaching out to the maximum
number of small and marginal farmers. The
barter system was a key weapon for successfully
implementing the program. As farmers do not
possess money during the cropping season, it
was agreed to give equivalent produce in terms
of grains after production.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
115 Dilemma and barriers: The key barriers faced
by the CMSC were difficulty in grading, safely
storing and preserving the seeds. Collection
and implementing proper practices in seed
production fields were also a challenge. In
the initial stage, it was difficult to motivate
farmers to adopt and cultivate ragi from the
seeds produced in the seed production fields.
Lack of knowledge about proper conservation,
management, and safe storage led to farmers
mixing seeds and giving ungraded seeds to seed
centers. After multiple trainings, awareness
campaigns, and demonstrations, the CMSC
managed to conserve proper seeds for the seed
center.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
seed centre is managed by ten women SHG
members of Budaguda village associated with
Rayagada Farmer Producer Company Ltd.
and Nirman Organization. The seed centre
not only provides quality seeds but also helps
the farmers in the development of agronomic
organic millet practices through the participation
of all farmers. Through the FPO collaboration,
farmers can easily purchase treated seeds at
reasonable prices and sell their seed produce.
The FPO is also successfully running a seed
business and earning profits, which is divided
between all shareholders annually.
Contact details: NIRMAN, Liaision Office, s-2/15–
Niladrivihar, P.O-Sailashrivihar, Bhubaneswar
765021, Odisha. Email– pintumajhi641@gmail.
com
Editor’s note: Different CBOs, FA, FPOs, SHGs,
and NGOs are promoting CMSCs across Odisha
under OMM.
In Keonjhar district – (1) Dasery Producer Company
Limited (DPCL) (Community Based Organization)
and Saunta Gaunta Foundation (SGF) (FA)
In Raygada district – (1) Siridi SAI SHG in
association with Prabahat Organization and the
Gudari Farmers Producer Organization.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
116 Organic Production 
and Certification of  
Local 
Millets
  
in Uttarakhand
Location: Uttarakhand, India
Institution: Agriculture Department,
Governmentof Uttarakhand
Summary: In Uttarakhand, farmers in hilly
regions primarily grow local crops like finger
millet, barnyard millet, and Amaranthus. The
organic production and certification of these
millets is being done under various Centrally
Sponsored Schemes, including the RKVY-
Organic Programme covering 70,240 hectares,
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
covering 1657 clusters (33,140 hectares), and
Namami Gange Programme in 620 clusters
(12,400 hectares).
Pitch: Millets are primarily grown in the hilly
regions of Uttarakhand, which are naturally
organic. These crops are highly nutritious and
have medicinal values, requiring less water and
inputs, and are better suited for water-stressed
and drought-prone conditions. The Central
Government has declared traditional crops
like finger millet, barnyard millet, amaranthus,
and buckwheat as nutri-cereals due to their
nutritional and medicinal value. However,
earlier, there was no organic certification
or documentation for these crops, forcing
farmers to sell their produce as normal crops.
With organic certification, farmers can sell
their produce at higher prices, making organic
certification a potential source of income for
farmers in the hilly regions.
Problem Analysis: Previously, the average
selling price was 40-50% lower than the Minimum
Support Price, making it difficult for farmers to
make ends meet. The lack of collection centres
and processing facilities caused delays in
procurement and supply, affecting the quality
of the produce. Additionally, farmers were
unaware of the value-added by-products of
millets, which are in great demand.
Solution: After Government intervention
through various schemes, such as RKVY-Organic,
PKVY, and Namami Gange, cluster-based organic
farming has led to bulk production of these
millets. Farmers can now sell their produce as
organic produce at a 20-30% premium. The State
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
117 Agriculture University GBPUA&T, Pantnagar,
and Central Research Institute Vivekanand
Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthaan (VPKAS)
have developed improved resistant varieties of
millets for the Himalayan and North-Eastern
states. These improved varieties have been
introduced under various schemes, benefitting
farmers. The Government also provides organic
inputs like manure, bio-fertilizers, and bio-
pesticides to facilitate organic farming. Private
entrepreneurs, under different Government-
sponsored schemes, have started making
value-added products from millets, such as
biscuits, cakes, namkeens, and momos. These
value-added products have been well received
within and outside the state. In recent years,
the cultivation of millets has increased as better
market prices are being offered to farmers.
Target population: The target audience
includes small and marginal farmers. As part of
the PKVY and Namami Gange Programs, groups
of 40 to 50 farmers with a combined land area of
20 ha. have been formed to register under the
PGS portal for Organic Certification. Similarly,
under the RKVY program, a group consisting
of 50-500 ha. of land has been formed to
register under NPOP Organic Certification
(third party). The Agriculture Department and
Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board (UOCB)
have made several efforts to facilitate forward
linkage activities, such as buyer-seller meets,
website advertising, promotion activities, and
development activities to generate interest
amongst wholesalers in the millet supply chain.
These projects are being implemented according
to the duration sanctioned by the Govt. of India.
Results: The certification of organic farming
practices under RKVY–Organic, PKVY, and
Namami Gange schemes, along with capacity
building of farmers, has brought about
significant changes. Linking farmers with
organic buyers, mandi, and cooperatives for the
marketing of their produce has helped them
secure better prices. Efforts are underway to
provide farmers with premium prices for their
organic products and to train them in the value
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
118 addition of their produce. Presently, organic
production and certification of millets cover a
total of about 1.16 lakh ha. of land. Farmers
are receiving a premium price of 20-25% for
organic millets compared to the market rate. To
facilitate the marketing of organic products, 430
organic outlets are being developed at main
tourist places such as Char Dham yatra route,
railway station, airport, main religious places,
and markets.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Organic millet production, especially finger
millet, has a lot of potential as it is being
traditionally practiced organically. Therefore,
there is a great opportunity for scaling up and
replicating this success in other regions.
Drivers of change: The key drivers of change
are the organic certification of products, the
availability of improved traditional millet
varieties, and organic inputs, and local
entrepreneurship development for producing
millet products.
Dilemma and barriers: The average selling
price was very low compared to the MSP, and the
lack of collection centers made the procurement
and supply process very challenging and time-
consuming. The Uttarakhand Government,
through the RKVY-Organic, PKVY, and Namami
Gange Programs, promoted cluster-based
organic farming, resulting in bulk production of
millets, which helped farmers fetch premium
prices for their millet produce.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
certification of organic millets cultivated in
hilly regions is helping farmers improve their
incomes and strengthen the millet value chain.
Contact details: Directorate of Agriculture,
Krishi Bhawan, Nanda-Ki-Chowki, Premnagar,
Dehradun-248007, Uttarakhand. E-mail: dir.
agri.uttarakhand@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
119 Apna Bakery 
Manufacturing 
Ragi  
Based Bakery 
Goods
Location: Dangs, Gujarat, India
Institution: Aga Khan Rural Support Programme
India (AKRSPI) and Ridhi Sidhi Self-Help Group
(SHG)
Summary: Apna Bakery is a millet-based
enterprise operated by tribal women in Dangs,
Gujarat. The bakery produces and sells healthy
delicacies made of finger millet, which is a first-
of-its-kind business in Gujarat. The bakery is
owned by the Ridhi Sidhi Self Help Group (SHG)
and supported by Aga Khan Rural Support
Programme India (AKRSPI). The enterprise has
played a significant role in developing various
millet-based baked products, promoting millet
processing among local tribal communities and
tourists, and creating a successful business that
can be adopted by other tribal women.
Pitch: Finger millet is a low-cost traditional crop
grown extensively in Dangs, Gujarat. As the
district did not have any millet processing unit,
the demand for millet was low. Apna Bakery
identified this as an opportunity and is now
producing ragi-based delicacies like biscuits,
chakri, shakarpara, toast, makhaniya, Nagli
papad. With a simple problem-solving approach,
it has created a three-pronged impact: income
generation activities for tribal women, creation
of a market for locally produced millets, and
healthy snacking alternatives for the masses.
Problem: Apna Bakery is solving two
problems. The first is the declining trend of
millet consumption and production, and the
second is the lack of employment for tribal
women in Dangs, Gujarat. Almost 95% of the
tribal population of Dangs is dependent on
agriculture. The local community depends on
rainfed agriculture and practices subsistence
farming. Given the agro-climatic condition,
millets are the most suited crop for the area;
however, over the years, rice took over millet.
Commercial promotion of rice and lack of
processing to increase the shelf life or create
value-added millet products amplified the
problem. Juxtaposed with this problem is the
condition of tribal women who had to resort to
agricultural labor at low wages due to the lack
of decent employment avenues. This impacts
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
120 their life both economically and socially. When
viewed in conjunction, the problems expose
the need for creating an income-generating
opportunity where tribal women promote millet
production.
Solution: Apna Bakery is using an entrepreneurial
approach to solve the problem of low demand
for millets while creating employment for
tribal women in Dangs. The bakery works on
a minimal and solution-oriented strategy. Ten
enterprising tribal women, who have been part
of a village Self Help Group in Nadagkhedi,
with the support of AKRSPI, worked together
to bake millet-based products. They source
millet locally and process them using basic
commercial baking machinery. These products
are packaged and sold under the registered
label of “Apna Bakery” in local markets as well
as delivered to nearby towns, including Surat,
Ahmedabad, Saputara, and Pune. The women
have established a payment system wherein
each woman is paid Rs. 200 per day, and any
additional profit after payment is invested
back into the business. This ensures that the
business has running capital and is constantly
saving to expand. This women-run business
has established a value chain for millets,
benefiting the local farmers. Additionally, it is
also providing healthier snacking alternatives
and motivating women to innovate and venture
into self-employment.
Target population: The primary target group
of the initiative is ten tribal women of the Self
Help Group (SHG).
Results: The Apna Bakery has a monthly
turnover of Rs. 2-2.5 lakh, which has helped
the WSHG earn a regular income of Rs. 6000-
8000 per month. The women have become
confident entrepreneurs and developed their
own unique identity as the “Bakery Sisters,”
setting an example for others. They have
learned to run a successful business, and the
impact of their success is trickling down to
the millet cultivators in the area who were
struggling to sell their produce. The bakery
serves as a market for locally produced millets,
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
121 and is driving a tiny agricultural revolution in
the village. The women’s hard work has been
recognized by Y4D India Conclave, NRLM, and
District Development Authority.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Currently, the unit has an annual turnover of Rs.
24-30 lakhs and provides an average monthly
income of Rs. 6000-8000 to ten women. The
Apna Bakery’s functioning is based on a simple
model of collaboration between community
members with the support of a social welfare
organization. The model finds its base in
village-level institutions with an entrepreneurial
approach, and the results of the model have
been improving progressively. The bakery’s
growth in the past five years testifies to its
potential to scale up and create large-scale
impact. The basic strategy and business plan
make this solution fit for replication with a
range of target groups in any millet producing
part of the world.
Drivers of change: Apna Bakery owes its
success primarily to the unending spirit and
exceptional coordination of the group of women
running it. The women, known as the “Bakery
Sisters,” persevered in the face of challenges
and created an innovative product line that
generates income while creating a stable value
chain for finger millets. Timely identification
of opportunity and correct understanding of
the market have been key to their progress.
Apna Bakery constantly works on diversifying
its products and experimenting with new
marketing ideas to keep up with the dynamic
times. Additionally, the handholding support
provided by AKRSPI at various junctures,
including establishment, training, packaging,
and market linkages, has also been helpful.
Dilemmas and barriers: Started in 2017,
Apna Bakery faced several challenges, such
as the initial setup cost of around Rs. 7.5
lakhs, which was a big amount for the group,
but AKRSPI supported them with the initial
cost and setup the units. Some people also
tried to scare them by quoting an inaccurate
and very high setup cost for a commercial
electricity connection. The group had to brave
these pressures and persevere. Initially, as the
group was experimenting with recipes and
learning to operate the machinery, there were
frequent episodes of spoilage, but trainings
were organized by AKRSPI to streamline the
production process. Being new to the business
world, it was anticipated that it would be difficult
for Apna Bakery to secure orders and fulfil them
on time, but constant handholding support was
given by AKRSPI. COVID-19 was tough for the
bakery as they lost various orders, making it
hard to sustain the unit.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Apna
Bakery is currently the only business selling
millet-based snacks in Dangs district. Its product
line includes unique delicacies like nagli biscuits,
nagli chakri, nagli shakarpara, nagli toast, nagi
makhaniya, and nagli papad. By offering diverse
range of baked goods made of wholesome
nagli instead of unhealthy maida, the bakery is
becoming the flag bearer of change in the eating
habits of the community. It is also bringing the
traditionally grown millet crop to the forefront.
This women-led business is providing the crucial
service of bridging the gap between the farmer
and the market by sourcing its raw material
locally, processing and packaging it into finished
goods, and selling it in and around the district.
Hence, it is creating a stable value chain that
can benefit the farmers in the long run.
Contact details: Vivek Singh, AKRSPI, Ahmed-
abad, Gujarat. Email–vivek.singh@akdn.org
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
122 Development 
of Site-Specific 
Machinery, 
Partnerships, and 
Grassroots Action 
to Mainstream 
Small 
Millets  
in India
Location: 20 states in  
India and Nepal
Institution: Dhan Foundation
Summary: The Dhan Foundation developed
innovative and gender-neutral machinery, and
formed symbiotic partnerships to promote
small millet processing technologies, reduce the
drudgery of women, and improve nutritional
security in India. By focusing on enabling
environments, gender and inclusion, and
stakeholder partnerships, the project aimed
to scale up the processing of small millets and
reverse the decline in their cultivation and
consumption.
Pitch: The manual processing of small millet
grains using inefficient machines led to drudgery
and the gradual abandonment of small millet
cultivation and consumption, risking the
extinction of these important crops. Through
a holistic approach that included innovative
machinery, strategic partnerships, and
grassroots involvement, the Dhan Foundation
successfully promoted the consumption and
cultivation of small millets, potentially reversing
their decline.
Problem analysis: Inefficient primary processing
machinery hindered the mainstreaming of small
millets, with most machines provided in millet-
growing areas being designed for processing
paddy grains. These machines were not efficient
in processing millets due to differences in size
and shape, and there was also a mismatch
between power requirements and availability.
The younger generations’ reluctance to engage
in manual dehulling of small millets further
compounded the problem, causing in-house
consumption of small millets and area under
small millet cultivation to shrink.
Solution: To address this issue, the Dhan
Foundation developed custom-built, site-specific
machines that were simple to use, highly
efficient, and gender friendly. These included
single-phase/solar/petrol-driven small millet
hullers of various capacities, including India’s first
Tabletop Huller, as well as minor modifications
to other primary processing machines. They
collaborated with equipment manufacturers
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
123 to fabricate these machines in large numbers
and provided training and support to users.
As a result, these machines became popular
throughout the country, making the processing
of small millets easier and promoting their
cultivation and consumption.
Target population: The target groups positively
affected are the tribal population, especially
women in remote small millet-growing areas
who previously had to endure hardship in
manually processing small millet grains. The
availability of better machines has made
primary processing easy, and most marginalized
families and the poor, who used to sell their
entire harvest of small millets to intermediaries
and traders, have started to save some for their
own consumption. It has also opened up new
opportunities for the sale of millet rice and
other value-added products, which has helped
increase family income and stopped migration
for livelihood enhancement.
Results: The Dhan Foundation revived defunct
small millet processing units in Tamil Nadu,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
and Chhattisgarh and penetrated areas with no
small millet processing units with site-specific
machines in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam,
Tripura, Bihar, and U.P. Small millet cultivation
and processing on a pilot scale has started in
non-small millet growing areas like Punjab
with the help of Dhan Foundation's ecosystem.
Agricultural Universities, IIMR, and many KVKs
throughout the country have started promoting
small millets in their respective regions with
the help from the NGO’s solutions. As an
offshoot, some of their custom-built machines
were purchased by existing millet processors
to increase efficiency, have better quality
outputs and reduce cost. The tabletop hullers
have proved a boon to research scholars and
institutes working on millets as no machine was
previously available to dehull small quantities.
Many first-generation millet entrepreneurs have
come in the last few years, both in millet-growing
areas as well as in many cities throughout
the country with the help of this ecosystem.
They have given support to beneficiaries in
seventy-eight districts of twenty states in India
and Nepal, thereby increasing the processing
capacity throughout the countries by 46,713
MTs per year.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The solution of creating decentralized
primary processing units by learning about
the unique problems of the particular site
and making appropriate commercially viable
machinery with after-sales services and strong
handholding support to the beneficiaries during
the installation and commercial run period
has shown results. Creating an ecosystem of
institutions, beneficiaries, grassroot workers,
consultants, entrepreneurs, fabricators,
extension workers, and marketing agencies
to support from the concept stage to the
implementation stage has helped in the success
of this solution. This holistic solution has the
potential for upscaling and replication in even
small regions or states across countries. The
only constraint is that it takes time and effort
to create the ecosystem, sustain and nurture
it, and any of the constituent players becoming
idle or opting out can have a detrimental effect
on the solution. Thus, creating and sustaining an
ecosystem is key to upscaling and replicability
of this solution.
Drivers of change: The various factors crucial for
the success of this practice Include institutional
commitment, coordination, support, an able
leadership that could sense a problem being
resolved by working in a particular direction,
innovators who custom-built site-specific
commercially viable machinery, small-scale
fabricators who did not compromise on quality,
qualified and honest quality checking teams,
after-sales installation and training support,
good demonstrators and training staff, hand-
holding support from ground staff and central
team to the local processing units, incorporating
suggestions from peers, scientists, and
consultants working in the millet field, making
changes to machines and processes based on
actual practical results, proper selection of site
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
124 and suitable machinery, promotion of solutions
through word of mouth by well-wishers and
satisfied customers, promotion through
institutions, web, and other internet tools and
apps, and participation in exhibitions and fairs.
Dilemmas and barriers: The foundation faced
a dilemma when funding agencies for small
millet promotion stopped supporting them
in 2018. However, institutional support and
encouragement enabled them to continue
following their desired path. Despite their
efforts, no reputed manufacturers were willing
to fabricate machines according to their
specifications. Nevertheless, they overcame
this obstacle by collaborating with small-scale
fabricators who were committed to their strict
quality control standards. Once they ensured
the production of reliable machinery, the next
significant challenge was marketing these
machines. Initially, there was little enthusiasm
for small millet machinery because many
earlier machines failed to meet expectations.
However, through word-of-mouth publicity by
satisfied customers and live demonstrations at
exhibitions and fairs, they eventually succeeded.
Winning the National Siridhanya Award in 2019
for Best NGO also helped them promote their
solutions.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Previous attempts to mainstream small millets
had little success because they relied on one-
size-fits-all solutions that were time-constrained
and often resulted in inefficient and incompatible
machinery. Moreover, there was little effort to
install, run, or train locals on how to operate
the machinery. The foundation realized that a
complete ecosystem was needed to sustain the
initiative until the locals became empowered.
Their innovative approach was to develop
decentralized primary processing units instead
of large-scale ones, involving various players
from institutions, innovators, and fabricators
working with local staff and beneficiaries
to design site-specific commercially viable
machinery. Additionally, they provided capacity
building for beneficiaries until they were able to
operate the units independently. This solution
marked a significant departure from previous
attempts to promote small millets and proved
successful in addressing the challenges faced
by the community.
Contact details: DHAN Foundation, No 1 A,
Vaidyanathapuram East, Kennet Cross Road,
Madurai – 625 016. Email: smf@dhan.org
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
125 Implementation 
of Community 
Seed Banks and 
Seed Exchange 
by North-East 
Slow Food and 
Agrobiodiversity 
Society (NESFAS)
Location: East Khasi Hills, West 
Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi, and West 
Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India
Institution: North-East Slow Food and
Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS)
Summary: Community Seed Banks and Seed
Exchange initiatives are being implemented by
NESFAS to revitalize and rejuvenate production
of Digitaria sanguinalis (commonly known as
crabgrass, finger grass, and fonio), Eleusine
coracana (commonly known as finger millet),
Setaria italica (commonly known as foxtail
millet), Coix lacryma-jobi (commonly known as
job tears), and Pennisetum glaucum (commonly
known as pearl millet) in Meghalaya by
preserving agrobiodiversity and strengthening
the local food system.
Pitch: NESFAS conducted a participatory
mapping exercise with 32 communities in
Meghalaya and Nagaland to document the
agrobiodiversity present in both states. The
survey revealed an average of 202 food plants
recorded, including different species and
varieties of millets. The participatory ranking
exercise, which was part of the mapping, also
revealed that while the millets documented
were highly nutritious and climate-resilient, their
cultivation had declined in the last few decades.
NESFAS is working to revive its cultivation in
areas where it is declining and strengthen it
by increasing the diversity of varieties in areas
where it is still under cultivation.
Problem analysis: Till a couple of decades
ago, millet was an important staple crop for
the Khasi indigenous community. However,
due to the supply of cheap rice in the PDS
(Public Distribution System), the importance
of millet has declined, with other crops
replacing it, such as potato, maize, etc. At the
same time, the latest National Family Health
Survey (NFHS-5) indicates that Meghalaya
has continued to underperform in various
parameters. The figures under stunting are
most concerning, where the state figure of 46%
is worse than the national average, and half or
more of the children and adults are anaemic.
Climate change is also adversely affecting the
production of crops, especially potatoes, which
had replaced millet in many areas. Reviving and
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
126 strengthening the cultivation of millet can play a
big role in combating not only these symptoms
of malnutrition but also add resilience to
the local food system to help combat climate
change.
Solution: NESFAS established Community
Seed Banks (CSBs) in ten communities of East
Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi, and West
Garo Hills. These are managed by a committee
composed of knowledgeable farmers, most of
whom are women. Selection of seeds for storage
was based on three main criterias, viz., seeds
that were on the verge of disappearing, seeds
that had high resilience to climatic stress, and
seeds that were important from the economic
point of view. Millets were among the seeds
selected. While finger millet and job tears were
the main millet species selected for storing in
the seed banks located in East Khasi Hills, West
Jaintia Hills, and Ri Bhoi, foxtail millet was more
important in West Garo Hills. Connected with
the seed bank initiative, NESFAS also identified
and supported more than 800 individual
farmers who were keeping more than 15 seeds
and designated them as seed keepers. In certain
cases, when local seeds were not available
for storage, especially millet, for e.g., Digitaria
sanguinalis (commonly known as crabgrass,
finger grass and fonio) seed exchange programs
were held between communities. Participation
in seed exchange programs outside the state
was also used to get seeds of especially foxtail
millet to the farmers of East Khasi Hills.
Target population: Women farmers, especially
from low-income groups, are the main target for
this solution. They are part of the Community
Seed Bank Management Committee and
benefit through the sale of seeds. While the
individual seed banks are at different stages of
their development, at least one in West Jaintia
Hills has been able to build a strong network
of buyers who regularly purchase seeds of
different crops from them. In another case,
female members of a CSB in Ri Bhoi have
created a system of working together as a group
for hire. This, along with the sale of seeds, has
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
127 greatly benefited them. Indirectly, women
entrepreneurs in villages that have seed banks
benefit by preparing local snacks and selling
them. These are the benefits that the solution
has brought to low-income women farmers.
Results: NESFAS started their initiatives on
millet in 2010 from Nongtraw, a village in East
Khasi Hills which had almost discontinued the
practice. By starting seed exchanges between
neighbouring communities and with some
communities from Nagaland, the crop was
revived. Subsequently, a millet network was
formed which connected more than a dozen
villages in East Khasi Hills and West Garo
Hills district. In 2017, six communities with
Mawkynrew Block, East Khashi Hills also joined
together to revive millets. With the need to reach
more villages and areas, since 2018, Community
Seed Banks were established in 10 villages. In
2020 when the pandemic brought about a lot of
restrictions, 8 more villages in Ri Bhoi decided
to revive millets by sourcing seeds through
seed exchange. Dewlieh, a village in East Khasi
Hills also decided to do the same. Both the
number of households and production of millet
increased as a result. Since the establishment
of the seed bank, they started playing a very
important role in supplying seeds to households
and communities that had lost millet. Just in the
Khatarshnong Block of East Khasi Hills, 13 out
of the 46 villages have started growing millets
after the intervention. But the intervention is
not limited only to millets, and includes other
crops as well. Overall, the seed exchange and
community seed bank initiatives are meant
to counter the threat of the loss of traditional
seeds, including millets, and strengthen the
local food system.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
As mentioned above, the 2018 participatory
mapping exercise conducted by NESFAS in 32
villages of Meghalaya and Nagaland reported
an average of 202 food plants. Millets, an
important starchy staple, were reported from
more than half of the villages. Of the reported
species and varieties, Digitaria sanguinalis is
an endemic specie found only in the Khasi
Hills. At the same time, it is also among the
most threatened specie. For revitalizing and
encouraging millet cultivation, the main solution
proposed, i.e., the Community Seed Banks, are
not very difficult to establish and include the
scope of incorporating traditional methods of
seed keeping and preservation, which is still very
strong. The seed exchange, which formalizes a
long-standing community practice, is a feasible
solution. Meghalaya has over 6,000 villages,
and at least a quarter of them are estimated to
still cultivate millet (but are under threat or in
decline). Thus, there is significant potential for
replicability and scalability of the initiative.
Drivers of change: The success of the initiative
is largely due to the high agrobiodiversity
already present in the region, which includes
millet as part of the traditional farming system.
Millet has been on the decline, and the seed
bank will help in arresting this decline by
storing seeds and making planting materials
available. For those who have lost local varieties
and associated knowledge pertaining to millets,
the initiative creates a sense of nostalgia, which
serves as an entry point. The revival of the crop
has also revived certain festivals, like Bom Krai
in the village of Nongtraw in East Khasi Hills,
further linking the initiative with traditional
culture. Many elderly farmers in the villages are
aware of the nutritional richness of the crop,
particularly for pregnant women. Linking the
initiative with the protection and strengthening
of traditional farming practices and nutrition
has been an important factor in its success.
Dilemmas and barriers: The biggest challenge
is finding a site for constructing the seed bank.
In some cases, the same site in Garo Hills is
used for multiple purposes, which can create
friction among community members. Another
challenge is investing in the infrastructure. Some
of the seed banks lack strong infrastructure; for
example, one of the seed banks in Ri Bhoi is
a small hut made of bamboo. A cost-sharing
mechanism has been developed where the
community contributes labor and materials, but
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
128 some villages still need additional support. The
most significant challenge has been keeping
the initiatives financially viable and sustainable.
Some seed banks have developed a strong client
network and have been able to build savings,
but others still need buyers who can purchase
from them regularly.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Farmers
in Meghalaya have a long history of seed keeping
and preservation, but it was always done at the
individual level. Keeping seeds in a bank (house)
managed by a group of community members
was a novel concept that works to increase the
resilience of the seed system in the village. The
focus on seeds under threat, particularly millet,
helped to spread the risk, which was previously
concentrated in only a few households, especially
the elderly members. This ensures that the
variety will not be lost. For community members
and others who have already lost those seeds,
this initiative is especially important in reviving
millet cultivation through seed exchange or
purchase from the seed bank. Managing the
seed bank also helps supplement the income of
members and engage in microfinance activities
such as lending among themselves.
Contact details: Bhogtoram Mawroh, NESFAS,
Kerie Ville, Arbuthnott Road, Laitumkhrah,
behind Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya
793003. Email–bhogtoram.nesfas@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
129 Promoting IndGAP 
and ISO 22000 
Standards for Food 
Safety Management 
in  
Millet  
Farming 
Location: Hyderabad, 
Telangana, India
Institution: eFresh Agribusiness Solutions Pvt
Ltd
Summary: India Good Agricultural Practices
(IndGAP) and ISO 22000: Food Safety
Management Systems (FSMS) are two
internationally recognized standards that
address economic viability, environmental
and farming sustainability, social acceptability,
food safety, and quality in agriculture. These
standards aim to produce safe food at the
primary level, which facilitates availability of
quality raw materials to the food processing
industry and safe food to consumers. IndGAP
gives access to small and marginal farmers
and addresses the demand of many importing
countries and organized retailers as a
prerequisite for procurement. The intervention
is made on Pearl Millet, Finger Millet, Foxtail
Millet, Sorghum and Kodo Millet.
Pitch: GAP addresses environmental, social,
and governance concerns of Governments
and society in agriculture. The production of
safe food at the primary level helps in better
implementation of food regulations, bring
in a culture of food safety, enhance quality,
optimize human and natural resources, make
the produce internationally competitive, and
capture new markets. GAP also increases farm
value and farmers’ skills in farming operations.
Problem analysis: The key problems
identified are doubling of farmers’ income
in the next five years, multiplicity of GAP
standards and regulations creating confusion
in the marketplace, increased costs from GAP
implementation, record-keeping, consultancy
costs, and certification, inability of small farmers
to seize export market opportunities, and lack
of awareness on GAP standards and its benefits.
Solution: To counter all these issues, eFresh
Agribusiness Solutions Pvt. Ltd. proposes the
following solutions:
€Increase competitiveness of agricultural
exports with better price realization
by using IndGAP certification scheme
launched by Quality Council of India
for inspection and certification, which
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
130 is accredited under International
Standard ISO17065.
€Use digital platforms to ease
implementation by providing record
templates and trainings on GAP
practices. eFresh introduced Krishi
GAP Platform to address the problem
of increased costs due to different
activities. KrishiGAP Platform, a one-
stop digital platform for FPOs and
exporters helps ease compliance. It
covers all the components of GAP –
farmer handbook, demo farm, capacity
building, internal inspections, internal
audit, plant protection products, Pops
harvesting, worker’s welfare, and crop
standards.
€Encourage FPOs with a large pool of
farmers to implement GAP to help
small farmers access opportunities.
€Promote model FPOs in crop produc-
tion centers with GAP as role models
to help increase GAP awareness.
€Create a large pool of trainers through
capacity building of rural agricultural
or diploma graduates, KVK personnel,
CEOs of FPOs, and local entrepreneurs
to ease implementation. They become
torchbearers of good practices.
Target population: The target population
includes:
€Farmer Producer Companies (FPOs)
who can increase the competitiveness
of their farm output, achieve better
visibility in the marketplace, enhance
market price realization, and promote
sustainable farming operations.
€Food processing units, which benefit
through quality input supplies that
facilitate their processing related
food safety standards with much
ease through traceability and quality
produce without contaminants.
€Small and marginal farmers benefit
through the formation of farmer
groups, which become centers of
contact for market linkages through
aggregation of the certified produce.
IndG.A.P is structured to address the
small and marginal farmers.
€Consumers get access to quality and
safe produce in the marketplace.
Results: eFresh has taken up millets based FPOs
for IndG.A.P implementation and facilitation
of certification during Kharif 2022. eFresh has
signed an agreement with Samunnati Agro
Solutions Pvt. Ltd. on 19th July, 2022 to facilitate
the adoption of food safety standards for
millet value chain covering IndG.A.P for millet
crop cultivation and ISO 22000 Food Safety
Management System for millet processing. Out
of the four FPOs, 3 FPOs in Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh in the process
of implementation. eFresh has signed another
agreement on 13th July, 2022 with Kashimnagar
Farmer Producer Company Ltd. based in
Telangana state for IndG.A.P implementation
for millet crop cultivation and is in the process
of getting certified by the end of October, 2022.
These will be the first FPOs getting certified
under the Ind G.A.P scheme developed in India–
KrishiGAP. FPOs with IndG.A.P are assured 20%
additional income.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
GAP can easily be scaled up and replicated
everywhere. Best practices and high-quality
standards in food safety are both remunerative
in terms of trade and better price realization.
Once farmers taste the rewards in terms of
returns, they will be ready to scale up operations
and replicate them in all places and crops.
Scalability and replicability are linked to returns
enjoyed by the farmers and food processors
through the implementation and certification
of FSMS. Developing model farms with GAP
implementation in crop production centers and
showcasing their success stories in terms of
increased income, reduction in farming costs,
benefits of mechanized operations through
collective bargaining, and the social impact it is
creating will encourage others in the region to
replicate similar practices. Capacity building of
a large number of trainers in crop production
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
131 centers and agri-export zones will also be crucial
in this regard.
Drivers of change: The key drivers of change
are –
€Development of model farms with
GAP in crop production centers,
which will act as learning centers and
showcase the benefits to potential
entrepreneurs.
€Digital platform enablement for
capacity building of trainers on the
implementation of GAP and ISO 22000
food safety management system in
crop production centers.
€Prioritization of critical success
factors, understanding and analyzing
them for the implementation of food
safety management systems mainly
in small enterprises, as these face
greater difficulties related to the
implementation due to the fact of not
having sufficient expertise, required
competence, and human resources.
€Creation of software tools integrated
into the implementation of food
safety management with ease of
implementation.
€Continuous monitoring of the
food safety management system
implementation in the pilot project.
€Facilitation of a market linkage platform
for the produce of organizations that
successfully implemented GAP, which
will bring increased visibility in the
marketplace.
Dilemmas and barriers: The primary challenge
faced was the lack of awareness surrounding
on-farm and post-farm food safety standards
at all levels in crop production centres, which
acted as a significant barrier. To tackle this,
the promotion of model farms and FPOs in
crop production centres with GAP as learning
centres was adopted as the primary strategy.
Another key obstacle was the unavailability of
a one-stop solution platform for all available
information on Food Safety Standards, leading
to the development of KrishiGAP. Presently
available only in English, the platform will
soon be translated into regional languages.
Furthermore, the lack of presence of catalyst
agencies to offer the Food Safety Standard
services also posed a significant barrier, which
was addressed by training local agri-institutions
and FPO promoting agencies. Lastly, farmers
accustomed to conventional agriculture
systems of production practices often resist any
changes. To overcome this challenge, success
stories with economic benefits arising out of the
implementation of GAP were published.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
The solution offered numerous key aspects,
including:
€The development of a digital platform
like KrishiGAP, which acted as a
one-stop solution, was a significant
requirement for scaling up food safety
systems implementation and reaching
all critical crop production centers.
€KrishiGAP covers all internationally
recognized standards related to on-
farm produce by importers/retailers
globally, such as Global G.A.P, Organic-
NPOP, Organic-NOP, Fair Trade
International, and RainForest Alliance.
It also includes India Good Agricultural
Practices (IndG.A.P), which has been
benchmarked with GlobalG.A.P.
€Post-farm related standards like ISO
22000 Food Safety Management
System and BRC Global are in the
process of being added to the platform.
€The platform facilitates digital ac-
cess to exporters/retailers/importers
through market linkages, promoting
the certified farm produce for the first
time in India.
Contact details: Srihari Kotela, Managing
Director, 8-2-681/7, Indraprastha, Rd Number
12, Sri Ram Nagar Colony, Banjara Hills,
Hyderabad, Telangana 500034. Webpage–
https://www.efreshglobal.com/
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
132 Strengthening 
FPOs for 
Procurement, 
Processing, and 
Marketing of 
Kodo  
and Kutki  
Millet by MPSRLM
Location: Dindori, Madhya 
Pradesh, India
Institution: Baiga Chak Mahila Kisan Producer
Company Limited
Summary: Baiga Chak Farmer Producer
Company (FPC) has 60,000 shareholders as
members. Shareholders are the main pillars
of the FPC which covers their local areas for
the mobilization and procurement process.
All the shareholders operate through a
collective procurement centre along with digital
equipment that impacts their personal growth.
The FPC procured 10 MT of minor millets from
the shareholders.
Pitch: Baiga Chak Mahila Kishan Utpadak Limited
is a Farmer Producer Company established on
18 June 2020 under the project name ‘Millet and
Lentils Value Chain Development Project’ by
Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission
Limited (MPSRLM) under the Governmentof
India project of National Rural Economic
Transformation Project (NRETP). The company
produces, processes, and markets commodity
Kodo, Kutki, Masoor, and other farm-based
products from the women farmers of Dindori
and Mandla districts.
Problem analysis: Farmers are realizing lower
prices due to the dominance of local traders.
They are usually left with small quantities
for marketing after domestic consumption.
Farmers have less bargaining power due to the
low volumes available with them for marketing,
and they are forced to sell in the village to avoid
marketing expenditures.
Solution: Establishment of a Collective
Procurement Centre at the village level and an
institutional mechanism for procurement. The
Farmer Producer Company enables farmers to
realize better prices by procuring, processing,
and marketing commodities like kodo, kutki,
masoor, and other farm-based products.
The company focuses on value addition and
processing of farm commodities like production
of millet biscuits to increase farmer incomes.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
133 Results: Farmers are able to realize upto 30%
higher prices than the market price.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The collective procurement centres can be
established in all villages. The collection centres
need small investments and enable the farmers
to fetch better prices. The collection centre can
be managed by a community resource person
under the supervision of the board of directors.
Drivers for change: Realizing better prices,
transparency in weighing, procurement, and
timely payment are the key drivers of change.
Dilemmas and barriers: One barrier is the
initial resistance of farmers to adopt new
practices, which can be overcome through
awareness generation activities.
Novelty and innovation of solution:
Establishing a processing unit ensures greater
benefits for the FPC and their farmer members.
Value added product increase the farmers’
income and all farmers from the villages
can get a fair price according to the quality
of their produce and the processed goods.
Also, processed kodo and kutki, and its value-
added products like biscuits fetch better rates
than just purchasing and selling the produce.
By collectivizing and covering all villages,
middlemen can be eliminated, impacting price.
Contact details: Nishank Chaudhary, CEO,
Baiga Chak MKUPCL, Saket Nagar, Narmada
Pul Par, Deora Area Dindori, Dist. Dindori
481880. Email: ceo.baigachakpc@gmail.com.
Mobile No.: 84458 82027
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
134 Hill Value: 
A Brand for 
Marketing and 
Distributing 
Millet Produce 
Cultivated 
by Adivasi 
(Tribal) Women 
of Attappady 
Association
Location: Palakkad, Kerala, India
Institution: Kudumbashree Attappady
Comprehensive Tribal & PVTG’s Development
Programme, Govt. of Kerala
Summary: The Tribal women of Attappady
Association grow, collect, and market traditional
produce and products such as Finger Millet
(Ragi), Little Millet (Chama), Foxtail Millet
(Thina), Kodo Millet (Varagu), Barnyard Millet
(Kuthiravali), Pearl Millet (Kambu), Proso Millet
(Panivaragu), Sorghum, and Maize from farms
of Attappady under the brand name ‘Hill Value.’
The initiative includes millet products such as
Ragi powder, Chama, Thina, Varagu, and other
produce like forest honey, mustard, pepper,
and a variety of pulses. The initiative focuses on
packaging and branding.
Pitch: The formation of tribal women’s farming
collectives that provide all assistance and
subsidies, brand their farm produce, and help
the farmers reach the main marketing centers
and get a fair price.
Problem: As Attappady is a hilly terrain and
hamlets lack transportation facilities, farmers
cannot carry their agricultural produce to
the marketing centers and get a fair price. As
they do not have collection centers, during the
harvest season, middlemen merchants from the
cities buy their produce at under-priced rates
than the market price. Adivasis lack bargaining
power, and it has been their practice to only
share their produce. For example, a kilo of ragi
would fetch them Rs. 20/-or 25/-when they
sell to the local shops. Without updates about
increasing market rates and the absence of
farmer groups or unions, they were exploited
and fell prey to middlemen who misguided them
to cultivate cash crops like cotton, sugarcane,
and groundnut.
Solution: The most critical activity that the MKSP
program carried out was finding a sustainable
and profitable market for the farm produces
cultivated by Adivasi women’s collectives. The
first step was the formation of Joint Liability
Groups of 4 to 10 Adivasi Hill Value: A Brand
for Marketing and Distributing Millet Produce
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
135 Cultivated women to take up farming. These
groups were registered in the Panchayat Samithi
and elected from the hamlet-based exclusive
Adivasi Self Help Groups (‘ayalkkoottam’) of
women. 1037 JLGs have been formed so far.
Under their leadership, producer groups and
entrepreneur groups were organized. The latter
groups are in charge of collecting the produce
from the farmers, processing, grading, labeling,
packing, and marketing them under the brand
name ‘Hill Value.’ A mill for dehusking and
processing the millets and pulses has also
been started by the women’s collectives. The
entrepreneur groups were given training in
processing, labelling, and marketing in the
National Millet Research Institute, Hyderabad.
The main produce marketed includes ragi
powder, little millet rice, maize flour for puttu
and other preparations, rava or sooji (granulated
millet or semolina), varagu (kodo millet) rice,
kambu (pearl millet) rice, thina (foxtail millet)
rice, and 32 other products, including bamboo
rice, forest honey, and a variety of pulses.
Target population: The Hill Value branded
marketing system is aimed at benefiting Adivasi
women farmers and entrepreneur groups by
stopping their exploitation by middlemen and
local shops. They have now developed the
capacity for bargaining and getting a fair and
profitable price for their produce. The initiative
has helped them understand the value of their
produce and hence are determined to sustain
their traditional crops and cultivation patterns.
Results: The Adivasi women farmers cultivate
upto 665.49 acres of indigenous millet varieties
in Attappady. They were able to procure,
process, and market their farm produces at a
good price and make a profit, in addition to
ensuring food and nutritional security. They
now market 30-40% of their produce, which is
in addition to what they consume. The total
sales for millets from 2019 to 2023 under
the Hill Value initiative were Rs. 1.53 lakh
(approximately). The Planning Board recognized
this endeavour and sanctioned Rs. 1 crore to
the Panchayat Samities to continue the work.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
136 Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Millets, which are gluten-free, high-fiber, and
have low glycemic Index, should become a part
of our diet to control and manage diet-related
illnesses and lead a healthy life. Attappady is a
hub of a rich diversity of millets and pulses. The
unique procuring, processing, and marketing
system initiated under the Hill Value has
given an impetus to farmers to extend their
cultivation to more areas and make Attappady
the Millet Basket of India. The whole process is
encouraging more women to take up farming
and ensuring support from the menfolk. This
endeavour can become a model for the whole
country, especially in the hilly Adivasi tracts
where land and soil are suited for millets and
dryland farming.
Drivers of change: The success of the Hill
Value initiative is that the women farmers are
now recognized and appreciated by the whole
society as brilliant farmers and change makers.
They have been able to develop the agency to
bring in funds, technical help, and give advice
to young women willing to take up farming
as a sustainable livelihood. The trainings they
received from the Kudumbasree Mission on
marketing via the online platform, various trade
and other fairs, Government programs,and
supermarkets made them confident about taking
orders, and supplying good quality produce on
time. All these factors have contributed to the
success of the initiative.
Dilemmas and barriers: The Joint Liability
Groups (JLGs) are the best solution to the
problem of lack of unity and cooperation
among Adivasi farmers who face landlessness,
wildlife depredation, climate change, and so on.
However, these groups need to become stronger
and more resilient to the challenges that come
with time. The unity and cooperation among the
entrepreneur groups involved in procuring and
processing, branding, and marketing also need a
lot of strengthening. The women entrepreneurs
need to develop more technical skills in online
marketing, advertisements and promotion,
and connections with the supermarkets and
other organic markets in cities who will buy the
products.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The Hill
Value products are one of the very few enterprises
in Kerala which market Indigenous and organic
farm produce from the Adivasi communities.
The endeavor promotes sustainable livelihood
options and ensures food and nutritional
security in an area suffering from acute and
severe malnutrition. As it is a women-centered
practice, it will bring prosperity and health
to the families, communities and ensure that
the unique cultivar seed diversity and climate
resilient farming practices are conserved. The
endeavor will be beneficial to the whole State
as it is eco restorative in addition to being
restorative of whole agro ecosystems. It will
also help solve the challenges of malnutrition,
lifestyle diseases, endocrine and metabolic
disorders, reproductive disorders and boost the
immunity and the health of the whole society.
The urban, rural and Adivasi communities will
benefit from the nutraceutical Hill produce
which is nutritious as well as medicinal.
Contact details: Kudumbashree State Poverty
Eradication Mission, Govt. of Kerala.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
137 Initiative of 
WBSRLM to 
Improve Income 
of Dairy Farmers 
by Growing 
and Feeding 
Millets
Location: Bankura, West Bengal
Institution: West Bengal State Rural Livelihoods
Mission (WBSRLM), Govt. of West Bengal
Summary: Millet (Jowar, Bajra and Barnyard)
farming has helped dairy farmers in Bhutama
and Sheuli villages of Bankura district to revive
their dairy sector by producing quality green
fodder for their milch animals. With increasing
fodder prices and water scarcity, millet farming
has provided a sustainable solution for the
farmers to reduce production costs and increase
milk production.
Pitch: Millet farming can be a self-sustainable
model for agriculture and can help farmers
diversify their livelihoods, while also meeting
the demand for quality green fodder for their
milch animals.
Problem analysis: Bhutama and Sheuli villages
in Bankura district are located in one of the most
water-scarce regions of the Chotanagpur plateau
in Western West Bengal. The communities in
these villages have traditionally relied on milk
business for their livelihoods. However, with
increasing fodder prices and water scarcity, milk
production costs were increasing, and profit
margins were decreasing. To diversify their
livelihoods towards agriculture, the farmers
needed a sustainable solution that would help
reduce production costs and increase milk
production.
Solution: The organised dairy sector, including
Government-backed district milk cooperatives
and private dairy players, played a crucial role
in introducing millet farming to the farmers.
WBSRLM trained the farmers in millet farming
techniques and introduced them to three types
of millets: Jowar, Bajra, and Barnyard (Shyama).
These millets were used as green fodder for
their milch animals as they are suitable for
dryland areas. With consistent efforts from the
dairy sector players, the farmers were able to
cultivate interest in millet farming. As the millets
were used as green fodder, the farmers were
able to harvest the crop atleast three times in
a single season without harvesting the main
crop, thus meeting their main need for quality
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
138 green fodder. This has helped dairy farmers
reduce production costs and increase milk
production, providing a sustainable solution for
their livelihoods.
Target population: The intervention targeted
women farmers and dairy farmers in rural
villages.
Results: Millet fodder was found to be of
excellent quality for cattle feed, which helped
solve the problem of expensive market-bought
fodder for farmers. Additionally, feeding
cattle millet fodder increased milk production,
resulting in higher profits for farmers and
leading to the establishment of 2-3 milk
collection centres in the villages. The district milk
cooperatives (Kangsabati Dairy) now purchase
milk from farmers at Rs 30-32 per litre, while
private players (Red Cow Dairy) purchase milk
at Rs 34-35 per liter.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
With the success of the intervention, there is
potential for millet-based farming practices to
be scaled up and replicated in other villages.
Farmers are willing to switch to millet food
grains if they can earn remunerative prices for
their produce. Additionally, the re-introduction
of millet-based traditional and nutritional food
dishes has begun to make a comeback at the
household level.
Drivers of change: The intervention’s success
can be attributed to the distribution of quality
millet seeds and training for farmers. Farmers
were taught how to plan their fields for constant
millet fodder production throughout the
season, leading to multiple fodder productions
from a single field. This constant fodder supply
helped meet farmers’ needs for a major part of
the year.
Dilemma and barriers: The major problem
faced by farmers during the intervention was
the availability of quality seeds. As millets were
a dying traditional crop, the seed was not readily
available. To address this issue, the WBSRLM
block team supplied farmers with quality seeds
during their training workshops.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
The intervention was market-driven, aimed at
reviving a dying millet cultivation culture. This
intervention opened up an avenue for farmers
to switch to millet farming as an input service
to the dairy value chain. As the market is now
accepting the millet harvest, the intervention is
self-sustainable, and farmers can scale up their
millet cultivation.
Contact details: West Bengal State Rural
Livelihoods Mission (WBSRLM), Saltee Tech
Park, 11th floor, DN-18, Sector-V, Salt Lake,
Kolkata – 700 091
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
139 Launch of  
Biofortified 
Sorghum 
“Prabhani 
Shakti”  
for Improved 
Nutrition in African 
and Indian Drylands
Location: African countries 
and India
Institution: International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Summary: In 2018, ICRISAT launched India’s
first biofortified sorghum, named Parbhani
Shakti (ICSR 14001), which has higher iron (Fe)
and zinc (Zn) content than regular sorghum.
The cultivar also has high protein content and
low phytate levels, making its nutrients more
bioavailable. Parbhani Shakti was developed
through progeny selection from a high Fe and
Zn landrace accession (IS 26962) from India,
without genetic modification. It has been proven
to increase yields and is adaptable to cultivation
in different seasons.
Pitch: Biofortified sorghum is a cost-effective,
sustainable solution to address hidden hunger
and micronutrient deficiencies, particularly Fe
and Zn, which affect over three billion people
globally. Parbhani Shakti has the potential to
increase sorghum cultivated areas and boost
primary productivity, leading to healthier lives
and improved total factor productivity.
Problem analysis: Micronutrient deficiencies,
particularly Fe and Zn, can impair physical
and mental development, cause stunting and
blindness, and lower IQ, particularly in women
and children. Sorghum is a staple crop in
developing countries, and biofortified sorghum
can provide a good source of energy, protein,
and micronutrients. Over two billion people
suffering from Fe deficiency globally are in
developing countries, particularly in Africa and
India.
Solution: Parbhani Shakti is a white grained
race sorghum tolerant to grain molds and
adaptable to cultivation in rainy, post-rainy,
and summer seasons. It has upto 40% higher
content of Fe and 25-30% higher content of Zn
than conventional cultivars. Parbhani Shakti was
bred as part of ICRISAT’s efforts to eradicate
hidden hunger linked to poor nutrition,
particularly in the drylands of Africa and Asia. It
offers a solution to high anaemia rates among
women and children in India and the world.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
140 Target population: The proposed good
practice aims to target poor households in the
drylands of India and Africa who suffer from
micronutrient deficiency, particularly iron (Fe)
and zinc (Zn) due to their consumption of poor-
quality and insufficient diets. Wealthy families
in both developed and developing countries can
benefit from this good practice and help fulfil
the UN’s SDG 3 goal. The main demographics
targeted include children, adolescents, and
women who are the most vulnerable to
micronutrient deficiencies. In India, the focus
will be on the poor tribal farming communities
who rely heavily on millets, indicating a high
uptake of millet-driven technology.
Results: Developed by ICRISAT and released for
cultivation by VNMKV, Maharashtra, Parbhani
Shakti (PS) offers a cost-effective and sustainable
solution to micronutrient deficiency. A MoU
was signed between ICRISAT and VNMKV for
large-scale seed production and dissemination.
Although more support is still needed for major
national and international scaling, the Prabhani
Shakti was tested in Maharashtra state and in
All India Co-ordinated Sorghum Improvement
Project (AICRP) Trials. Scaling to other states is
possible but would require additional financial
support. Prabhani shakti can be grown in kharif,
rabi, and summer seasons in India and has
high yield (>5.0 t/ha). It may require irrigation
in rabi and summer seasons. Farmers who
participated in the participatory field trials were
satisfied and acknowledged that they achieved
a higher yield of 10-15% and the traits they
preferred. PS seeds are in high demand, with
50 tons of seeds produced and supplied in 2018
and 40 tons each in 2019 and 2020. Progressive
farmers were trained to produce and share
its seeds for a sustainable seed chain. PS was
taken up by users as a Stage 4 and Maturity
Level 3 innovation and performed well in India
and Sudan.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The biofortified PS variety has huge potential
for replicability. It was developed using
conventional pedigree selection. Dissemination
activity followed its release, and the production
environment was appropriately structured to
build a robust seed production system, which
is a cornerstone for downstream scaling-up.
Raising awareness of the PS health-promoting
properties was instrumental in letting
stakeholders know the direct benefits that
vulnerable communities and demographics
can derive from the biofortified sorghum grain.
The replicability could also be ascertained from
the stability of the biofortification traits across
multi-environmental trials in Maharashtra state
and AICRP-S. The stability and replicability were
also observed from the PS adaptation to kharif,
rabi, and summer seasons in India, and during
the National Variety Testing trials in Sudan
where PS is headed towards its release.
Drivers of change: The success of PS can be
attributed to several factors including, but not
limited to:
€The biofortification plant characteristic,
which resonated well with end
users due to the widespread issue
of malnutrition. In fact, the NFHS-
5 survey indicates that over 57% of
women (15-49 years) and over 67% of
children (6-59 months) in India suffer
from anaemia. For example, Assam
state has a high burden of anaemia,
with 66.4% of women (15-49 years)
and 68.4% of children (6-59 months)
affected.
€The general staple food attribute of PS
made its uptake easier.
€The dissemination effort and the
structured production environment
for seed production chain also played
an important role in the success of PS.
Dilemmas and barriers: The major risks
associated with PS were poor adoption and
adaptation. To mitigate the risk of poor
adoption, progressive farmers were targeted to
run on-farm demonstration trials, and extension
services were involved. Progressive farmers
were effective in transferring the technology
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
141 to other farmers, as other farmers were
able to assess the success of the technology
and overcome their original aversion to the
innovation. To mitigate the risks associated
with poor adaptation, the new PS cultivar
was developed based on an existing sorghum
Caudatum landrace accession, IS 26962, which
is a domestically adapted traditional variety
that combines most of the farmer-preferred
agronomic and organoleptic traits, making it
more appealing to farmers.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The low-
income populations in India rely on sorghum
for calorie intake and obtain over 50% of
their required micronutrients from sorghum-
based diets. However, the concentration of
micronutrients such as Fe and Zn in popular
sorghum varieties is low, contributing to
malnutrition. To address this issue, ICRISAT
standardized phenotyping methods and
assessed over 3,500 sorghum populations
for their grain Fe and Zn contents, identifying
promising lines for use in breeding programs.
The most promising line, ICSR 14001 (aka
Parbhani Shakti), was the first biofortified
sorghum variety released in India with higher
iron and zinc than regular sorghum. The major
value added by PS is the higher nutritional value,
including high Fe and Zn, low phytate content,
and high nutrient bioavailability.
Contact details: Ephrem Habyarimana, ICRISAT
International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics – 502324 Patancheru
– Telanagana, India. Email : E.Habyarimana@
cgiar.org , Mobile no. 00917207933783
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
142 Simplifying 
Finger 
Millet
 
Harvesting with  
Snapping Trait
Location: Bulawayo, 
Zimbabwe, Africa
Institution: International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Summary: Finger millet production has been
declining due to the labor-intensive practices
required throughout the production process,
especially during harvesting. Typically, women
and children harvest the crop by hand using
knives, which is a tedious and time-consuming
task. This has made finger millet production
less appealing and large-scale production
impractical, as household labor can only
support one acre of the crop. However, the
“snapping trait,” present in a few landraces of
finger millet, simplifies the harvesting process
by allowing the vegetative part and stalk of
the crop to snap when sharply bent. The trait
has been incorporated into popular lines like
U15 and P224, and other improved varieties in
the eastern and southern African region. Two
varieties have been released in Kenya based
on the “snapping trait” as a social/cultural trait,
other varieties such as “snapping U 15” and
“snapping P224” are in advanced stages of
release.
Pitch: Harvesting finger millet using a knife
or sickle is a long and tiresome process that
requires hours of standing and bending in
the field. This often results in the knife cutting
the hands of the harvester, and the constant
bending and standing can make the person
tired. As a result, most of the harvesting is left
to women and children. However, varieties
with the “snapping trait” simplify the harvesting
process and do not require a knife or sickle.
This makes harvesting faster and easier, and
now men are also willing to participate.
Problem analysis: Finger millet is a highly
adaptable crop that requires few inputs for its
production and is a staple for a large population
in eastern Africa. Despite its great significance
as a food, nutrition, and income security crop,
its production has been decreasing due to
the labor-intensive nature of its production
operations, including planting, weeding, and
harvesting. Demand for the grain outstrips
supply, and it fetches the highest price in the
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
143 market among cereals in the region. However,
farmers cannot increase production because
households providing the labor cannot manage
more than one acre per season. Moreover,
harvesting is left to women (who are already
overburdened by other household chores) and
children (who have to attend school). With the
introduction of varieties with the “snapping
trait,” it takes four women to harvest one acre
of the snapping variety, totaling USD 20 a day,
compared to 20 women to harvest one acre of
finger millet without the snapping trait, totaling
USD 40 an acre. This reduces the harvesting time
by five times and the cost by half. Moreover,
now men are willing to join in the harvesting.
This has caused 100% adoption of the variety
and a doubling of the area under finger millet in
the Bomet area of the Kenyan Rift Valley.
Solution: The “snapping trait” in finger millet is
a characteristic that causes the vegetative parts
of the plant to bristle and break upon sharply
bending. The stalk does not break on gentle
bending and is not affected by wind or objects
passing by. By holding the head and sharply
bending the stalk, the stalk breaks with the head
in the harvester’s hand, making harvesting as
simple as picking the heads from the stalks of
the plants. This greatly simplifies the harvesting
process, which, in varieties without this trait, is
done by cutting the stalk just below the head.
Target population: Finger millet harvesting is a
tedious process usually carried out by women
and children, often resulting in injury due to
the use of crude knives. This process deprives
women time to attend other household chores
and children from attending school. Adoption
of snapping trait varieties has released time
during harvesting, allowing women to engage
in value-adding activities to generate income
and children to attend school. This leads
to improved household welfare. The target
population includes women, children, and
disabled individuals.
Results: The snapping trait variety has been
introduced into Bomet, Nakuru, Elgeyo
Marakwet, Baringo, Taita Taveta, Kericho, and
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
144 Narok in the Rift Valley, which accounts for about
half of the finger millet growing area in Kenya.
In Bomet, the variety was adopted 100% after
two seasons, and acreage doubled. The time
required to harvest one acre has been reduced
to 4 women days from 20 women days, and
the cost halved. In a focused group discussion
with farmers in the target area, snapping trait
was placed third in importance after only two
seasons of introduction. Farmers appreciated
the ease of harvesting using fingers instead of
traditional cutting with a knife. Men in the areas
have also started to harvest the crop, which
is likely to increase acreage and production.
Other counties in the country are taking up the
production of the variety. Because of the high
response to the variety, Egerton University has
submitted another line, “Snapping U15,” to NPT.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The potential for scalability of the innovation is
enormous as it solves a problem universal across
all finger millet communities in the countries
in the region. Most of the NARs programs in
the region have requested and accessed the
lines and are being tested at various stages
for release. In Kenya, the success of the first
release snapping variety–snapping green–has
prompted Egerton University to request more
lines, and they have submitted “snapping U15”
to NPT for release. Malawi has also requested to
have the lines tested and submitted for release
within the next two years.
Drivers of change: Finger millet demand in
the region outstrips supply, but production is
declining due to the labour intensity associated
with the various operations, including
harvesting. Labour prices in the region are rising,
and child labour associated with finger millet
production is on the decline due to universal
primary education policy in several countries.
Besides, there is a push to reduce the labour
burden on women. The finger millet growing
areas are, therefore, looking for cheaper, faster,
and reliable alternative harvesting techniques.
Snapping trait provides a less drudgery, time-
consuming, and efficient harvesting method.
The trait presents a socially and culturally
acceptable alternative to the traditional hand
harvesting method.
Dilemmas and barriers: The main risk was that
the introduction of the trait into the desired
improved varieties could affect the agronomic
and yield characteristics of the new lines. Taste
and grain traits like colour and size acceptance
by farmers and consumers were also a concern.
To mitigate this, breeders mainly selected lines
that looked like farmer-preferred varieties,
thus coming up with “snapping U15,” “snapping
P224,” and “snapping SEC 915,” which stand a
better chance of being accepted by farmers.
The lines were tested for agronomic and yield
traits conformity on station by the breeder and
on-farm during the Participatory Variety Trials
(PVT) with farmers and end-users like grain
millers, processors, and consumers.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
adoption of snapping trait varieties presents a
significant advancement in crop production as it
does not incur additional costs. These varieties
have been developed without altering the other
genetic nature of the crop, ensuring that the
cost of production, including the price of seed,
planting, weeding, and pesticide control, remains
constant. Furthermore, the taste and grain
properties of the crops remain unchanged. The
innovation improves the harvesting process,
reducing costs and time associated with delayed
harvesting and minimizing harvest losses. This
allows households to increase their acreage
under production, leading to increased income.
The reduced labour demand also frees up time
for women to attend other commitments and
allows children to attend school regularly. With
the reduced labour constraints, men are also
willing to participate in harvesting activities. As
a result, households can increase their acreage
and overall production, resulting in increased
income and improved livelihoods.
Contact details: Henry Fred Ojulong, ICRISAT
Zimbabwe, Matopos Research Station, PO Box
776, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Email: hojulong@
cgiar.org
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
145 Strengthening 
Agribusiness 
and Value Chain 
through Good 
Manufacturing 
Practices (GMP) 
in MSMEs
Location: Asifabad, Bhadrachalam 
and Eturnagaram, Telangana, India
Institution: 3 associations Sri Anjaneya Dry Mix
Industries, Swayam Krushi Dry Mix Industries,
and Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Dry Mix Industries,
and ICRISAT
Summary: The Agribusiness and Innovation
Platform (AIP) at ICRISAT and the Telangana Tribal
Welfare Department (TWD) have collaborated
to work towards strengthening agribusiness
value chain and improve rural livelihoods
for target tribal farmers. The project aimed
to increase self-employment opportunities,
decrease dependence on middlemen, and
enhance employment opportunities. To achieve
these goals, Joint Liability groups (JLGs) were
strengthened, MSME units were established
for localized processing of millet produce, and
products were supplied to Anganwadi Centers
(AWCs).
Pitch: In target districts, processing of locally
produced millet crops and malnutrition were
major challenges. ICRISAT and TWD collaborated
to address these challenges by establishing
sorghum processing units and providing self-
employment opportunities for women and
youth through these centres.
Problem analysis: Tribal populations are
highly dependent on natural resources, but
resource potential and agro-climatic conditions
vary considerably with each tribal area. Small-
scale industries or business enterprises can
lead to greater utilisation of natural resources,
production of goods and services, creation of
employment opportunities and improvement
in the general standard of living of the tribes.
ICRISAT is working towards creating better
livelihood opportunities for marginal farmers,
women, and youth of Asifabad, Bhadrachalam,
and Eturnagaram districts in Telangana through
creative thinking, collaborative partnerships,
and hard work. Empowering small and marginal
farmers, providing access to technology,
and supporting value addition and market
linkage can improve livelihoods, employment
opportunities, and decrease dependence
on middlemen, enabling tribal farmers in
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
146 these districts to move from subsistence to
commercial operations.
Solution: ICRISAT facilitated setting up of eight
“Nutri-Food” processing units at three ITDA
locations in Telangana, out of which three units
are exclusively devoted to millet processing.
These units utilize locally produced crops to
empower small and marginal farmers and
transfer new technologies and knowledge that
they can use to uplift their own communities.
The work of ICRISAT with tribal populations
also contributes to United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals.
Target population: The MSME units provide
employment to nearly 108 tribal members
in Telangana, while the food products
manufactured by the business units cater to
68,856 people in Utnoor and 67,486 people
in Bhadrachalam and Eturnagaram districts,
respectively.
Results: The initiative has successfully created
a unique identity of the community in the
open market and has involved the community
in the small business sector in a larger way.
It has provided employment opportunities to
tribal youth and women and has developed
entrepreneurship in the community. Such
projects help in slowing down migration as
they promote local production, processing, and
consumption. The availability of locally made
nutritious products has attracted customers
and contributed to the local vibe. Moreover, it
promotes dietary diversity and may positively
impact the health and nutritional status of tribal
households, leading to a reduction in prevalent
malnutrition and anaemia.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: This
sustainable model can be replicated in other
tribal areas in the country, putting the most
vulnerable population in India at the center. It
empowers them, makes them self-sufficient, and
transfers new technologies and knowledge that
they can use to uplift their own communities.
Drivers of change: ICRISAT’s convergence
model, in collaboration with TWD, Telangana,
and ICDS, has been crucial for the success of
this project. The efforts of all stakeholders have
been instrumental in implementing this project.
Dilemmas and barriers: Initially, streamlining
the tribal farmers towards value addition and
introducing and gaining acceptance of millet-
based food products into AWCs were identified
as potential risks. However, these were handled
and mitigated through continuous training and
interactive sessions with beneficiaries.
Novelty and innovation of solution: This
project proposes a unique sustainable enterprise
model that organizes tribal women into legal
entities called JLGs, providing self-employment
to the tribal communities, enhancing their
economic status, and transforming them into
sustainable market-oriented communities. This
will, in turn, generate further employment within
their own social system. Improved livelihoods,
employment opportunities, and decreased
dependence on middlemen are also important
components of this initiative.
Contact details: Dr. Saikat Datta Mazumdar,
Principal Scientist, Cluster Leader – Nutrition,
Dietary Behaviour and Smart Food, COO-
Nutriplus Knowledge Program (NPK), AIP,
ICRISAT, Patancheru, Telangana. Email–s.
dattamazumdar@cgiar.org Chikki processing unit
in Utnoor
Chikki processing unit in Utnoor
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
147 Use of improved 
Sorghum 
Varieties and Good 
Quality Seeds
Location: Eastern and Southern 
Africa–ESA (Zimbabwe, Zambia, 
Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, 
Angola, Ethiopia, Sudan, South 
Sudan, Kenya, Eritrea, Tanzania) 
and West and Central Africa–WCA 
(Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali)
Institution: International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Summary: Sorghum production in Africa is
significant as millions of hectares is cultivated
under sorghum, but smallholder production
still predominates with unimproved sorghum
varieties due to lack of, or poor access to,
available improved varieties. This is due to
poor seed delivery systems, lack of promotion
support, lack of investment interest, and
policies that favor other staple grain crops.
Consequently, the average productivity of
sorghum under smallholder production in Africa
is still very low. Several improved varieties with
average yield and enhanced content of iron
and zinc have been developed and released
by ICRISAT and partners in Africa over the
years, but very few have been adopted by
farmers in the region. In recent times, ICRISAT
and partners have developed several superior
hybrids with higher yields, and some of these
have been released in Africa, opening up great
opportunities to increase productivity per unit
area at the farm level and attracting industrial
use, considering that high productivity reduces
production costs. However, the adoption of
these available improved varieties and hybrids
by farmers is still very low. Therefore, promoting
sorghum, considering its high benefits, to
increase access and adoption by smallholder
farmers will significantly increase sorghum
production among smallholder farmers in
Africa. The increase in commercial interest by
the industry based on commercial traits is also
a great opportunity to increase demand for
sorghum in the region. Availability of advanced
processing equipment has eased postharvest
handling, and improved technologies for better
utilization providing good opportunities for
diversification of products that would attract
high demand for sorghum. Diversification of
products and utilization will also strengthen
market opportunities among food and feed
processors.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
148 Pitch: Sorghum offers significant benefits
in times of climate change and increased
non-communicable diseases. However, the
awareness and promotion of sorghum,
especially its suitability as a climate-resilient crop
and its high nutritional benefits in terms of iron
and zinc, remain very low. The high-yielding and
stress-tolerant varieties developed at ICRISAT
are a great solution to mitigate climate risks and
provide solutions for good health by reducing
the incidence of non-communicable diseases
such as diabetes. Processing and value addition
technologies available at ICRISAT will provide
a solution to allow open market opportunities
through diversified utilization and products that
have market appeal.
Problem: Recurring droughts in the region are
one of the major problems in crop production
for millions of farmers in Africa and are
becoming worse due to the effects of climate
change. The incidence of non-communicable
diseases and malnutrition among children
and breastfeeding mothers is on the rise. The
use of unimproved sorghum varieties in food
production systems offers a huge affordable
solution to poor farming communities to
secure better harvests under adverse climatic
conditions and as a source of better nutrition
among consumers to reduce health problems
such as diabetes. Low productivity due to the
use of unimproved varieties owing to poor seed
delivery systems for better access to quality
seed is also a significant challenge. Options
and capacity to build improved seed systems
are available at ICRISAT but require financial
resources to implement and strengthen existing
systems. Poor processing and lack of value
addition knowledge among producers and
processors limit diversification of utilization.
Solution: ICRISAT’s improved sorghum varieties
and hybrids, developed in collaboration with
partners, are climate-smart and resilient to
stresses like drought. These varieties have
enhanced levels of micronutrients like iron
and zinc, which provide a solution to food
and nutrition insecurity, especially for the less
privileged in semi-arid regions. Additionally,
ICRISAT is using advanced processing and
value addition technologies to generate
diverse utilization of sorghum, creating market
opportunities for processors and producers
and improving their livelihoods.
Target population: The intervention targets
smallholder farmers and consumers, as well
as food and feed processors. The majority of
smallholder farmers and consumers live in rural
areas where sorghum is grown as a traditional
crop, rather than at a commercial scale. Targeting
this group has a greater impact since most of
the sorghum production is done by them. It
also targets food and feed processors to bring
value addition, creating market opportunities
by improving product diversity and appeal and
increasing demand.
Results: In Africa, there is a high demand for
improved sorghum varieties and hybrids, and
the use of stress-resilient varieties by farmers
has significantly reduced the risk of crop failure
due to climate-related challenges like drought.
The availability and access of these high-
yielding varieties and hybrids have improved
the productivity of sorghum at the farm level,
resulting in better food security and livelihoods.
Increased productivity has also reduced
the cost of production, making sorghum a
more viable option compared to other staple
cereals such as maize. Increased awareness
about the nutritional and health benefits of
consuming sorghum has resulted in increased
demand for sorghum, both in rural and urban
areas, as a mitigation strategy to reduce non-
communicable diseases. The availability of
modern post-harvest processing equipment
and value addition has reduced drudgery and
increased market opportunities in terms of
products, due to increased appeal.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Improved sorghum varieties and hybrids are in
high demand by farmers, local producers, and
processors. Availability of improved post-harvest
processing and value addition technologies is
driving the demand, as it eases post-harvest
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
149 handling and provides opportunities for more
product options for consumption and market.
The health benefits of sorghum, specifically its
high nutrition content of iron and zinc, have
increased the interest in sorghum. However,
promoting new improved varieties or hybrids
and post-harvest technologies associated with
processing is critical for increasing adoption.
There is a lot of opportunity for scaling if more
intensive promotion is implemented. There is
also more interest from the commercial sector;
therefore, awareness about the benefits of
sorghum, both on yield, climate resilience,
nutrition, and product diversity, would create
more demand and support scaling of sorghum
and associated technologies.
Drivers of change: New breeding approaches
have accelerated the development and release
of improved varieties. The climate risks and
vulnerabilities experienced more frequently
in the region, especially in drier regions, have
raised the need for climate-proof crops such
as sorghum. The increase in incidences of non-
communicable diseases such as diabetes has
resulted in higher demand for healthy foods, and
sorghum and other millets are the best crops
to address this, given their high fiber content
and slow release of energy. The nutritional
benefits as a result of naturally available iron
and zinc in grain are great drivers of affordable,
nutritious foods, especially for rural poor
communities. Furthermore, the use of improved
processing and value addition technologies has
reduced post-harvest processing drudgery and
increased market opportunities through diverse
utilization.
Dilemmas and barriers: The implementation
of sorghum research activities, such as hybrid
development, is faced with numerous challenges,
including adverse weather conditions,
especially during multi-location trials where
irrigation facilities are not available. Drought
situations, particularly during critical stages of
crop development, have resulted in poor grain
production and seed set, leading to poor quality
data. However, ICRISAT has used more suitable
statistical models and experimental designs to
process poor quality data and analyzed it as
random stress, enabling the selection of stress
resilience. Another challenge has been the
acquisition of modern post-harvest processing
equipment, especially for poor farmers. To
overcome this, ICRISAT collaborated with local
fabricators to develop more affordable versions
of the prototypes so that farmers can afford
them. Additionally, farmers and processors
were trained to adopt a communal approach to
using some of the processing equipment that
cannot easily be acquired by individual farmers.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
solution of developing stress-resilient and
highly nutritious varieties provides a novel
approach to sorghum production. Identifying
and developing genotypes with high genetic
potential and good adaptation and stability to
marginal agricultural production areas is a novel
and innovative process that applies advanced
scientific approaches and statistical tools to
achieve effective selection. Similarly, designing
affordable post-harvest processing equipment
by fabricators is a novel and innovative
process that has led to the availability of low-
cost equipment and the acquisition of the
equipment by many farmers. This also allows
for easy maintenance by local technical experts,
as opposed to imported equipment. The
development of different recipes that enable
the production of diverse food products from
sorghum is also innovative and novel, leading
to increased acceptability of sorghum products
due to improved consumer appeal.
Contact details: International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic (ICRISAT),
Regional Hub West and Central Africa ICRISAT-
Mali, BP 320, Bamako, Mali
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
150 Combating Child 
Malnutrition with 
Child-Friendly 
Millet 
Recipes
Location: Sheopur, Madhya 
Pradesh, India
Institution: Mahatma Gandhi Seva Ashram
under Regional Nutrition Program
Summary: The introduction of child-friendly
millet recipes, made from Sorghum, Pearl Millet
and Kodo Millet in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh,
India has been successfully implemented to
combat child malnutrition. The project is a
collaboration between the local community,
Government agencies and NGOs to raise
awareness and increase nutrition security
among children under five years of age.
Pitch: The Mahatma Gandhi Seva Ashram,
under the Regional Nutrition Program is
promoting the consumption of traditionally
grown millet-based baby food recipes. The
project is disseminating and amplifying these
recipes through demonstration and feeding
camps at the village level, in active collaboration
with local child development, Government
machineries, and service providers. This will
help mainstream traditional food consumption
at home, improve childcare practices, and
decrease malnutrition in the process.
Problem analysis: Malnutrition is a significant
problem in the Sahariya tribe-dominated
Sheopur district, where 55% of children under
five are malnourished, according to NFHS-4. The
reasons behind this range from poor dietary
diversity and maternal health to food insecurity
and various economic and political factors. To
address this issue, the initiative is promoting the
consumption of balanced, child friendly recipes
made from locally grown and available diverse
foods, fruits, and forest produce in collaboration
with ICDS and related service providers.
Solution: The initiative has focused on millets
to curb malnutrition. Village-level recipe
demonstration camps, called Baal Bhoj, are being
organized to promote child-friendly recipes,
dietary diversity, better child feeding practices,
and improve nutrition education for mothers
and children from the community. The initiative
also promotes Nutri mix, which is a balanced
and ground instant mix of any Combating Child
Malnutrition with Child-Friendly one millet-based
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
151 cereal with pulses and oilseeds with a shelf life
of upto two weeks. The mix can be served with
milk or water and mashed fruits throughout
the day to children. Camps are being organized
in collaboration with ICDS, wherein anganwadi
workers are trained on nutrition education,
growth monitoring, and child care by the
project team. Additionally, state-level advocacy
is being done for millet revival, wherein a millet
cookbook comprising of 71 different millet-
based recipes was co-created with the Women
and Child Development Department of Madhya
Pradesh. It was released by the Honourable CM
of Madhya Pradesh and disseminated across
the state by the department. Production is also
promoted to increase consumption and the
revival of local millets. Millets are being grown
in over 130 acres, and more than 260 project-
supported farmers are growing kodo. The
consumption of jowar and corn is also being
promoted.
Target population: The target population of
the intervention includes mothers of children
below five years, other vulnerable communities
in the intervention villages, and ICDS service
providers. The Sheopur district has over 23% of
Scheduled Tribe population, with the Sahariya
tribe dominating the intervention area, which
has a history of severe child malnutrition.
Results: The initiative’s collective management
of resources and collaboration with
Government service providers, local and district
administration has empowered the community
to ensure child nutrition security. Recent
media reports and studies by the Directorate
of Women and Child Development indicate a
decline in malnutrition levels in Sheopur. The
Baal Bhoj initiative has been adopted statewide,
according to a Madhya Pradesh Government
circular, and more than 2000 children have
improved their nutritional status. Most of the
mothers of these children prepare Nutri-mix at
home and try to include at least five different
food groups. The recipe demonstrations have
helped in behavioural change and improved
nutrition awareness levels.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
152 Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The multidimensional millet-based solution
to address malnutrition has high potential
for upscaling and replicability in other
areas, both by the community and through
Government intervention. Nutri-mix is easy
to make and store and is a convenient recipe
for new mothers to feed young children
tasty balanced food. Community-organised
feeding and demonstration camps organised
in collaboration with local Government are
inexpensive and easy to organise. Gradual and
systematic reintroduction of millet production
with knowledge building of selected farmers on
production, processing, and market engagement
is highly effective in gaining trust.
Dilemmas and barriers: One of the challenges
faced is the indifferent, hesitant, or orthodox
community. To effectively mitigate such
challenges and bring acceptance within the
community, the initiative has implemented easy
recipe demonstrations, frequent community
meetings, increased engagement through
diverse tools and practices, and linkages and
convergence with local Government and state-
level advocacy.
Novelty and innovation of solution:
The collaborative efforts through direct
implementation and advocacy to simplify food
preparation and incorporate diverse local
food in the diet through community meetings,
gatherings, and house visits for behavioural
change is a novel and innovative solution for
community-based management of malnutrition
from the block to the district to the state.
Editor’s Note: The story is interesting, and
assessment of nutritional impact would further
strengthen the replicability.
Contact details: Shreya Patel, Vikas Samvad
Samiti, A-5 Aykar Colony, G-3 Gulmohar Colony,
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh – 462039. Email
shreya@vssmp.org
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
153 Bhoomi 
Ka-Promoting 
Sustainable 
Production and 
Consumption of 
Millets
Location: Punjab, Haryana,  
and Delhi, India
Institution: Welthungerhilfe
Summary: Bhoomi Ka, meaning “from the
earth,” aims to transform the food systems in
India by promoting ecological, safe, and healthy
consumption, which benefits both the farmers
and the consumers. The programme focuses
on increasing the demand for millets to create
a pull factor for farmers to produce healthier
food and get fair prices. Bhoomi Ka works with
all stakeholders of the value chain to address
gaps and challenges.
Pitch: The programme collaborates with
consumers to create awareness, promote, and
develop innovative millet recipes to address the
low demand for millets. Bhoomi Ka organises
awareness camps, multi-stakeholder meets,
cooking classes, nutrition talks, and food
yatras. To promote the production and supply
of millets, Bhoomi Ka works with smallholder
farmers to build their capacities in millet
production systems, form FPOs, and connect
them with urban markets to ensure a farmer-
to-consumer connection.
Problem: The current agriculture and food
system in India faces numerous challenges,
including degradation of land and water, climate
change, high use of chemicals, unhealthy food
habits, and declining health of people. The
promotion of production and consumption
of millets directly addresses these challenges.
Millets are nutri-cereals rich in iron, zinc,
proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and have a
low glycemic index that helps tackle health
challenges such as diabetes, heart diseases,
anaemia, and obesity. Millets are climate-
resilient and drought-tolerant plants that
require minimal inputs, irrigation, and care,
making them good for both farmers and the
planet.
Solution: Bhoomi Ka addresses the demand
side of millets to revitalize the missing urban-
rural and producer-consumer connect in
selected towns. It improves visibility and
product experience, communicates producer
and product information to consumers, Bhoomi
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
155 Ka-Promoting Sustainable Production and
Consumption of Millets Mainstreaming in India,
Asian and African Countries-A Compendium
of Inspiring Stories from Field and increases
accessibility to millets. The programme achieves
this through advocacy and awareness campaigns
in schools, colleges, fairs, festivals, hospitality
sector, farmers’ markets, and food yatras in
rural and urban regions. The second objective
of the programme promotes production and
marketing of millets through direct engagement
with smallholder farmers and small local
businesses. The programme promotes FPOs
and CFCs to support farmers in marketing and
promoting their produce. Attractive packaging
and branding make millets attractive to high-
end consumers who would pay better prices for
the products. Bhoomi Ka also engages with the
Government to advocate and promote millets
in the state, resulting in the inclusion of millet
processing units in subsidized agri-machines.
Target population: The programme aims to
create awareness and promote healthy and
safe foods like millets among urban and rural
consumers, while also working with smallholder
farmers to promote millet production and
ensure fair prices, as well as ecological
production systems.
Results: The programme has successfully
reached over 500 farmers in Punjab and
Haryana who have transitioned from inorganic
to organic food systems and are now engaged
in millet production. These farmers are
associated with 48 Participatory Guarantee
Scheme (PGS) groups, which provide them with
support through certification and production.
Additionally, three Farmers Producer
Organizations (FPOs) have been established
in the states, each with a Common Facility
Center (CFC) to support the processing and
packaging of millets. Over 20 Memorandums
of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed
between FPOs and local retailers to sell their
produce in their stores. The programme has
also reached over two lakh consumers through
various awareness programmes, online events,
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
156 school programmes, food yatras, and social
media promotions. Where awareness activities
have been conducted directly with consumers,
local retailers have seen a 10% increase in
consumption.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
programme’s solution is simple, direct, and
easily replicable. It is not limited by geography
or locale and can be scaled up to different
parts of the country as well as globally. Creating
a strong network of similar awareness and
promotion can be done in different locations.
Similar activities have been initiated in Rajasthan
through programme partners, which has started
to show promising results.
Drivers of change: There is a growing
consciousness among consumers towards
healthy lifestyles and diets. More and more
people are now seeking healthy foods to
replace their unhealthy habits. This was further
triggered by COVID-19 and its impact on health.
When millet was offered as a solution, many
consumers were interested in learning more
and incorporating it in their diet. Another
important factor that supported the acceptance
of millets among the farming community was
climate change and the degradation of land
and water due to the heavy use of chemicals
and fertilizers. Millet production supported the
farmers in facing adverse weather changes and
improving the soil and water requirement in the
field. They are also economical for smallholder
farmers as they have very little production cost.
Dilemmas and barriers: One of the key risks
anticipated was how the farmers and small
retailers would be able to cater to the increased
demand once it arose. The programme
strengthened farmer groups and systems to
address growing demand. The programme also
worked to map and identify local businesses that
would be able to supply products to consumers
in different cities and locations.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
solution looks at the entire value chain to
address the key challenges faced at different
levels by creating awareness and promoting
millets through health talks, nutrition awareness,
cooking classes, and peer-group sharing. While
creating awareness among consumers, the
programme also links them to local ecopreneurs
and farmers who can supply them with the
produce. Simultaneously, it builds capacities
of farmers and promotes millet production
among them. The third key aspect has been
to engage with local Government to advocate
for the promotion of millets in the states. The
solution addresses gaps at different levels by
creating a strong network to make the practice
sustainable.
Contact details: Shruti Pandey, A-03, Soami
Nagar, Delhi-110017. Email–shruti.pandey@
welthungerhilfe.de. Mobile no. +919953592773
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
157 Promotion 
of Improved 
Agronomic 
Practices for  
Finger 
Millet
 
Location: South Sikkim,  
Sikkim, India
Institution: Agriculture Department, Govt. of
Sikkim
Summary: Finger Millet is a crucial crop in
Sikkim that fulfils the nutritional needs of
families and generates income through its
sale in local markets. However, its cultivation
is labor-intensive, and women face significant
drudgery during threshing and dehulling. The
lack of women-friendly tools and proper storage
and processing units, as well as the absence of
awareness programs, training on value addition,
and marketing logos, are some of the challenges
faced in this area. To address these challenges,
high-yielding varieties were introduced, and
units for storage, packaging, and value addition
were installed. Training on value addition,
packaging, labeling, and marketing was also
provided to increase production and marketing.
Millet flour is nutritious, gluten-free, and has
excellent scope for marketing both inside and
outside the state, including in the form of bread,
noodles, and pasta. Young entrepreneurs are
encouraged to come forward to cater to the
needs of consumers in Sikkim and beyond.
Pitch: Finger Millet, a superfood, is organically
grown in Sikkim and fulfils nutritional needs
while generating income for families through its
sale in local markets. By promoting improved
agronomic practices, such as the use of high-
yielding varieties and value addition techniques,
the production and marketing of millet can
be increased, benefiting both farmers and
consumers in Sikkim and beyond.
Problem: The cultivation of finger millet is
labor-intensive, and women face significant
drudgery during threshing and dehulling. The
lack of women-friendly tools and proper storage
and processing units, as well as the absence of
awareness programs, training on value addition,
and marketing logos, are some of the challenges
faced in this area. There are also many landless
farmers who can be integrated into the millet
value chain in activities like packaging and
labeling.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
158 Solution: To address the challenges faced,
high-yielding varieties were introduced, and
units for storage, packaging, and value addition
were installed. Training on value addition,
packaging, labeling, and marketing was also
provided to increase production and marketing.
By promoting the use of millet flour in various
products, such as bread, noodles, and pasta,
and encouraging young entrepreneurs to come
forward, the scope for marketing both inside
and outside the state can be expanded.
Target population: The local population of
Sikkim consumes millet flour, which is available
in almost every place in the state. Business
ventures with organically made products
like bread, noodles, and pasta have a vast
scope within and outside the state. Young
entrepreneurs who can come forward to earn an
income by catering to the needs of consumers
in Sikkim and beyond were considered as a key
target.
Results: Mrs. Maya Thapa, a 50-year-old woman
farmer from Mangan, North Sikkim, has become
a successful millet farmer after receiving training
and support from the Agriculture Department
under the NFSM-Nutri cereals scheme. With
the help of quality seeds and other inputs, she
cultivated finger millet (VL-352) in 0.5 hectares
and adopted good agricultural practices
resulting in higher productivity. Mrs. Thapa
earned a net profit of Rs. 52,500/-from her small
holding of 0.5 ha and now provides nutritious
food to her family, while earning a livelihood.
There are many such stories of empowerment
owing to Sikkim’s millet intervention.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Millet is a superfood, and its production and
value-added products can fetch remunerative
prices in the market, especially in Sikkim, an
organic state. The production and packaging
of millet products at the village level can also
create employment opportunities for women
Self Help Groups and youths. The success
of Mrs. Thapa’s story can inspire younger
generations to take up millet farming, leading
to greater adoption and success in the future.
Additionally, integrating millet into the mid-
day meal scheme at Government schools can
provide children with nutritious food.
Drivers of change: Sikkim’s organic status is a
major driver of the adoption of millet farming.
Millet’s status as a superfood also drives its
production, and the potential for remunerative
prices motivates farmers to take up millet
cultivation.
Dilemmas and barriers: Despite the historical
practice of millet cultivation in Sikkim, its
production is declining due to the lack of
interest among the younger generation and the
unavailability of farm laborers. Additionally, the
cultivation of finger millet is labor-intensive and
requires involvement from women in sowing,
transplanting, harvesting, threshing, dehulling,
and storing. The lack of women-friendly farm
tools, storage facilities, and processing units also
poses a challenge. Furthermore, there is a lack
of awareness and training on value addition,
packaging, shelf-life, and labeling, which needs
to be addressed to overcome these barriers.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Finger
millet flour is a rich source of vitamins,
minerals, and antioxidants and is gluten-free.
Finger millet flour and its organic products like
dhainro (porridge) and chapatti are consumed
by the local population of Sikkim and are
available in almost every place in the state. The
adoption of millet farming and its value-added
products can not only provide nutrition but can
also contribute to the local economy, creating
sustainable livelihoods.
Contact details: Food Security and Agriculture
Development Department, Government of
Sikkim Krishi Bhawan, Tadong-737 102, Sikkim
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
159 Management of 
Downy Mildew 
Disease in 
Pearl 
Millet 
through Host Plant 
Resistance
Location: India and Africa
Institution: International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic (ICRISAT),
Patancheru, Hyderabad in partnership with
ICAR-AICRP on Pearl Millet
Summary: Pearl millet, being grown by
resource-poor farmers, the diseases such as
downy mildew are managed through host
plant resistance as it doesn’t incur additional
cost to farmers for the disease management,
though initial cost is involved in research and
development to develop resistant cultivars.
Pitch: An estimated 30-40% of potential crop
production is lost due to pests and diseases
annually. These losses could be much higher if
a susceptible cultivar is grown over a large area,
and environmental conditions are favourable for
disease development. The diseases can be best
managed through host plant resistance, which
is a cost-effective and environment friendly
approach. However, continuous emergence of
host specific virulences leads to frequent break
down of resistance and poses a continuous
challenge to resistance breeding. Close
monitoring of the pathogen and identification
and utilization of diverse resistance sources
would form the effective disease management
strategy.
Problem: Downy mildew (DM), caused by
Sclerospora Graminicola is highly destructive
and widespread disease in the most pearl millet
growing areas of Asia and Africa. The disease
was considered as a minor disease in India till
1970 due to fewer incidences on local cultivars;
however, it reached epidemic levels during the
mid-1970s to 1980s when only a few single-
cross hybrids were cultivated on a large scale.
The first epidemic of DM occurred in 1971 on a
popular pearl millet hybrid, HB 3, and resulted
in severe grain loss of about 4.6 million metric
tonnes. The estimated annual grain yield loss
due to DM is approximately 20-40% but could
be much higher, up to 80%, under favourable
environment and widespread use of same
cultivar across fields. Several commercial F1
hybrids being grown in different states become
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
160 susceptible to DM within 3-5 years due to large
virulence diversity existing in the pathogen.
Solution: With increasing area coming under
pearl millet hybrid cultivation in India since
the 1970s, DM severity and spread increased
proportionately. The first DM epidemic occurred
on the most popular hybrid HB 3 in 1971,
and the first report on pathogenic variability
appeared in 1973 when NHB 3 was found
susceptible at Gulbarga but resistant at Mysore.
With increasing reports of pathogenic variability
in the pathogen and hybrids succumbing to DM,
a systematic study was initiated in the early
1990s following discussions between ICRISAT
and ICAR scientists on characterization of the
pathogen populations. Monitoring virulence of
pathogen populations through on-farm surveys
and reaction of isolates on host differentials,
selection of diverse pathotype-isolates,
conducting disease nurseries, screening
of germplasm/breeding material against
different pathotype-isolates in the greenhouse,
identification of multiple-pathotype resistant
lines and multi-location field screening of
selected lines for the identification of stable
resistant lines forms the strategy to manage
this disease by developing DM-resistant hybrid
parent lines and hybrids. Large number of
DM resistant lines were used in the breeding
programs and diversified genetic base of pearl
millet hybrids for DM resistance contributed
to arresting the occurrence of widespread DM
epidemics.
Target population: The sources of broad-based
stable resistance to DM are shared with the
breeding programs to develop disease-resistant
high yielding cultivars that are finally grown
on farmers’ fields. Breeding lines developed at
ICRISAT are screened against diverse pathotypes
and agronomically superior lines with resistance
to atleast two pathotypes are designated and
shared with NARS and private sector partners
to develop DM resistant hybrids. Though
primary users are the researchers who use
this information and material to develop DM
resistant pearl millet hybrids, actual beneficiaries
are the resource-poor farmers who now need
not spend on expensive chemicals for disease
management.
Results: During the past 30 years, several DM
resistant lines such as P7 (ICML 12), SDN 503
(ICML 13), 700251 (ICML 14), 700516 (ICML 15),
700651 (ICML 16) and 7042R (ICML 22), P 310-17,
P1449-3, IP 18292, IP 18293, IP 18294, IP 18295
and IP 18298 have been strategically used in
resistance breeding programs and some of
the resultant hybrids have been commercially
successful. There has been substantial progress
in managing the risk of losses caused by DM
epidemic by diversifying the hybrid cultivars
base by screening breeding lines to diverse
pathotypes and breeding DM resistant hybrid
parental lines at ICRISAT that are utilized by
private and public organizations for developing
hybrids. The yield improvement in pearl millet
has mostly occurred due to the development
and adoption of a large number and diverse
range of high-yielding DM resistant hybrids, of
which about 60-70% are based on the ICRISAT-
bred hybrid parents, or on the proprietary hybrid
parents developed by the seed companies that
included the improved breeding lines developed
at ICRISAT in their parentage. The large on-farm
hybrid cultivar diversity not only led to increase
in grain yield, but also stemmed the large-scale
DM epidemics, which were frequent events
prior to 1990.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
greenhouse screening technique can be used
to screen large number of pearl millet lines at
seedling stage against diverse pathotype-isolates
collected from different ecologies. This has
led to the identification of multiple-pathotype
resistant lines for further use in developing
DM resistant hybrids in pearl millet. National
programs mostly use the field-based screening
which can be used to screen the material against
the pathogen population present in a particular
field. The greenhouse screening facilities can be
established in the major pearl millet growing
states in India as well as in Africa to strengthen
pearl millet DM resistance breeding programs.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
161 Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
162 The strategy used to manage DM in pearl millet
can also be used to target blast disease which
has emerged as another serious threat to pearl
millet cultivation in India.
Drivers of change: Managing DM to a level
that no wide-spread epidemics of the disease
are now reported has only been possible
through multi-institutional and multidisciplinary
approach. The virulence change in the pathogen
is monitored through on-farm surveys and
characterizing the pathogen population on host
differentials. On-farm surveys provided the
initial information on virulence change when
a resistant hybrid started showing the disease
symptoms after a few years of its release and
cultivation on farmers’ fields. The multi-location
screening of germplasm and breeding material
by pathologists helped in the identification of
stable sources of resistance for use in breeding
programs. The elite breeding lines with DM
resistance were shared with public and private
sector partners. Private sector played an
important role in taking the seed of DM resistant
improved hybrids to farmers’ fields.
Dilemmas and barriers: The major barrier in
managing pearl millet DM through host plant
resistance is the variability in the pathogen
populations. Evolution of host specific virulences
in pearl millet DM is well documented. As a result
of evolution of host specific virulences, resistant
genotypes lose their effective resistance within
a short period and lead to the development
of new pathotypes/races in the pathogen
populations. Therefore, pathogen populations
in the major crop growing areas need to be
periodically monitored and characterized to
identify new pathotypes in the target area.
There is a need to keep pace with the evolving
pathogen by identifying and utilizing diverse
resistance sources to manage this disease.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
successful management of highly variable
pathogen causing DM in pearl millet is the result
of close collaboration between pathology and
breeding teams. As the disease is caused by an
obligate pathogen, it needs to be maintained
on live host. Pathogen isolates are collected
every year from different pearl millet growing
areas in India, characterized, and maintained
on live host in isolation chambers in glasshouse
at ICRISAT. ICRISAT has repository of isolates
representing spatial and temporal diversity and
diverse pathotype-isolates are used to screen
the breeding material at different generations.
The elite breeding lines having resistance to
different pathotypes are shared with different
partners for use in their breeding programs to
develop DM resistant pearl millet hybrids.
Contact details: Dr. Rajan Sharma, Principal
Scientist and Cluster Leader – Crop Protection
and Seed Health, ICRISAT, Patancheru,
Hyderabad 502324. Email: r.sharma@cgiar.org
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
163 Enhancing 
Livelihood of 
Post-rainy Season 
Sorghum 
Farmers
 
through 
Technological 
and Institutional 
Interventions
Location: Parbhani, Beed, 
Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Pune, 
Solapur, Maharashtra, India
Institution: International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic (ICRISAT),
Patancheru in partnership with Mahatma Phule
Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV)-Rahuri and Vasantrao
Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV)-
Parbhani
Summary: Through in-situ soil moisture
conservation, improved varieties, seed
treatment, seed drill sowing, soil test-based
fertilizer use, and timely weed control, the
productivity and profitability of post-rainy
sorghum farming in Maharashtra, India was
transformed, benefiting farmers’ grain and
stover output. This was achieved through a
partnership effort involving ICRISAT, MPKV,
VNMKV, and other public, private, and civil
society partners, funded by the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation.
Pitch: Post-rainy season sorghum, grown on
residual soil moisture on black soils, is a vital
crop for farmers in the dry tracts of Western
Maharashtra and Marathwada regions in
India. However, the productivity of post-rainy
sorghum remained low at 650 kg/ha, with
challenges such as the use of landraces, higher
population, shoot fly, and drought. To address
these issues, ICRISAT, MPKV, and VNMKV
partnered with other organizations to provide
innovative solutions, which transformed post-
rainy sorghum production in Maharashtra.
Problem: Post-rainy sorghum is a critical crop
in India, underpinning the livelihoods of around
5 million households through 3 million tons of
grain produced on 5.7 million ha of cropped
area in the Deccan Plateau. However, the crop
faces challenges due to reduced photoperiod,
low minimum temperatures during flowering
time, and terminal drought. Despite being the
most important crop grown on residual soil
moisture in black soils in the Deccan Plateau,
the productivity of post-rainy season sorghum
was dismally low at 650 kg/ha. Poor adoption
of improved varieties, higher seed rate than
the recommendation, blanket use of fertilizers,
shoot fly damage, poor weed control, and
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
164 terminal drought were serious constraints
affecting productivity.
Solution: ICRISAT and partners developed
innovative biophysical solutions, which
were deployed in farmers’ fields to address
constraints in post-rainy sorghum production.
These solutions included rainwater harvesting
through the formation of raised beds in fields
during the rainy season, the use of improved
post-rainy sorghum varieties with adaptation
and market preferred traits, treating seed with
insecticide for shoot fly control, using seed drills
for maintaining optimum plant population,
fertilizing the crop as per soil test-based
fertilizer recommendations, and controlling
weeds through inter-culture operations. These
interventions were undertaken on 40,000
farmers’ fields in Maharashtra and were
made possible by close collaboration with the
Department of Agriculture, State Agricultural
Universities, NGOs, and input suppliers. The
crop was harvested at physiological maturity.
Target population: Post-rainy sorghum is
typically grown by small (1-2 ha) and marginal
farmers (1 ha) who have limited access
to inputs, improved cultivation practices,
processing technologies, and markets due to
their affordability. Their production is mainly
for household consumption with limited
marketable surplus. Most of these farmers
are poor, marginalized communities that
suffer from rampant malnutrition. Through an
inclusive approach, rural women and youth were
organized into groups and trained in improved
technologies and seed production methods.
The five-point program combines improved
varieties and cultivation practices to change the
way post-rainy sorghum is cultivated, resulting
in higher productivity, profitability, and nutrition
through community participation.
Impact: The interventions under the five-point
program were implemented on 40,000 farmers’
fields in six districts of Maharashtra (three each
in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada)
over four years with the participation of
public, private, and civil society partners. The
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
165 deployment of improved technologies and
knowledge sharing with farmers resulted in
a significant increase in post-rainy sorghum
grain yield (by 35%) and stover yield (by 20%)
in farmers’ fields. Implementing improved
technologies helped overcome yield losses
during drought years as well. Economic analysis
of improved technologies indicated that the
additional cost of replacing the local variety
with the improved variety is Rs. 3,413, yielding a
net gain of Rs. 6,088 per ha with an incremental
returns-to-cost ratio of 1.78. The incremental
income is Rs. 2,675. Similarly, the additional
cost associated with replacing the variety along
with improved management practices is Rs.
4,083 with an incremental cost-to-return ratio
of 3.51. With supplementary irrigation, the net
gain increased to Rs. 14,418 per ha with an
incremental returns-to-cost ratio of 3.78. Thus,
the contributing factors towards improved
productivity in the case of rabi sorghum
are management practices such as nutrient
management, supplementary irrigation, and
improved production technology.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Dryland farmers tend to under invest in
improved capital-intensive technologies because
of risk and uncertainty, vagaries of monsoon
rains, and scarcity of labor. The interventions
clearly demonstrate the potential of improved
technologies in increasing the grain and
stover yields on 40,000 farmers’ fields. These
interventions are scalable by forging innovative
partnerships and designing context-specific
solutions. While deploying these innovations,
there will be challenges initially. For instance,
despite popularizing the use of seed drills to
maintain the required row spacing in post-
rainy sorghum, the demand for fodder often
drives out the desire to maintain higher plant
population than is recommended. Further, post-
rainy sorghum farmers tend to prefer stover
quality to improved varieties along with grain
quality besides higher yields. A strong livestock
economy is the driving force for adopting the
improved varieties of rabi sorghum farmers. The
success story is replicable and scalable through
context-specific design and deployment.
Drivers of change: The critical factors for the
success of the practices were the availability of
technologies and the synergy among partners
in deploying them in farmers’ fields. While
the use of old landrace cultivars, higher seed
rate than the recommendation, blanket use of
fertilizers, shoot fly damage, poor weed control,
and terminal drought were serious constraints
affecting productivity, the technologies
developed by ICRISAT and partners helped
overcome these challenges. The Parbhani Moti,
Phule Vasudha, Phule Chitra, Phule Anuradha,
and Akola Kranti were improved post-rainy
sorghum varieties developed by the Indian NARS
and ICRISAT. Similarly, the crop management
technologies suitable for post-rainy sorghum
were developed by the Agricultural Universities
in Maharashtra. Under the HOPE-Sorghum and
Millets project, ICRISAT and their partners have
combined them into a 5-point program and
implemented it on 40,000 farmers’ fields leading
to significant increase in grain and stover yields
with strong support from Dept. of Agriculture
and NGOs.
Dilemmas and barriers: One of the main
challenges faced was the acceptance of new
technologies by farmers, who had been
accustomed to the status quo for a long time
and had apprehensions about the quality of
new varieties, especially in terms of grain and
stover. Additionally, the availability of inputs
such as seeds, seed treatment chemicals,
fertilizers, and seed drills for maintaining
optimal plant populations posed a challenge,
as their distribution and acceptance among
farmers were found to be highly challenging. To
overcome these risks, seeds were produced in
advance and liaised with other input suppliers
to manufacture seed drills locally. The staff
also worked closely with farmers to guide them
through the implementation of all interventions
thoroughly.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
166 Negotiations were made with various seed
producers to supply improved varieties of seeds
and requested Government departments were
requested to support the adoption of improved
management practices by farmers through
various schemes, including capacity building
programs.
Novelty and innovation of solution: All the
interventions implemented were novel and very
new to the farmers. Prior to the intervention,
farmers had been accustomed to using old
landrace cultivars, high-density planting, limited
adoption of fertilizers, and other management
practices, which were the main reasons for low
productivity. Through an innovative partnership
effort led by ICRISAT, the NGO significantly
changed the way post-rainy sorghum is
cultivated. Employed methods included in situ
moisture conservation by harvesting rainwater
and forming raised beds in the fields during
the rainy season, use of improved post-
rainy sorghum varieties with adaptation and
market-preferred traits, treating the seed with
insecticide for shoot fly control, and use of seed
drills to maintain optimum plant population. The
crop was fertilized according to soil test-based
fertilizer recommendations and controlled
weeds through inter-cultural operations. These
interventions were carried out on 40,000
farmers’ fields in Maharashtra, India and were
made possible through close collaboration with
the Department of Agriculture, State Agricultural
Universities, NGOs, and input suppliers.
Contact Details: Ashok Kumar Are, Director
A.I. Regional Program – Asia, ICRISAT,
Patancheru Hyderabad, India-502324. Email–a.
ashokkumar@cgiar.org. Phone number-
9000414124
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
167 Empowering 
Tribal Women 
through 
Millet 
Value Chain 
Aggregation 
Location: FPC Karanjia and 
Samnapur Block of Dindori 
District, Madhya Pradesh, India
Institution: Aarastha Mahila Kisan FPC and Hal
Chalit Mahila Kisan
Summary: The project aims to promote the
cultivation of traditional minor millets, i.e.,
kodo and kutki, among tribal women farmers
by strengthening the value chain, improving
market access and creating sustainable
livelihood opportunities. Through the adoption
of aggregation principles and the establishment
of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), the
project is enhancing the bargaining power of
women farmers in the market and improving
their incomes.
Problem: The shift towards paddy cultivation
and changed food practices have led to a loss
of traditional crops which were more nutritious
and had higher resilience to climatic shocks.
Marginalized tribal women farmers faced
challenges such as distress selling, influence
of middlemen and traders, and lack of
understanding of market systems. As a result,
they often sold their produce at unfair and
lower prices.
Solution: The project mobilized tribal women
farmers to form FPCs and provided them with
training on multiple topics such as aggregation
and collection systems, quality control, record-
keeping, and processing at the producer level.
The FPC staff was trained on business planning,
market understanding, and negotiation skills.
Exposure visits were organized for the team to
help them understand millet processing systems
including the machinery and its operation. In
the year 2021-22, a total of 24 tons of millet
produce was aggregated and processed by
the FPC and supplied to B2B vendors. By
aggregating their produce and processing it,
tribal women farmers now have better access
to markets and can avail better prices. The
project has impacted the lives of over 40,000
households in the district directly through
income gain and indirectly through increased
consumption by over 2 lakh population. Women
farmers have expanded their scope of work and
responsibilities from production to marketing,
thus empowering themselves.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
168 Target population: All participating women
farmers are from the Scheduled Tribes and
Primitive Tribal Groups from the two blocks of
Dindori District. The average landholding of the
member is 2.5-4 acres. The project is helping
create sustainable livelihood opportunities
for marginalized tribal women farmers and
empowering them.
Results: Currently, the marketing initiative
covers a total of 1250 women farmers from two
blocks encompassing 32 villages. The average
volume of millet produced and marketed per
farmer has increased from 40 kgs to 75 kgs in the
past 2 years. The key performance indicators of
the value chain work, which are mapped under
the intervention, include (1) average produce
collected, (2) quality of produce supplied, (3)
payment clearance time by the FPC, and (4)
order delivery parameters (time, volume, and
quality-wise).
Upscaling and replicability: The tribal and arid
regions of the state have immense potential
to integrate millet crops into their production
systems. With regards to the districts in eastern
Madhya Pradesh, the marketing work can be
expanded to 25 more blocks, covering around 1
lakh women farmers in total. Additionally, there
are ongoing efforts to promote the consumption
of millets locally by supplying them under the
Mid-Day Meal scheme and promoting newer
variants such as ragi millet for production.
Drivers of Change: The key factors that are
essential drivers of change include:
€Ensuring commitment to delivering
orders in a timely, quality, and quanti-
ty-wise manner
€Clearing payment to the producer
according to the aggregated quantity
€Maintaining quality parameters at the
producer level and from FPC to vendor
€Setting up processing machines that
are able to cater to the needs, require-
ments, and forecasted business cycles
for at least 5 years.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
169 €Furthermore, capacity building of
board members and staff members of
the FPC, along with setting up systems
for reviewing the FPC’s work and
member accountability, is necessary.
Dilemmas and barriers: List of identified risks
and mitigation steps taken are:
S.No.Identified RiskMitigation strategies
1Supply of produce
as per the order
need from the
members
Member wise targets
and marking reserve
stocks from the
intervening pockets
2Quality assurance
of the produce
Training and exposure
on importance of
maintaining quality
for sustenance of
business at the FPC
level
3Mixing of produce
because of
the usage of
traditional seeds
at the producer
level
Mapping of seed
variant and crop plots
to map in advance
the type and volume
of surplus availability
before the end of the
season
4Handling of cash
at the producer
level
Setting stringent
norms on payment in
cash and using group-
based transaction
Novelty and innovation of solution: The
production enhancement efforts made over
the previous few years in the Mahakaushal
region have increased the confidence of women
farmers and stakeholders in adopting more
agriculture and allied sector work. Improving
the marketing of millets has helped synchronize
production and aggregation efforts and bypass
middlemen by negotiating directly with vendors.
The collective energy of the Federation (the
apex body of women SHGs) has steered and
supported the formation of the FPC, helped
build synergy between women collectives and
promoted women SHGs nurtured under the
SRLM.
Contact details: Halchalit Mahila Kisaan Women
FPC, H/O Gulab Singh, AjanTekri, Village & GP
Dewalpur, Block Samnapur (Dindori-481778).
Email–hcmksamnapur@ gmail.com. Phone
number: 8305734598/ 8017839479
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
170 Awareness 
Building for 
Millet 
Production 
and Local 
Consumption
Location: Nabarangpur,  
Odisha, India
Institution: RCDS (Kosagumuda), Gobindalaya
(Nabarangpur), DOST (Papadahandi), SAHARA
(Umarkote), Harsha Trust (Jharigam)
Summary: The Odisha Millets Mission (OMM)
organized awareness programs to promote
consumption of finger millet, little millet and
kodo millet among the farmers of Nabarangpur.
This included awareness campaigns, recipe
trainings, and food festivals.
Pitch: Despite growth in global food production,
supply, and distribution, poor nutrition and
food insecurity persist in both rural and urban
areas. Climate change further poses a risk to
nutrition and food security. In the past, millets
were a staple food for rural and tribal people of
Odisha, but they have overtime been replaced
by paddy. Thus, millet practices were unknown
to the majority of the farming community. The
OMM aimed to raise awareness about millet
cultivation and nutritional benefits through
awareness campaigns, training on millet-
based recipes, health benefits of millets, and
food festivals at the district, block, and Gram
Panchayat levels.
Problem: Nabarangpur district is known for
maize production, and large areas of land
are dedicated to maize and paddy cultivation.
Private companies provide cash advances,
hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
to support maize production, which deteriorates
both soil and human health. Unlike paddy and
other cash crops, millets did not receive state or
market-led support, and people lost touch with
millet production and consumption practices
and knowledge of their benefits.
Solution: The OMM conducted awareness
campaigns on millet cultivation and their
nutritional value through various methods,
including awareness campaigns, training on
millet-based recipes, and food festivals at the
district, block, and Gram Panchayat levels.
Facilitating agencies supplemented these
events with village meetings, distribution of
IEC materials, and wall paintings and posters
mentioning the nutritional value of millets
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
171 and how they prevent nutritional deficiency
diseases. The Department of Agriculture and the
Facilitating Agencies conducted ten Awareness
Rath campaigns in each of the five blocks. The
Awareness Rath visited all the villages of the
targeted Gram Panchayats to raise awareness
about millet cultivation and its benefits. SHG
members from different villages were provided
training on diverse recipes, aimed at increasing
overall millet food awareness among the
community and boosting local consumption.
Food festivals were organized in public arenas
where SHG members exhibited different millet
items, such as cake, mudki confectioneries,
and biscuits, to scale up awareness campaigns
on millet preparations and benefits at a larger
scale and in peri-urban contexts.
Target population: The target groups for the
Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) were farmers,
community members, Self Help Group (SHG)
members, and school children. Despite the
nutritional value of millet crops, information
regarding their benefits had not yet reached
every household, resulting in a lack of access
to high-value nutritional foods such as fruits
and vegetables. This has led to many school
children, marginal farmers, and women suffer
from diseases. The OMM aims to address these
deficiencies by increasing awareness about
millet consumption, and farmers are also made
aware of Government support available for
Package of Practices (PoP) and procurement
surplus.
Results: In the first year of the program, only
518 hectares were covered under finger millet
due to a lack of awareness among farmers and
community members about millet cultivation
and consumption. However, through awareness
campaigns and training, engagement with
14,000 farmers has been achieved within three
years. This year, more than 4,500 hectares are
expected to be covered under millet cultivation,
with 4,200 hectares under ragi, 200 hectares
under suan, 50 hectares under kodo, and 50
hectares under kangu.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
172 Upscaling and replicability: There is an
opportunity to spread awareness on millets,
scientific practices, and dietary diversification in
new areas, as many villages in the five target
blocks have not yet been covered through
awareness activities. It is critical to train women
members from all SHGs in preparing millet-
based food to ensure that millet reaches every
household in the district. Larger food festivals
can be regularly conducted at different venues,
targeting various community groups. Once
people increase millet-based food in their diet,
millet cultivation will sustain through local
consumption even after the project ends.
Drivers of change: Planning, coordination, and
implementation by the Facilitating Agencies
(FAs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs),
and Agriculture officials have been critical in
bringing millet-based foods to more households.
The FAs have been instrumental in making these
awareness campaigns successful and generating
dialogue among the community. Training SHG
members has been key in increasing household
consumption, as one member of a SHG can train
the rest of the members and their relatives and
neighbors.
Dilemmas and barriers: During the initial
implementation phase, there was less
participation from the community during the
campaigns. However, by ensuring that millet
farmers received support with the Package of
Practices and Procurement, the community was
convinced of the benefits of millet cultivation.
Ready-to-Eat millet items are still not available
at scale, but there is a plan to establish five
Millet Tiffin Centers in each block to increase
their availability.
Novelty and innovation of solution: The Rath
Awareness Campaign, which moves according to
a route map of villages prepared for maximum
coverage, has been successful in increasing
awareness about millet culture. Local tunes
and artists are engaged in composing songs on
millet culture, and the Rath is decorated with
colorful informational banners. Adapting such
local customs in the Government program has
been a successful innovation.
Contact details: RCDS (Kosagumuda),
Gobindalaya (Nabarangpur), DOST
(Papadahandi), SAHARA (Umarkote), Harsha
Trust (Jharigam)
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
173 Foliar Spray 
of Potassium 
Sulphate for 
Improving Yield of  
Small 
Millets
Location: Tamil Nadu, India
Institution: Regional Research Station, Tamil
Nadu Agricultural University
Summary: Foliar spray of 1% Potassium
Sulphate (K2SO4) at 35 Days after Sowing (DAS)
in Samai and Tenai recorded higher partitioning
efficiency and increased grain yield. It recorded
improved partitioning efficiency percentage
to grain (Samai: 34.6% and Tenai: 43.8%). The
cost of technology is Rs. 1250/ha with yield
potential of 847 kg/ha in Samai (15% increment
over control 735 kg/ha) and 2237 kg/ha in tenai
(18.4% increment over control 1890 kg/ha).
Pitch: Small millets growing farmers of Tamil
Nadu can increase yield with foliar spray of
Potassium Sulphate.
Problem: Poor partitioning efficiency in
small millets leads to less productivity. Non-
application of potash fertilizers to small millets
is one of reason for poor yield. Hence, foliar
application of potassium will increase the
partitioning efficiency and ultimately yield.
Since, small millets are mostly grown in rainfed
condition, foliar application is a possible way to
improve productivity.
Solution: Adopting the foliar spray of 1% K2So4
at 35 DAS in Samai and Tenai recorded higher
partitioning efficiency and increased grain yield.
Target population: Small millet growing farmers
of Tamil Nadu and Agriculture Department
Extension officials.
Results: Increased production of small millets
with higher productivity.
Potential for upscaling: Innovation can be
upscaled with dissemination of technological
know-how among target group of small millet
growing farmers.
Drivers of change: Achieving maximum yield
potential and increasing the farmer income
with high Benefit-Cost Ration (BCR).
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
174 Dilemmas and barriers: Convincing farmers
to adopt the technology and practice the
PoP without any deviation were the biggest
challenges faced.
Novelty and innovation of solution: As the
production needs to be increased to meet
the present-day demand with the decreasing
land area towards farming and increasing the productivity, such a practices can help in achieving higher productivity.
Contact details: Regional Research Station,
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Paiyur,
Krishnag
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
175 B. Millet 
Mainstreaming Odisha’s 
Tribal Women 
Spearheading 
the Mission 
to Promote 
Millets  
A Farm to Plate 
Approach
Location: Keonjhar, Sundargarh, 
Odisha, India
Institution: Mission Shakti Department,
Governmentof Odisha in collaboration with
Odisha Millets Mission (OMM)
Summary: The Mission Shakti Department
in collaboration with Odisha Millets Mission
(OMM) has supported tribal women in Odisha
to lead their communities in including and
promoting millets, ensuring their nutritional
and livelihood security, while also providing an
impetus to revive the millet economy. The story
focuses on gender and inclusion dimension of
millet mainstreaming.
Pitch: WSHGS in Odisha have established
76 millet-tiffin-centers at various community
locations in 13 tribal-dominated districts.
The initiative has fortified the strength and
conscientiousness of women-collectives by
setting up primary-processing and post-
harvesting-units for millets in rural-areas. Under
OMM’s initiative, institutional, and technical
support has been provided to WSHGs to set
up millet-processing-centers. Children too are a
focus of the mission. In a first of its kind initiative
in the state, ragi ladoo has been distributed to
pre-school children in the Anganwadi Centres
in the Keonjhar and Sundargarh district. The
main objective is to address malnutrition and
nutritional at deficiency.
Problem analysis: These millet-based
enterprises can become a comprehensive
solution for addressing malnutrition and
unemployment, and motivating farmers to
increase their millet cultivation area which
has reduced due to aggressive promotion of
cash crops, claim Civil Society Organizations
facilitating the implementation of OMM at the
grassroots.
Solution: Awareness building activities were
organised, such as food festivals, cooking
competitions, and celebrating local millet food
cultures. Participatory training programmes
were also conducted for WSHGs on millet
recipes and millet enterprises. Millet tiffin
centers were launched in rural areas to create a
demand for millet recipes and ensure access to
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
178 diet diversity that is locally acceptable and highly
nutritious. The WSHGs entirely manage these
centers. They prepare a range of millet-based
hot cooked items and Ready-to-Cook products.
Efforts have also been made to promote millet
consumption in urban areas. For instance, Millet
Shakti Café have been established in Keonjhar
and Sundargarh district headquarters. Different
food items made from millets are available in
the café such as biscuits, mixture, khurma, rose
cake, ladoo and eight grain varieties, including
ragi flour, sorghum flour, little and barnyard
millets. The café also provides tea, coffee and
snacks to attract customers. In the state capital
Bhubaneswar, the Shaktimayee Ward Women
Federation members have established a ‘Millet
Shakti Outlet’ in Kurshi Bhawan. A range of
packaged millet food items is available such
as ragi and sorghum flour, ragi cookies, ragi
ladoos, ragi mixture, khurma and mudki.
Target population: Women-led groups were
supported to set up millet-based enterprises.
The effort has also provided them income
generating opportunities and enhanced their
decision-making and leadership skills to lead,
manage, and operate business entities on
millets.
Results: Phulbasa Barla, a member of Dakua
WSHG in Sundargarh district, recalled that
initially their tiffin centers faced some resistance
from locals. For years, it has been unheard off
for women from their village to be involved
in businesses. However, gradually, things are
changing. Today, the women are more organised
as a group, and people respect them and love
their food. In Sundargarh, six millet tiffin centres
were established between December, 2021 and
January, 2022. An additional 21 such centres
have been approved, and the Memorandum of
Understanding was signed among the WSHG,
Project Director, ATMA and District Social
Welfare Officer. To set-up these tiffin-centres,
the OMM has sponsored Rs. 30,000 for each
WSHG. Similarly, in the Collectorate Campus
of Keonjhar district, a Millet Shakti Café was
established in October, 2021. Ma Mission Shakti
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
179 Women Federation manages the café, which
offers different food items made from millets.
According to Suprabha Mahanto, a federation
member may earn around Rs 50,000 as profit
per month. As the demand for millet food
recipes has been growing in the district, around
200-300 customers regularly visit this café per
day. To expand their customer base, they are
also providing home delivery services.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Initially, the OMM was launched in 30 blocks in
seven districts and subsequently scaled up to
84 blocks in 15 districts, covering more than 1.2
lakh farmers with 52 thousand hectares under
sustainable agronomic practices. The State
Government has allocated Rs 2800 crore to
expand the OMM to 143 blocks in 19 districts in
the financial year 2022-23. Considering its visible
impact, the OMM model has received numerous
recognitions from other State Governments and
credible institutions.
Drivers of change: One of the most important
factors is providing seed capital to the women
SHGs to set up millet-based enterprises. Earlier,
this financial support was not there. Also, these
WSHGs had never received any kind of capacity
building programmes on millet-based recipe
preparation and enterprise management. Under
OMM programme and with the handholding
support provided by Mission Shakti Department
in terms of leadership skill development and
guidance, WSHGs members have been able
to build their confidence to manage business
operation. Also, providing necessary equipment
and processing machineries to WSHGs under
OMM programme has facilitated their value
addition and processing work.
Dilemma and barriers: Traditionally, women in
the tribal communities were not into business
operation and management. Initially, they
were reluctant to accept and lead millet-based
enterprises under OMM. But with regular
meetings, training programme, handholding
support, and exposure visits conducted under
OMM programme and technical support given
by Mission Shakti Department, women are
now more confident. They have demonstrated
their leadership skills to lead, manage, handle
challenges and planning to expand their
business scale and diversify their product
portfolio.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: For
the first time in the state, millet-based café has
been established in Sundargarh and Keonjhar
districts, where WSHGs are taking leading
initiatives. These WSHGs supported by the
Mission Shakti department under OMM have not
only augmented their income level but are now
living a dignified social life. These millet-based
enterprises have also created income generating
opportunities for local women groups. Ragi
ladoos have been also prepared by WSHGS and
served in the Anganwadi Centers for pre-school
children to imporove their health and enhance
intake of nutritious food. The model has been
recommended by the World Food Programme,
United Nations and Government of India. The
WSHGs-led millet enterprises are enhancing
consumption and branding millets, reinforcing
the supply chain and promoting millets from
farm to plate.
Contact details: WASSAN, B/206 HIG Duplex
Colony, Baramunda, Bhubaneswar, Odisha,
751003
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
180 Promoting 
Millet 
Cultivation to 
Fight Malnutrition 
and Sustainable 
Living
Location: Keonjhar, Odisha, India
Institution: Peoples Cultural Centre (PECUC)
Summary: The project promotes little millet,
finger millet and foxtail millet cultivation for
fighting malnutrition and promoting sustainable
living. The case story focuses on gender
and inclusion, institutional commitment and
coordination, multi-stakeholder partnership,
and enabling environment for safety nets
inclusion.
Pitch: The project tried to address malnutrition
by reviving local, traditional, nutritious, and
low-cost food practices among the community.
It also helped reduce market dependency
by introducing organic farming and preserve
seeds by using traditional methods. Changed
food habits improved health and livelihood and
reduced health expenditure.
Problem analysis: The project tried to address
the issue of malnutrition and ensure food
sovereignty of the communities. The project
villages are inhabited by Adivasi communities,
Dalit or other marginalized ethnic groups. Their
means of income are subsistence agriculture
and daily wage work. The steady loss of forest
cover, cultivation on small patches of land, lack
of crop diversification practice, disappearance
of traditional nutritious foods, forest foods,
and local foods, change in habits, and market
dependency resulted in the community’s loss
of food and seed sovereignty and an increase
in child malnutrition. The project, through a
systematic integrated approach, tried to reduce
market dependency, thereby ensuring food
sovereignty, improving livelihoods, and reducing
malnutrition.
Solution: The project focused on solving
the issue of malnutrition by improving their
livelihoods, their practices by mobilizing the
community and forming and strengthening
Community-Based Organizations, involving
different stakeholders and linkages to different
schemes and programmes of the Government.
Reviving millet, a local nutritious food, after
25 years and incorporating various traditional
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
181 millet-based recipes into their food practice was
a major achievement of this project.
Target population: Marginalized farmers, small
farmers, women farmers, youth groups and
children were the major beneficiaries. Farmer
groups, women’s groups, and youth groups were
formed and strengthened. The organic method
of farming, organic manure preparation, seed
preservation, training on food and nutrition,
practice of kitchen garden, vermicompost,
training on poultry, and bee keeping helped
the group with knowledge building and also in
changing their practices and habits.
Results: The project was implemented in the
6 villages of Badjamuposi GP of Ghatagaon
block and covered 7351 people. Significant
improvement is noticed in the income. The
average household monthly income has
increased by 30% (from Rs 6726 to Rs 8804)
due to the substantial income increment from
the agriculture, which has almost doubled.
The project has also led to increase in self-
employment (34.63%), business (16.43%), and
wages (18.65%). Out of the 600 children covered
under this project, about 60 percent reported
improved nutritional status.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
The project can be replicated by integrating it
into the Millet Mission and Mission Shakti. The
replication requires involving the communities
and strengthening their capacities through
various training and involving the stakeholders
at different levels.
Drivers of change: For the success of the
project, the participation of the community is
crucial as they are the target beneficiaries of
the project. The involvement and support of
stakeholders at different levels is also of equal
importance. The most important factor for the
successful implementation of this project is
Local Food Festival
Preparation of Organic Fertiliser
Millet Cultivation
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
182 raising awareness among women, youth, and
the community about the health benefits of
local food, millet-based food, organic food, and
forest food.
Dilemma and barriers: Mobilising the
community, changing farming practices
moving from conventional to organic methods
of farming, and involving the women in the
process were the major barriers faced during
the implementation process. They were
mitigated by regular meetings and interacting
with them, organizing exposure visits to show
the benefits of organic farming and the benefits
of millets, and encouraging them to start on a
small scale. When they saw the results, they
started changing their practice.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Through this intervention, millet, a traditional
local crop, was revived in farms as well as plates
after 25 years. New innovative millet recipes
like mandia chai, millet laddoo, millet pakoda,
and millet cake were created and popularised
through local food melas and also through state
level forest food festivals, where they were much
appreciated by the public. Through district and
state level programmes, the project tried to
popularize the use of local food and millet by
demonstrating its benefits. The Government
of Odisha unveiled a mascot named Tiki Mausi
with the aim of spreading awareness about
the nutrition of children and women and the
use of local food for improving the nutritional
value of food. Ragi laddoo was also introduced
in the AWC of Keonjhar as a nutritious food
supplement for children.
Contact details: Peoples Cultural Centre
(PECUC), Registered Office: VII-M-13, Sailashree
Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751021, Odisha, India,
Coordination Office: Plot No-63, Phase-2,
Indraprashtha, Pokhariput, Bhubaneswar
-751020, Odisha, India. Email–pecuc@hotmail.
com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
183 Compliance 
Tracker for Smooth 
Functioning of 
Farmers Producer 
Organisations
Location: 19 districts of  
Odisha, India
Institution: Odisha Millet Mission (OMM), Govt.
of Odisha
Summary: Odisha Millets Mission has developed
a compliance tracker for FPOs to ensure smooth
functioning and reduce the chances of becoming
defaulter. The solution focuses on institutional
commitment and co-ordination and creating an
enabling environment.
Pitch: When a Farmer Producer Organization
(FPO) is registered, the members often lack
knowledge about the technical aspects of legal
compliances that are to be followed so that they
can conduct business without hassle. A tracking
sheet was introduced to help them regulate
their accounts and legal compliances without
defaulting. When members had to apply for any
loans or business deals, they could show their
readiness about it.
Problem analysis: The problem faced largely
was compilation of the data at the FPOs end
and keeping up-to-date with all the regular and
annual compliances. Another problem was that
the Board of Directors (BOD) primarily belonged
to the farming community and were not very
well versed with legalities and compliances. The
importance and means of doing it remained a big
challenge. Many of them were not maintaining
the details of the shareholders and books of
accounts in a manner such that it can be easily
shared with a third party on requirement. Many
of them were not aware of these tasks and if
known were not sure how to approach it. Rest
of them were doing it manually and hence were
prone to making mistakes and redundancy
when failing to update in time.
Solution: Once the problem was identified,
there was a training conducted with farmers and
especially BoD and Chief Executive Officer of the
FPO, about the requirement and importance
of keeping track of updates and compliance
maintenance. After the context, the members
were given hands-on training on the utilization
of compliance tracker designed for them. The
tracker has been carefully curated to cover both
financial as well as legal aspects of the FPO. In
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
184 finance it considers the book of accounts that
are maintained by them on a regular basis, and
in legal it lists the compliances with due time
and requirements on quarterly and annual
basis. These aspects provide a detailed picture
of the FPO to the supporting agency. If they are
defaulting, then it is easier to flag and provide
support in that specific area.
Target population: The target population is the
members of the FPO along with accountants
and CEO. Often facilitating agencies are also
trained so that they can extend help to their
FPO as well.
Results: When the legal and financials of
any organization is as per the requirement,
it becomes very easy to track the business,
understand profits and losses, and progress
of the organization. When a FPO is registered
as a section 8 company they are entitled to
the dividends with the shareholders. Keeping
a track of all books of accounts makes things
easy. A tracker comes handy and is of great use
in times of loan application and any business
opportunity.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
idea is to bring systematization when farmers are
on-boarded as Board members of a company. It
is a concept applied across the country, hence
a more advanced version of the tracker that
captures, administration, operations, business,
compliances as well as growth and progress
can be prepared. It can be implemented with
all FPOs, to make them self-sufficient and in
compliance with the requirement of the day-to-
day opportunities.
Drivers of change: The farmers have shown
interest in adapting to these changes. Apart
from them, the continual monitoring by the
scheme and FAs have helped in providing the
handholding support. Continuous training
has been useful in adopting the tracker as
technology which was earlier an alien concept
for the farmers.
Dilemma and barriers: The barriers initially
faced included bridging the digital divide and
bringing the social acceptance of the tracker.
Apart from acceptance, the idea to use it and
update it is considered as another challenge.
Many times, the information was incorrectly
placed or switched. Farmers were sometimes
found hesitant in sharing the financial details
of their organizations due to the fear of being
duped. Biggest barrier has also been the
complexity to complete many documents and
the time it consumes. As most of the things are
now online, the support is required on a more
permanent basis as compared to the temporary
support.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
The farmers in the country are perceived to
be naive with limited knowledge of legal and
financial aspects required to run a company.
Such trackers not only help in overcoming those
challenges but also allow the farmers to expand
their portfolio to deal in business and trade their
produce. The compliance being fulfilled makes
them a good candidate for all the prospects as
well. Attaining loans for business establishment
and trust of traders are easily achieved.
Contact details: Odisha Millet Mission,
Project Management Unit, Krushi Bhawan,
Bhubaneswar. Phone: +91-674-2395532. Email:
omm.spmu@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
185 Promotion of  
Bio-Inputs 
For Yield 
Enhancement 
and Strengthened
Livelihood
Location: Mayurbhanj,  
Odisha, India
Institution: Agriculture and Technology
Management Agency, Mayurbhanj
Summary: Bio-input preparation, promotion,
and marketing by Women Self-Help Group
members in collaboration with Farmer Producer
Organizations. The story focuses on gender and
inclusion.
Pitch: Farmers were encouraged to use
agrochemicals during the green revolution.
However, agrochemicals strip the soil of its
natural health. Bio-inputs made from natural
ingredients like cow dung, cow urine, seeds, etc.
can serve as an alternative. Usage of bio-inputs
can help rejuvenate the soil and enhance its
productivity, thus improving yield. In the year
2021-22, 1,08,731 farmers worked on 47,339
hectares of land across 14 districts of Odisha
using bio-inputs like jibamruta, handikhata, etc.
to produce 3,415 quintals of millets. Bio-inputs
can act as a sustainable practice and change
the course of agriculture by replacing chemical-
inputs.
Problem analysis: Agrochemicals are a source
of concern when we look at sustainability.
They affect soil, water, and human health. Use
of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in millet
cultivation is not cost effective in the long
run. The same crop production will eventually
require an increased amount of agrochemicals,
which won’t be conducive to input costs borne
by farmers as well as public health. Bio-inputs,
made of natural locally sourced raw materials,
can be produced and sold at local level to
help with crops. 115 SHGs and 54 FPOs across
the districts of Odisha produce jibamruta,
bijamruta, handikhata, agniastra, and nimastra.
It acted as a secondary source of income to
women farmers as well as SHG women along
with reflecting the organic values of traditional
agriculture.
Solution: Agronomic practices such as
application of organic inputs resulted in higher
yield. This, in turn, led to higher income,
and provided diversified organic food to the
households, improving their health. Use of
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
187 conveniently available raw materials in the area
to prepare organic inputs, the usage of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides in millet farming is
decreased and, correspondingly, input costs
lowered. Women of Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
along with women farmers participate in the
preparation of the bio inputs. 54 FPOs and 115
SHGs across 17 districts facilitate marketing
and promote the product along with sensitizing
the local community using community-based
programmes. The entire process promotes
empowerment of the marginalized financial
or otherwise. It promotes environmental
conservation and sustainable agricultural
practices using eco-friendly and ubiquitous
ingredients.
Target population: Women farmers have
the responsibility of doing most of the labor-
intensive work in fields. Bio-inputs can act as
a boon as it is made from natural and locally
sourced ingredients, along with being cost-
effective. They promote the use of bio inputs
and spread awareness through community-
based programmes. With adequate training
and resources, they prepare bio-inputs from
scratch and package them to use in their fields.
This reduces the drudgery faced by women and
empowers them since they generate revenue
by selling these products.
Results: Three treatments were conducted to
see the effects of bio-inputs a control area with
no inputs, an area with bio inputs, and an area
with chemical-fertilizers and pesticides. A total
of 7541 liters of bio-input were produced across
the districts in the piloting phase, and 5671
liters were sold in the locality. The total cost
incurred for the production was Rs. 96,136.75
and the revenue earned was Rs.1,19,105. For
example, in Jashipur block of Mayurbhanj,
one Farmer Producer Organization along with
Ma Hingula SHG set up a production unit with
an aim to produce 3000 liters of Jibamruta,
1000 liters of Handikhata and 500-liters of
Nimastra initially and supply them across the
Block on a requirement basis. The production
process began on the 25th July 2020 and the
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
188 marketing of the product started after a week.
A community-based activity was designed to
orient farmers about the usage. The WSHG-
managed to prepare and sell 3,406 litres of
jibamruta, 60-litres of handikhata and 40-litres
of nimastra, making a profit of Rs. 15,614. In the
month of August 2022; almost 35,000 litres of
bio-inputs were sold in Mayurbhanj.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: Bio
inputs have incredible scope for scalability.
With organic produce being more in demand,
bio-inputs can possibly replace agrochemicals
that harshly impact the human body as well
as the environment. Being inexpensive is an
added forte. Stakeholder involvement through
SHGs and FPO would be required to bring
the product to the forefront and promote the
product at a national and international level.
Replicability of bio-inputs is heavily dependent
upon the practices in place. SHGs and FPOs can
conduct training programmes across villages to
impart the knowledge of bio-input preparation.
The purity, proportion and the availability of the
raw materials won’t be an issue if the materials
are locally sourced. A detailed recipe with
substitutes for locally unavailable raw materials
needs to be prepared.
Drivers of change: Stakeholders like SHG
members and women farmers make the initial
processing possible. Both Farmer Producer
Organisations and SHGs work in the packaging
and branding of the bio-inputs as well as
their promotion. Sensitization of the farmers
through community outreach programmes
and mass media to increase their knowledge
about the usage and motivating them to
replace agrochemicals with bio inputs would
go a long way. Regular follow ups conducted by
Community Resource Persons could contribute
to the success of the practice.
Dilemma and barriers: One of the major risks is
the shelf life of the product. If not used within 15
days, the effectiveness of the product decreases.
When the time required for packaging and
branding is factored in, it becomes difficult to
distribute the product within its shelf life which
further reduces its chances for proper usage.
Another risk is the mindset of the farmers.
Years of practicing chemical intensive farming
has posed a challenge for mobilizing farmers to
adopt organic farming methods.
Novelty and innovation of the solution:
The world today is recognizing the adverse
impact of chemical-intensive farming on
the environment and human health. From
surface water contamination and soil toxicity
to neurological and developmental toxicity,
agrochemicals are a recipe for disaster. In a
world of SDGs, use of such destructive agents
needs to be stopped. Sustainable and organic
agricultural methods like bio-inputs would
go a long way into upholding the integrity
of the SDGs while empowering FPOs to gain
control over their farming processes. WSHGs
and FPOs are trailblazing with regular training
sessions and awareness programmes to foster
community sentiment, empower women and
motivate farmers to switch to organic farming
methods. Low-cost bio inputs nurture local
agrobiodiversity and soil health, thus improving
nutrition outcomes and livelihood of small-scale
tribal farmers.
Contact details: Agricultural Technology
Management Agency (ATMA), Odisha.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
189 Gender Responsive 
Capacity Building 
Support and Services 
to Women Self Help 
Groups For Setting-Up 
Millet 
-Based Processing 
and Value-Addition 
Enterprises
Location: Koraput, Odisha, India
Institution: International Initiative for Impact
Evaluation (3ie) (Funding Agency) and Watershed
Support Services and Activities Network
(WASSAN) (Implementing agency)
Summary: Gender responsive capacity building
and technical support to WSHGs can help WSHG
members come up with sustainable business
plans and optimally utilize the available
resources and opportunities. The case story
focusses on processing gender and inclusion,
institutional commitment and multi-stakeholder
approach.
Pitch: Lack of capacity building and technical
support to WSHG hinders the development
of millet-based processing and value addition
enterprises, despite having support and
opportunities for accessing processing
machinery. Investing in the knowledge, skills
and capacity building of these WSHGs along
with facilitating proper linkages with available
Government schemes and markets can assist
the women in setting up sustainable enterprises
and this will have an impact on their economic
and empowerment indicators.
Problem analysis: Millet is a major crop
traditionally grown in the Koraput district of
Odisha by small and marginal farmers. Koraput
is the highest millet producing district in
Odisha. Millets are also an important part of
the diet and culture of the region. The earlier
generations used to cultivate a diverse variety
of millets and included these grains in their
daily consumption. However, with the high
level of drudgery involved in processing these
grains and lack of access to modern processing
technology, these millets have gradually been
replaced by paddy, both in agriculture and in
consumption patterns. Lack of a robust local
market for millets, as compared to paddy, is
another reason for its declining cultivation.
Today, farmers of Koraput mostly cultivate finger
millets and little millets, and a small amount of
foxtail millets and sorghum in some specific
regions. To address the declining cultivation
and consumption of millets, the Odisha Millets
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
190 Mission has been promoting millet processing
machines such as thresher cum pearler, grader,
destoner, dehuller, pulverizer, etc. Some other
Government programmes, notably Mission
Shakti have also supported Women SHGs to
procure machinery. However, in many cases it
has been seen that access to machinery has
not led to increase in number of WSHG led
enterprises around millet processing and value
addition. This is mostly due to lack of capacity
building training and systematic handholding
for WSHGs, along with lack of access to the
market.
Solution: E2IMPART is an action research
project led by the Natural Resources Institute,
University of Greenwich and funded by the
International Initiative for Impact Evaluation.
The project seeks to understand the impact
of capacity building support and services for
millet-based enterprises on the economic
empowerment indicators of members of
WSHGs. It aims to measure the impact of such
technical support on WSHG and provide a set
of good practices for future interventions by
Odisha Millet Mission. The project is being
implemented with 170 WSHGs across 10 blocks
of Koraput district, randomly selected and
stratified into three treatment groups.
The primary intervention of the project is
a progressive series of gender-responsive
training modules on millet-based enterprise
development. These training modules have
been designed to assist these SHGs articulate
the importance of millet in their cultural and
economic life and take decisions to build up a
business plan in a participatory manner. After
business plan development, these SHGs will
also be given training on financial management
around their enterprise. SHGs planning to
start value addition enterprises would also be
provided with training on recipes and support
on market linkage.
These trainings are designed to be as gender
responsive as possible, to ensure maximum
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
191 and comfortable participation of all WSHG
members. This was done through steps like
organizing the training venue as close to the
members’ houses as possible, deciding training
time in consultation with the WSHG members,
keeping in mind their domestic and agricultural
work schedule and setting up of creche facilities
with toys and drawing books for the children
of the participants. The training involves using
different IEC materials to make the sessions
more engaging for the members.
The training is supplemented by exposure visits
to different millet enterprises in Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh. This helps the WSHG members
get a clear understanding of the processes
involved in an enterprise. Convergence with
Government schemes, market players and
platforms will also be explained.
Target population: The target population are
WSHG members across 10 blocks of the district.
For the impact evaluation study, 170 WSHGs
were randomly selected, out of which half had
access to a thresher unit provided by Odisha
Millets Mission. Out of these, 170 SHGs, 58 SHGs
belong to Treatment 1 who are being provided
training support for processing enterprises, 58
SHGs belong to Treatment 2 who are being
provided training support for processing and
value addition enterprises. 54 SHGs belong to
the control group, where no interventions are
being done to help quantify the impact of the
interventions in the two treatment groups.
Results: Till date, 157 field trainings have
been conducted with the 116 treatment 1 and
treatment 2 WSHGs covering content till the
third module where the WSHGs build up a vision
of possible enterprises, based on their interests
and opportunities and identify their market
options, challenges, additional requirement in
terms of funds, infrastructure and trainings.
A total of 146 WSHG members were taken for
exposure visits to millet enterprises.
Owing to the capacity building support, most
of these WSHGs have identified the possible
enterprises for them. The fourth module which
will be administered next will facilitate these
WSHGs to chalk out a sustainable business plan
for themselves (based on the options available
to them) and a plan of action as well.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: These
gender responsive trainings can assist Women
Self Help Groups to set up enterprises through
participatory planning and proper linkages. The
project is trying to assess the impact of such a
package of knowledge and services and then
recommend similarly designed capacity building
services for future policy and implementation
on enterprise development.
Drivers of change: Gender responsiveness lies
at the base of the project, guiding the designing
of the training modules and its implementation
on field. By recognizing the various factors which
constrain a woman’s full participation in training
programs, we can take steps to address them.
Since women have the primary responsibility of
domestic work such as cleaning and cooking,
along with agricultural labor, it was important
to ensure that the timing of the training was
suitable for all the members. This was done by
consulting the members before fixing the timing
of each training, taking into consideration their
current workload and organizing the training as
close to their homes as possible (in Anganwadi
Centers or community halls in the villages) to
reduce travel time. Giving them the flexibility
to decide the training timing according to their
availability can help ensure that the women can
comfortably attend multiple trainings over the
months. The training also had creche facilities to
ensure women with small children could attend
the training while their children were positively
engaged near the training venue.
Dilemma and barriers: The greatest challenge
right now is to facilitate WSHG to set up robust
and sustainable market linkages both within and
outside Koraput district. While many WSHGs are
interested and willing to take up millet-based
enterprises, the linkages to market are essential
for the sustainability of any enterprises.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
192 Novelty and innovation of the solution:
While enterprise development implementations
have majorly focused on ownership and access
of SHG to physical and financial resources,
attempts are being made to measure the
impact of knowledge transfer, capacity building
support for skill building, exposure visits and
participatory business plan development. These
interventions will help these enterprises to take
informed decisions and make plans around a
sustainable enterprise.
Contact details: WASSAN, B/206, HIG
Duplex BDA Colony, RBI Colony, Baramunda,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003
Editor’s note: Similar initiatives have been
undertaken across Odisha’s different districts
to empower women and build their capacities
through WSHGs for different activities from
production, processing to marketing through millet
tiffin centres.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
193 MIS Management 
and Dashboarding 
under 
Odisha 
Millets
 
MissionLocation: 19 districts, Odisha, India
Institution: Department of Agriculture and
Farmer Empowerment, Govt. of Odisha
(Implementing Agency) and Watershed Support
Services and Activities Network (Facilitating and
Technical Support Team)
Summary: Odisha Millets Mission has adopted
the process of data collection through a Mobile
App from field and supports validation and
approval by nodal officers and dash-boarded
at milletsodisha.com. It is a web-based-MIS-
provision supporting monitoring. It focuses on
institutional commitment.
Pitch: The MIS system of Odisha has 3 major
aspects:
€Data collection through mobile app:
Data is collected by Community
Resource Person from field along with
all stakeholders.
€Data consolidation, validation and
dashboard for transparency: Data is
consolidated and verified by Block
Level and District Level Nodal Officers
and shared on the “milletsodisha.com”
official web portal of Odisha Millets
Mission.
€Web-based MIS for physical and
financial monitoring and reporting for
keeping track of finance at all levels
and with all stakeholders involved for
timely action.
Problem analysis: OMM has mandate of working
with atleast 4000 farmers in a programme block
along with Community-Based Organizations
like WSHGs, FPOs and multi-stakeholder
association for programme implementation.
It is really difficult to handle data and ensure
transparency at all levels of implementation
for proper management of programme with
multiple collaboration with line departments.
Major issues faced are documenting the
diversity of practices with farmers, reporting
and monitoring entire programme direct benefit
transfer provision to farmers and also financial
support for millet-enterprises need critical data-
driven MIS-system within the programme.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
194 Solution: For addressing the issues mentioned
above, OMM has developed:
€Standardized formats for data
collection: Standard formats for data
collection suitable for management
and supporting programme
deliverable are designed and
stakeholders are oriented for the filling
and timely submission in web-based
Management Information System
(MIS) within Odisha Millets Mission.
€Data collection through mobile
application: Critical data from the field
were collected through Community
Resource Persons mobile application
named “OMM Data Collection”. Farmer
identification, tracking agronomic
practices, incentive data for farmers,
data on GEO tagging of enterprises and
mapping of outposts and outcomes
desired by programme.
€Dashboard development: Information
dashboard was developed and
linked with the web portal to ensure
transparency and timely action.
Target population: The key target population
were:
€Facilitating & Implementing Agency:
Facilitating and implementing agencies
at block level were able to record and
update financial and physical data in
appropriate web-forms in MIS and use
it.
€Farmer and Established Enterprises:
Available data in MIS system ensures
timely and critical support to farmers
along with WSHGs and FPOs in their
enterprises management.
€Nodal Officers and Department:
Nodal officers at different levels are
also benefited by handy, easy to use
monitoring and reporting system.
Results: Currently the designed mobile
application is used by more than 700 Community
Resource Persons at the grassroots’ level
reaching 2 lakh farmers during Kharif 2022-23
across 143 programme blocks under OMM in
19 districts of Odisha. Submissions of monthly
progress reports, both physical and financial,
are monitored since 2017-18 using the MIS
portal with all other implications of data for
monitoring all activities digitally and it supports
physical audits and compliances regarding
programme management.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
model is suitable for upscaling within the same
programme for scale at any level. The same
model can be replicated and used for other
mega programmes, millet missions in other
states, with minimum changes of programme
variables and indicators.
Drivers of change: Government adopted
in-house software designing and management
practices with the Programme Secretariat under
OMM. Regular orientation of stakeholders
on usage of applications for data collection,
validation, submission and further approval
and usage for decision making are ensured.
Through the dashboard, it became attractive
to track programmes in a designed view by all
stakeholders and the public.
Dilemma and barriers: The key barriers
include limited capacities of field functionaries,
need for continuous upgrade, use of innovative
technologies leading to multiple modifications,
catering to diverse communities and with
different orientation and expectations requiring
multi-stakeholder engagement and varied
implementation and management strategies.
For example, departments usually need signed
hard copy for approvals while the systems
generate digital formats which may be different
from usual practice.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
leveraging of technological instruments like
mobile app for data collection and web-based
MIS for physical and financial monitoring and
reporting for large-scale Government program
makes it an innovative solution. The designed
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
195 data collection and monitoring process of
MIS supports end-to-end monitoring, decision
making and enables tracking of critical pro-
gramme activities with lots of diversity. It also
encourages researchers and technical agencies
to collaborate and suggest in-time improve-
ments. Data from Odisha Millets Mission shall
be updated through mobile application and
web application.
Contact details: Odisha Millet Mission,
Project Management Unit, Krushi Bhawan,
Bhubaneswar. Phone: +91-674-2395532. Email:
omm.spmu@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
196 Community 
Managed Seed 
System (CMSS) for 
Millets
Location: Mohana, Gajapati 
Odisha, India
Institution: Taptapani Farmers Producers
Company Limited
Summary: The case story focuses on ensuring
easy to access, available affordable and quality
seeds for farmers through decentralized
Community Managed Seed System (CMSS) – An
institution managed by CBOs
Pitch: Private sector focuses on profit margins
through high value, and low volume seeds. On the
other hand, public sector presence is limited in
remote rural regions of heterogeneous farming
system. This is primarily due to infrastructural,
human resources and budgetary constraints to
carry out research, multiplication, and supply
of seeds of diverse crops, varieties, and meet
information needs of smallholder farmers.
Hence, decentralized CMSS is important to meet
the diverse needs of smallholder farmers in
marginal farming systems and supply variety of
seeds and seed classes that not often supplied
by private and public sector organizations.
Problem analysis: The formal seed system
is dominated by major cereals and modern
varieties of rice, maize, and wheat in market
accessible areas. Community based seed system
is dominant in minor crops and for local farmers’
varieties of major crops in marginal regions,
where up to 90% of seed requirements are met
by farm produced and community exchanged
seeds. However, the ineffective traditional seed
storage structures, poor facilities and improper
management in the informal system makes
seed quality and viability poor. Most of the
seeds produced and marketed from CMSS are
managed by FPOs. The CMSS of Mohana block
of Gajapati districts is managed by Taptapani
Farmers Producer groups. The FPO identified a
group of experienced seed farmers, built their
capacity on seed production, and ensured the
quality of the seeds for marketing.
Solution: The CMSS is being applied through
nodal CBOs of Odisha Millets Mission. It runs
as enterprise organization through generating,
maintaining, and supplying best seeds.
Facilitating Agency (FAs) at the block level is
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
197 assigned the task of exploring the availability of
local landraces within the block through village
meetings, Focused Group Discussions, Seed
fairs, Melas, personal contacts, Government,
and non-Government sources, etc. FAs are also
collecting the information on the landraces in
passport data format prescribed by the National
Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR),
which generally contains the basic details of
the conserver along with the geographical
information and varietal characters. Technical
persons/skilled farmers associated with the
FPO are looking after the proper storage of
the seeds in plastic containers. Seed containers
are stored in dry, clean, and sanitized places in
normal room temperature. Storekeepers keep
a continuous vigil for pests like mice. Collection
and disbursement of seeds are recorded both
manually and digitally in a systematic format
for future reference and audit. There is also a
provision for signing Seed Transfer Agreement
in case of supply for commercial or scientific
purposes. For easy access to farmers, three
sub-seed centers were established.
Target population: The small and marginal
farmers are the targeted population for the
seed centers. They often face challenges to
access quality seeds at an affordable rate. The
Taptapani FPO supported farmers with quality
seeds at their doorstep at an affordable price.
The farmers can avail the seed even if they do
not have money, and can return the same seed
with seed interest in kind post-harvest. The
FPO fulfils the seed security for the small and
marginal farmers and also provides seeds for
re-sowing if there are any natural calamities.
Results: The Community Managed Seed Centre
(CMSC) at Mohana has remarkably impacted
the locality directly and indirectly. Farmers
attached to the seed center are not only getting
the truthful labelled seeds but are also trained
on quality seed production and improved
Package of Practices. Seed scarcity in the
locality is declining. Area under millet cultivation
and production has also increased with the
advancement of seed centre. Accessibility to
moisture meter, storage materials, weighing
machine and tarpaulin in the seed bank to
small and marginal farmers is helping in
maintaining the seed quality. Many landraces
of rice, pulses, millets, and vegetables are being
conserved. Researchers are benefiting with the
range of germplasm conservation. The use of
local varieties of crops on-farm resources such
as crop diversification, mixed cropping and cow
dung and compost has increased in Mohana.
In the COVID days during lock down, when
communication and transportation was totally
restricted, the farmers of the locality were
unable to get quality seeds. The staff of the FPO
succeeded in distributing seeds to more than
400 farmers, which helped the marginal farmers
continue their livelihood and consumption.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
seed bank solves the problem of seed scarcity,
supports seeds for crop diversification and
different types of cropping systems. FPO or
SHGs build trust among the landless or tenant
farmers, reducing their dependency for seeds on
landlords and private agencies. The availability
of seeds, safe storage, proper management, and
primary processing of seeds create an impact
on other Government and non-Government
agencies for replication. The monitoring system,
involvement of the agriculture department, and
management system will scale up seed village
programmes in future. The congregation of
FPOs of each block will help make a regional
level seed bank in future which not only helps
small and marginal farmers, but also helps all
the farming communities of the district.
Drivers of change: Community seed banks
can secure improved access to, and availability
of diverse, locally adapted crops and varieties,
and enhance related indigenous knowledge
and skills in plant management, including seed
selection, treatment, storage, multiplication,
and distribution. It ensures the conservation
of agro-biodiversity. It also provides a range
of germplasm for further research and
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
198 development. The indigenous seeds will survive
and help production in changing climate with
different cropping systems.
Dilemma and barriers: Formation of the local
bodies, coordination and mutual understanding
among the local bodies and farmers, exploration
and collection of indigenous seeds, propagation
of sporadic cultivated varieties, establishment
of proper storage system and distribution
pattern are most important tasks for achieving
the objectives of Community Managed Seed
Centers.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Seeds are
the most important production input. Access
to productive seeds supports resilience and
sustainability, especially in traditional production
systems in comparatively low-income countries
where agriculture accounts for the majority of
their economies. Commercial seed companies
are not in the business of selling seeds in a
wide range of varieties that are specialized for
small farmers. Seed availability for many under-
utilized crops is very less. Whereas forgotten or
underutilized crops like millets play a key role in
providing livelihoods to poor farmers, lowering
famine risks, and providing more complete and
balanced diets. Advent of CMSS solves all these
problems, providing best quality seeds to the
farmers and conserving the biodiversity.
Contact details: Taptapani Farmers Producers
Company Limited, Mohana, Gajapati
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
199 Pragatisila FPC 
Reducing Drudgery in  
Millet 
Cultivation 
through 
Technological 
Intervention
Location: Ganjam, Odisha, India
Institution: Pragatisila Farmer Producer
Company Limited, Balichhai PACS, and INDIA
NGO
Summary: Intervention of the FPO in the
Polosara block has changed the life of millet
farmers. It has reduced the drudgery of the
millet cultivator, decreased the production cost
by introducing various scientific methods and
technology intervention in the field of millet
cultivation. The intervention focuses on FPOs
institutional commitment and co-ordination
skills.
Pitch: Millets are grown more in the Polosara
blocks as compared to the other blocks.
However, there was distress selling of millets,
people were selling in local markets in an
unorganized way. Yield of the crops was very
less. Most of the times, crops were unsold and
stayed at home. Under the Odisha Millet Mission
(OMM) project, all these issues were streamlined
through promotion of Pragatisila Farmers
Producer Company which focuses on building
farmer welfare. FPO conducted community
sensitization campaigns regarding various
techniques for the cultivation, introduced high
yield varieties crop at field level and supported
crop sale post-harvest through mandis.
Problem analysis: Nearly 1120 ragi cultivating
farmers were facing the problem of distress
selling, low productivity and less income.
Solution: The FPO has addressed the farmers
problems of distress selling, low productivity
and income. The farmers are now well aware
about the modern techniques and technology
for the ragi cultivation and high yield variety
seeds due to FPOs training programs and
awareness campaigns, that leads to increase
in the income of the farmers. Village-wise
production plan and surplus plan is prepared,
and each Gram Panchayat is assigned one CRP
to ensure proper village registration in portal. All
the Board of Directors (BoD) members are also
actively engaged in creating awareness among
the community regarding Fair Average Quality
of ragi, registration on the procurement portal
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
200 and Government fixed MSP on ragi. During
procurement time, one token is generated for
one village to ease transportation of ragi from
the village to mandi, reducing the cost. All the
farmers’ produce is sold in the market through
mandi at MSP. Farmers’ level tracking-sheet is
maintained by the CRP to ensure all the farmers’
products are sold. Various training programmes
are organized at community level to generate
awareness on health benefits among the
community and disseminate various recipes of
millets.
Target population: All the millet growing
farmers are getting benefits through the
intervention of Pragatisila Farmers’ Producer
Company. The farmers, primarily small and
marginal farmers, are timely getting high yield
varieties seeds and technical support. Vulnerable
sections of women like widows and separated
women are getting support and information
through the FPO. At Gram Panchayat level with
the help of SHGs, the initiative has established
Millet Shakti Tiffin Center that provides cooked
food as snacks and breakfast. SHG members
are opening small enterprises and getting self-
employed.
Results: Through this FPO, nearly 18 Gram
Panchayat members are getting benefitted.
Every year, the area under millets and quantity
of millet produced is increasing. The number of
farmers cultivating millets has also increased.
Nearly 1700 farmers are directly getting
benefits through the FPO and 26 women SHG
members are self-employed. Three Custom
Hiring Centers (CHCs) and three Seed Centers
have been established in the blocks to provide
services to all the vulnerable people so that
they do not need to make big investments and
instead can pay a small user fee for cultivation
activities, reducing the cost of cultivation.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Reducing the drudgery of the farmers through
FPOs is a unique and sustainable model and
reflects positive results in the field. As FPO is
promoted by the farmers and they are a part
of it, all the rules and regulations regarding
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
201 management of the FPO are set by the farmers.
The policies developed to govern the FPO are
farmer focused. This model can be replicated in
other projects also.
Drivers of change: FA-NGO and FPO staff’s
continuous efforts towards the empowerment
of farmers’ is the main factor of success of the
good practices of the FPO. BoD members are
also very actively involved in all the assigned
activities such as creating awareness or any
campaign, etc.
Dilemma and barriers: There are no clear
guidelines for the strengthening of the FPO
and their capacity building. FPO is only
getting business idea of bio-input which is not
marketable as expected and also business itself
is not self-sustainable. The FPO had taken up
procurement activities last year. It has given
good amount of commission to FPO, but for
long run sustainability, there is need for clear
guidelines and multiple business models. If the
capacity of FPO, BoD and CEO are strengthened,
they would be able to work on broader aspects
of sustainability.
Novelty and innovation of solution: FPO
is a proven model for empowerment of the
farmers and any producer groups. Also, it is
clearly visible that through FPO, farmers are
getting benefits. Through the FPO intervention,
farmers’ production cost has decreased, their
productivity has increased, and their income
has doubled. The market issues are generally
resolved by the intervention of FPO.
Contact details: International Noble Work
Development and Investigation Association
(INDIA), At-Badua, Golia, Ganjam, 761118, Odisha,
India. Email-dr.kumudachandrabehera@gmail.
com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
202 Decentralized 
Governance and 
Multi-Stakeholder 
Model of 
Odisha 
Millet 
Mission
Location: 19 districts, 
Odisha, India
Institution: State Project Management Unit,
Odisha Millets Mission, Govt. of Odisha
Summary: Decentralized governance and
multi-stakeholder model have led to the success
of Odisha Millets Mission. The intervention
focuses on institutional commitment and stable
financing.
Pitch: Before the beginning of Odisha Millet
Mission, millets were an underutilized crop.
When the Millet Mission was being designed,
one of the most important considerations was
replicability, both within and outside the state.
In the guidelines of the Millet Mission (they can
be found at www.milletsodisha. com), roles and
responsibilities of each and every stakeholder are
clearly spelt out. The programme components
have been made in line with either central or
state schemes to the extent possible. Tasks and
activities for each stakeholder were assigned
based on the existing operational model of the
Agriculture, Department while bringing in new
thinking.
Problem analysis: Overtime the share of
millets in area and its household consumption
has declined. Main challenges include:
€There has been lack of focus on millet
and development of its value chain
in the policy of the Govt., research
institutions and public at large.
€Traditional methods of cultivation
induced low productivity.
€Lack of quality seeds
€Lack of millet processing units
€Lack of awareness on nutritional
benefits
€Lack of proper market linkages
€Decentralized Governance and Multi-
Stakeholder Model of Odisha
€Non-inclusion of millets in
procurement and distribution in food
security schemes of Government
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
203 increased from 6.4 quintals/ ha in 2016-17 to
14.9 quintals/ha 2019-20 and 1.5 quintal per
farmer to 5.6 quintal per farmer respectively
during the same period. The growth rate in the
involvement of farmers in crop production was
15.4% in the year 2019-20 from the base year
2016-17. The adoption of improved agronomic
practices such as SMI and LT/LS farmers
increased from 0.3% in 2016-17 to 62.9% in
2019-20 and 2.5% to 33.1% respectively during
the same period. The consumption of millets in
winter, rainy, and summer seasons respectively
increased from 64.3%, 66.9% and 85.8% in
2016-17 to 98.5%, 72.6%, and 79.9% in 2019-20.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Odisha received the best performing-millet-
promotion state-award at the National
Convention on Nutri Cereals by the MoA&FW
and UN-FAO. Government of India and NITI
Aayog have identified OMM as one of the
best models and role model for other State
Governments. WFP identified OMM as one of
the best practices that can be replicated in the
other states and other countries in Africa as part
of South-South Collaboration. An alternate seed
system for landraces was developed for the first
time in the world under OMM. Odisha became
the first state to declare direct incentive to
farmers for three years through Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT). Odisha became the first state to
develop standard specifications for the minor
millet machinery through a recognized panel of
experts from different scientific institutions and
the third state to distribute millets in PDS in the
country.
Drivers of change: Ensuring availability of
quality seeds, training programmes on Package
of Practices, engaging local Farmers Producer
Organizations, Engagement of multiple
stakeholders, etc. are the main drivers of
change.
Dilemma and barriers: Millets were considered
as low value crops earlier among the farmers.
Farmers were not interested to expand their
millet cultivation area. Poor marketing facilities
at the community level often demotivated
As the project spans across various sectors, it had to be vetted by various departments and committees. The convergence across sectors not only broke silos, but it also broke the comfort zones. This did create apprehensions, calling for caution and due diligence. The progress has been slow and steady. It took time to build confidence among stakeholders.
Solution: After launching the Odisha Millet
Mission, there has been a sea of change in
the last four years. Crop demonstration and
incentive have encouraged the farmers to take
up millets again. Procurement of ragi, being done
in collaboration with SC & ST Dept/TDCCOL, has
changed the price dynamics. Increase in prices
and access to state procurement has prompted
more farmers to take up millets. Inclusion
of millets is being done in State Nutrition
Programme & PDS in collaboration with W&CD
Dept. Establishment and management of
enterprises through WSHGs is being done in
collaboration with Mission Shakti Department.
Facilitation and capacity building is being done
by NGOs as Facilitating Agencies and field
implementation is being done by Community-
Based Organizations i.e., FPOs & WSHGs.
SPMU of OMM under DA&FP and WASSAN
develop the guidelines and protocols for
implementation of each activity as per Annual
Action Plan which was finalized in consultation
with all stakeholders. Training of trainers and
capacity building of the NGOs, CBOs and CRPs
is done by WASSAN. SPMU and DPMU monitor
the implementation of each activity through the
department staff and WASSAN staff.
Target population: Farmers, mostly
belonging to the tribal and other marginalized
communities, women groups, Community-
Based Organizations, Farmers Producer
Organizations, local civil societies, etc. are the
targeted population.
Results: Despite many challenges, after nearly
five years of implementation, all the stakeholders
are satisfied and motivated to a great extent. As
per the report of NCDS, the millet yields have
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
204 farmers to grow millets. Lack of training and
capacity programmes on improved agronomic
practices resulted in low crop yield. OMM in
collaboration with the local NGOs, district
agriculture officials and ATMA professionals
have organized a series of training programmes
for the farmer groups on organic practices and
different agronomic practices for better yield.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: The
approach is novel and innovative as it involves:
€A supportive policy framework for
disbursal of public funds through
convergence of Government
departments and programmes
€A participatory multi-stakeholder
consultative approach and a strong
partnership between the Government
and civil society
€Decentralized governance and
research honoring indigenous
knowledge and grassroots experiences
allowing for ownership of the
programme by farmers
€Ongoing collaboration between
the research and programme
implementation agencies, ensuring
regular monitoring of practices and
real-time policy recommendations to
make the food system responsive and
resilient
€Creating consumer awareness and
encouraging household consumption
by producers
€Encouraging research and entrepre-
neurship of the private sector
€Piloting millet inclusions in State
Nutrition Plan
€Promotion and establishment of
decentralized processing and value
addition enterprises with farmer
collectives and WSHGs
€Building capacities of local Community
Based Organizations, such as FPOs
and WSHGs to add value to the supply
chain and thereby enhance rural
livelihoods
Contact details: Odisha Millet Mission,
Project Management Unit, Krushi Bhawan,
Bhubaneswar. Phone: +91-674-2395532. Email-
omm.spmu@gmail.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
205 Location: Niger, West Africa
Institution: ICRISAT
Summary: “Chakti”, the first Fe biofortified
pearl millet variety in West and Central Africa,
addresses malnutrition prevailing in the region
and combats iron deficiency anaemia in
children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women,
and assures food security in the region.
Pitch: Pearl millet is a staple cereal for low-
income families in Africa and Asia. Chakti, the
first biofortified pearl millet variety in Africa, is
naturally higher in grain iron and zinc, essential
for good health and productivity. Chakti was
officially released by the Government of Niger
for commercial cultivation. For millions of
women and children in Africa, anaemia is a
significant public health concern and diets
deficient in iron are the responsible factors.
But consuming a new variety of pearl millet
called “chakti”, with an additional 20% of the
estimated average requirement of iron may
improve nutritional status and help reach their
physical and cognitive potential.
Problem analysis: The people living in the semi-
arid regions mostly consume cereal-based foods
and do not have access to diverse food, hence,
leading to serious malnutrition in children and
anemia in women. Micronutrient malnutrition is
a major concern in the developing world, where
more than 2 billion people are malnourished.
Malnutrition in Africa is a rising concern where
children are affected by stunted growth and low
IQ. Young children and pregnant women are
most vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies
due to their rapid growth and development.
Atleast half of the children worldwide younger
than 5 years of age suffer from vitamin and
mineral deficiencies, while almost 2 in 3
children between 6 months and 2 years of age
are not fed food that supports their healthy
development. Globally 3.5 million deaths were
seen because of malnutrition.
Solution: Pearl millet has the potential to fight
iron deficiency, the highest nutrient deficiency
in the world especially prevalent among women
Release of First 
Biofortified Iron (Fe)  
Pearl 
Millet
  
“Chakti” in West 
and Central Africa
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
206 and children across India and sub-Saharan
Africa. Recent studies have shown that the
bioavailability (absorption) of iron in pearl
millet is high enough to provide more than 50%
of the daily requirement for children or adult
males. One meal of a biofortified high iron
variety of pearl millet can meet approximately
50-100% of the daily allowance for iron to
combat iron deficiency/ anemia in women,
men, and children. It is also the cheapest
source of these micronutrients as compared to
other cereals and vegetables. Thus, pearl millet
biofortification opens up the possibility of a
cost-effective strategy to beat hidden hunger
in millions of poor families in Africa. Chakti is
high yielding OPV with early maturity and is
productive under low rainfall conditions. It is
climate smart and assures food and nutritional
security to the region.
Target population: Iron biofortification of
pearl millet significantly improves the health of
adolescent girls, pregnant women, and children.
Biofortification of staple crops is a sustainable
way to reach people in remote areas where
they do not have the facilities to get access to
fortified foods and mineral supplements.
Results: Chakti is an early maturing high grain
yielding biofortified variety that suits well to
agroclimatic conditions of the region. It not
only addresses malnutrition but also feeds the
population when their food reserves exhaust
before the local variety is harvested. Farming
in West and Central Africa is dependent on rain
and usually, one crop is taken per year. With
the introduction of the early maturing Chakti,
farmers have started taking two crops in one
year, with limited irrigation facilities. Because
of its earliness and nutritional benefits, there
is high demand for the Chakti seed which has
taken the third position with 5.0% of the total
seed quantity produced during 2021 in Niger.
Chakti is promoted in food transformation and
several commercial products such as “Crunch
de Mil”, “Mogoudji” and “Decue Moukou” were
developed in the region. NGO Kawolor in
Senegal has taken up the production of Chakti
in 1200 ha of farmers’ fields and is working
towards increasing the availability of nutritious
foods in the market.
Potential for upscaling and replicability:
Biofortified pearl millet will play a crucial role
in improving the health of the people and will
strengthen the economy of the region. There
is a huge demand for this technology in West
and Central Africa as severe micronutrient
malnutrition is prevailing. Several NGOs and
the World Food Program are working in
promoting biofortified varieties in the region
through their programs. Quality seed is
important in maintaining grain nutrients and
their reachability to consumers. Hence, the
private seed sector and the Farmer Group
Organizations were trained on the quality seed
production for upscaling of this variety.
Drivers of change: Biofortification is the
process of improving the pearl millet OPVs or
hybrids for the nutrient factors. This can be
achieved by having the potential and genetically
diverse germplasm and the effective breeding
program to generate the breeding pipeline
material and evaluate it in multi locations. NARS
partners, Farmer Group Organizations, and
NGOs have played a major role in promoting
this technology across the region. The public
sector also played a crucial role in creating
awareness of this technology by organizing the
millet festival (FESTIMIL) every year.
Dilemma and barriers: Acceptability by the
farmers and end users was a big challenge.
Awareness created by conducting on-farm
demonstrations in the farmers’ fields and
culinary studies with the village groups has
played a major role in promoting Chakti in
the region. Weak seed systems were another
barriers to promoting this technology. To
mitigate this, continuous efforts were made to
fill in the gaps by supplying the necessary early
generation seed, engaging the Farmer Group
Organizations and the private seed sector in
training and knowledge transfer for effective
upscaling of the biofortified varieties in the
region.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
207 Novelty and innovation of the solution:
Biofortification is a cost-effective way to bring
important micronutrients into the diet of the
poor, who have limited access to different diets
and micronutrient interventions. Chakti is the
first biofortified pearl millet variety released
in West and Central Africa. High-grain Fe
can combat the iron deficiency anemia (IDA)
prevailing in the region. Biofortified crops can
reach even remote areas where fortified food
and food supplements are unavailable. Usage
of the biofortified crops can improve the health
conditions of the people and in turn help in
contributing to the economic stability of the
region.
Contact details: Riyazaddin Mohammed,
International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics, Bamako BP 320, Mali.
Email–M.Riyazaddin@cgiar.org
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
208 Addressing Hunger 
and Achieving Food 
Security through Pearl 
Millet Single Cross 
Hybrid ”ICMH 147007” 
and Establishing 
Effective Seed 
Systems in West and 
Central Africa
Location: Burkina Faso,  
West Africa
Institution: ICRISAT
Summary: ICRISAT with INERA in Burkina Faso
released the first single cross pearl millet hybrid
ICMH 147007 in West and Central Africa with
grain yields 46% higher than the popular OPV
and is upscaled by NAFASO, a private seed
company in Burkina Faso. The entry focuses on
institutional commitment & coordination and
multi-stakeholder partnership.
Pitch: ICRISAT’s Pearl Millet Breeding Program
for West and Central Africa developed ICMH
147007 (Nafagnon) in Niger and the Institut
de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles
(INERA) evaluated it in Burkina Faso. Nafagnon
matures early in 80-85 days and has a yield
potential of about 3.0 tons per hectare; early
maturity helps overcome terminal drought
stress. It is a dual-purpose hybrid, resistant
to downy mildew, the most devastating pearl
millet disease in WCA. This high yielding hybrid
can improve the food security of the country
and can fetch greater income to the farmers
and other value chain actors.
Problem analysis: Pearl millet is a staple cereal
crop and is majorly grown by smallholder
farmers in West and Central Africa (WCA). It is
a climate smart crop and grows in harsh and
variable climatic conditions. Nigeria, Niger,
Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso are the major
pearl millet-producing countries in WCA. Niger
stands first in WCA with an area of 35.09 Mha
of land and a production of 6.4 Mt in WCA,
but the productivity is 500-800 kg/ha which is
very low. This is because productivity in WCA is
dependent on the local landraces. The food crisis
is deepening in WCA, affecting 27 million people
in 2021, which may rise to 38 million in 2022
if the crisis deepens at the same pace, which
is a 42% rise in one year. This may aggravate
further due to persistent insecurity and climate
change. Hence, hybrids with high grain yields
can help Addressing Hunger and Achieving
Food Security through Pearl Millet Single Cross
Hybrid the region address the issue of hunger
and achieve food security.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
209 Solution: Pearl millet production in West
and Central Africa (WCA) is still based on the
landraces which is one of the factors for low
grain yields in WCA. ICRISAT, has developed
new hybrids that can out yield the local varieties
grown by the farmers. ICRISAT with the help of
INERA, Burkina Faso has released the first single
cross pearl millet hybrid "ICMH 147007". This
hybrid has garnered interest in the farmers’
community because of its high grain yield, early
maturity, stay green nature, and resistance to
downy mildew. This hybrid has wide adaptability
to variable climatic conditions existing in the
Sahel. Access to quality seeds is difficult in Sub-
Saharan Africa because of weak seed systems
and bottlenecks in Early-Generation Seed (EGS)
production. Hence, a Consortium is developed
where all the private seed companies were
gathered under one platform to transfer the
hybrid seed production technology. At the
same time, a partnership was established
between INERA and local seed companies to
promote the hybrid released in Burkina Faso.
The intervention helped strengthen the formal
seed sector, and enable farmers to have access
to quality seeds.
Target population: ICRISAT works in improving
the livelihoods of the resource poor farmers
and the population of West and Central Africa.
Developing dual purpose hybrids not only
benefits the people but also improves livestock
integration in these production systems to
enhance animal nutrition and performance
while maintaining human food and nutritional
security. ICRISAT works in collaboration with
NARS, Farmer Group Organizations, NGOs, and
the private sector in taking the hybrids to the
farmers and the households. Farmer Group
Organizations and the private seed sector
are supported by the early generation seed
necessary for seed production.
Results: There is a growing interest in the
farmers for hybrids. NAFASO a private seed
company in Burkina Faso is upscaling the hybrid
ICMH 147007 and has reached 150 hectares of
the farmers’ fields since the time of release. An
agreement was made between INERA and seed
company NAFASO to produce foundation seed
of parental line 1 ha of AB pair and ½ ha of the
R line. This will be used for the production of
100 ha of certified hybrid seed in 2023. About
40 tons of certified seeds are expected at the
end of rainy season 2023, and the same can be
used to plant about 1000 ha in 2024.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
availability of breeder and foundation seed
of parental lines will speed up the process of
scaling up the hybrid. Also, the continuous
training of seed companies in quality seed
production and in intensive agriculture during
the rainy and off-season will strengthen seed
production, therefore the availability of hybrid
seed to farmers. More seed companies are
expected to be involved moving forward.
Another seed company (FAGRI) is ready to start
certified seed production in 2023. A Consortium
is formed with the private seed sector where
they will get continuous backstopping with the
elite material and in turn, the farmers will have
the access to the best seed material for sowing.
Drivers of change: West and Central Africa
has poor nutrient soils and is highly affected
by climate change. The erratic rainfall in the
Semi-Arid tropics is leading to crop failures
with the local varieties grown. This is further
leading to hunger and malnutrition in this
region. Developing climate smart hybrids
that can yield high in nutrient poor soils, can
feed the growing population and lead to
the food security of the region. The primary
factor responsible for successfully achieving
this, is effective collaboration with the NARS
partners, NGOs, Farmer Group Organizations,
and private seed companies in the region.
This intensive networking helped in taking the
novel technologies to the farmers and achieving
sustainable agriculture development in the
region.
Dilemma and barriers: The major barrier was
the lack of hybrid seed production knowledge
with the private seed companies in this region.
ICRISAT has moved forward by establishing
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
210 connections with private seed companies and
training them in quality hybrid seed production.
Once they got the technology, the private seed
companies in West and Central Africa have
taken forward the hybrids to the farmers by
conducting on farm testing in the farmers’
fields. The NARS partners in the region have
established a public private partnership for an
effective hybrid seed production process.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: West
and Central African agriculture is dominated by
the open pollinated varieties. ICMH 147007 is
the first single cross dual-purpose hybrid that
fits well in the existing agro-climatic conditions.
The role of the private seed sector in upscaling
hybrids is quite important. The sustainability of
the hybrids depends on the building up of strong
and efficient seed systems. Hence, training and
knowledge transfer are important for effective
seed systems. ICRISAT has taken this as an
opportunity to build up the seed systems by
forging collaborations and transferring the
hybrid seed production knowledge to the seed
sector.
Contact details: Riyazaddin Mohammed,
International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics, Bamako BP 320, Mali.
Email–M.Riyazaddin@Cgiar.org
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
211 Transformative 
Seed Consortium 
Involving Multisectoral 
Partnerships 
and Community 
Engagement for 
Sustainable and 
Inclusive Seed Supply 
to Post-rainy Sorghum 
Farmers
Location: Parbhani, Beed, 
Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Pune, 
Solapur
Institution: International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic (ICRISAT)
Hyderabad in partnership with Maharashtra
State Seeds Corporation (Mahabeej), Akola,
Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV),
Rahuri and Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi
Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Parbhani
Summary: A transformative seed consortium
involving multi-sectoral partnerships and
community engagement is committed to
building a sustainable and inclusive seed system
that supplies improved varieties to over three
lakh post-rainy sorghum farmers annually,
making significant impact on their livelihoods.
Pitch: Despite the release of improved varieties
with market-preferred traits adapted to
different growing ecologies, weak seed systems
have resulted in low adoption rates (<20%) of
these improved varieties. This is one of the
major reasons for the low productivity (650 kg/
ha) of post-rainy season sorghum in India. For
the past 9 years, ICRISAT and its partners have
built a transformative seed consortium involving
multi-sectoral partnerships and community
engagement to create a sustainable and
inclusive seed system that supplies improved
varieties to over three lakh post-rainy sorghum
farmers annually. As a result, there has been a
significant increase in their productivity (1000
kg/ha) and profitability (35% higher).
Problem analysis: The Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT)
are characterized by a poor natural resource
base, high day-time temperatures, high
evapotranspiration, poor market linkages, low
returns, risk-bearing ability, and repayment
capacities. These areas shelter 75% of the poor
and therefore deserve prime attention from
technologists and policymakers. ICRISAT and
its partners have provided key technological
and institutional interventions that have given
a boost to the integrated farming system
characterized by the time-tested crop-livestock
combination in Maharashtra. The diffusion
of innovations, provision of quality seeds,
efficient input delivery and market linkage
have resulted in more than 75% of farmers
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
212 benefiting from bridging productivity gaps and
thereby enhancing incomes in both crop and
livestock sectors. The welfare gains accrued
to the farming community are evident due to
cost-effective technologies in harsh agroclimatic
conditions. These interventions have nullified
the vicious circle of poverty through effective
and appropriate institutional interventions and
infrastructure tailored to semi-arid areas.
Solution: Based on the findings of a baseline
survey (Pokharkar et al., 2014) on the existing
seed systems of post-rainy sorghum in
Maharashtra, where the adoption rates are
very low, a model called the ‘Seed Consortium’
was developed to multiply improved varieties
and distribute them to farmers. The seed
consortium model includes ICRISAT, ICAR-IIMR,
private and public sector seed companies, State
Agriculture Universities (SAUs), Krishi Vigyan
Kendras (KVKs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs),
Non-GovernmentOrganizations (NGOs), and
farmers. In this model, a decentralized seed
production and centralized seed procurement
and distribution through a buy-back agreement
in the initial years was envisaged, however it
was planned to eventually shift to decentralized
seed production and distribution. The public
sector Research and Development institutions
(ICAR, SAUs, and ICRISAT) and private sector
seed companies engage in partnership
research to develop improved products. The
private sector seed companies and public
sector seed agencies play a critical role in seed
production, procurement, and dissemination of
these improved products to farmers. The seed
consortium partners meet annually and develop
a work plan to produce a specific quantity of
seeds annually to reach farmers. From there, all
partners work together and produce the seeds
in farmers’ fields under the best supervision to
produce high-quality seeds. They then process
and supply them to farmers.
Target population: Small and marginal farmers
(1-2 ha) were selected for seed production.
These seed producing farmers were trained on
seed production techniques, maintenance of
isolation distance, sowing practices, and other
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
213 agronomic practices to be followed for the
sorghum seed crop. They were also trained to
identify off-types, and rogues, and to remove
them from the seed plots to maintain the quality
of seed production. Furthermore, training was
organized after harvest and at the time of seed
processing to impart knowledge about seed
cleaning, seed grading, seed treating, seed
storage, and seed packaging. Women farmers
were given high priority in seed production.
Results: Under the Seed Consortium, ICRISAT
and its partners supply the breeder seed, train
seed farmers, and monitor seed production
plots periodically. The State Seed Corporation
(Mahabeej) gives a buy-back guarantee to
seed farmers and procures seeds by paying
a 25% higher price than the market price.
Mahabeej processes the seeds and supplies
them to farmers through its network in the
entire country. With the concerted efforts of all
partners, the Seed Consortium started in 2013,
producing a total of 300 tons of improved seeds
in farmers’ fields, procuring, processing, and
supplying seeds to 30,000 farmers for cultivation
in the next season. In 2014, it produced 1000
tons of seeds and supplied them to 1,00,000
farmers, and in 2015, it produced 1500 tons of
seeds and distributed them to 1,50,000 farmers.
In 2017, it achieved 2200 tons of production,
reaching 2,20,000 farmers with improved seeds,
and in 2018, it produced 1000 tons of certified
seeds. With the adoption of these improved
seeds, coupled with increased adoption of
management technologies, there has been
a steady increase in post-rainy sorghum
productivity in Maharashtra, which is now more
than 1000 kg/ ha and growing. During 2019-22,
this initiative expanded, producing 3000 tons
of seed, meeting the seed needs of 3,00,000
farmers.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
unavailability of improved post-rainy sorghum
seeds is a major constraint in adoption,
persisting despite credible evidence that farmers
in Maharashtra who adopted seeds of improved
varieties and recommended management
technologies achieved a 35% improvement in
grain yield and a 20% increase in stover yields across over 40,000 farmers’ fields. The post-rainy sorghum seed consortium was designed to scale up the gains and interventions of the HOPE Sorghum and Millets project. This was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation during 2009-14 in 11 countries, including India. The Consortium harnessed the synergies of its partners to enhance adoption rates of improved varieties by working with communities and Self-Help Groups. It entices them to seed production by providing technology, a remunerative price, and a buy-back guarantee. This initiative is now flying without funding and expanding based on market needs. Therefore, it is replicable and scalable by building purposeful partnerships.
Drivers of change: Critical factors for the
success of the practices were the availability
of improved varieties with market-preferred
traits suited to post-rainy agroecology and
the partners’ teamwork in deploying them in
farmers’ fields. It is noteworthy to mention
the role played by Maharashtra State Seeds
Corporation (Mahabeej), who, upon seeing
yield gains in farmers’ fields through improved
technologies, readily agreed to multiply seeds
of improved varieties and buy back the seeds
from seed farmers by paying 25% higher
premium than the prevailing market price. This
was a game-changer for the seed consortium.
With support from ICRISAT, MPKV, and VNMKV,
the breeder seeds were supplied to seed
farmers, who were empowered in quality seed
production. The Maharashtra seed certification
agency monitored seed plots and certified
seeds. Mahabeej procured, processed, and
supplied quality seeds to commercial farmers.
The ripeness of technologies, their acceptability
by farmers, passion, and synergy among
partners and farmers have all contributed to
this success.
Dilemmas and barriers: One of the key
risks was the acceptance of new varieties
by farmers, as they have been accustomed
to cultivating landraces for a long time and
have apprehensions about these varieties,
particularly their grain and starch quality.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
214 shoot fly resistance, and terminal drought
tolerance, like M 35-1 and Dagadi, are popular.
Indian NARS has developed some improved
varieties, but they are not available to most
farmers, and the seed replacement ratio is
very low (20%). Therefore, the establishment
of the “Seed Consortium” by ICRISAT and its
partners is an innovative and first-of-its-kind
approach, wherein all stakeholders are brought
onto one platform and passionately work to
improve seed availability and push adoption
rates. With improved seeds, post-rainy sorghum
productivity reached 1000 kg/ha vis-à-vis 650
kg/ha when the Seed Consortium was initiated.
The annual per capita income in the HOPE
seed production area is Rs 38,118, while in the
non-HOPE area, it is Rs 25,000, of which 65%
is derived from crop enterprises only. The
involvement of women in seed production is
very significant.
Contact details: ICRISAT, Patancheru,
Hyderabad, Telangana
Secondly, the availability of inputs such
as seeds, seed treatment chemicals, and
fertilizers, as well as the seed drills advocated
for maintaining optimum plant population,
was a challenge. Their reach to farmers and
acceptance by farmers were found to be highly
challenging. Furthermore, the farmers had to
cope with the removal of off-types from seed
plots, which reduces their plant population and
yields. ICRISAT and its partners worked hand-in-
hand with seed farmers in implementing all the
interventions thoroughly and guiding them. They
negotiated with various private seed producers
to uptake improved varieties multiplied by the
seed consortium and requested Government
departments to support seed multiplication by
farmers through various schemes, including
input supply, certification costs, and training
programs.
Novelty and innovation of solution: Across
post-rainy sorghum ecologies, landrace
cultivars possessing white bold lustrous grains
with photoperiod sensitivity, cold tolerance,
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
215 Food Security and 
Income Generation 
through Cultivation of  
Proso Millet 
and  
Foxtail 
Millet  
in Char areas of 
Bangladesh
Location: Bangladesh
Institution: Bangladesh Agricultural Research
Institute (BARI)
Summary: In Bangladesh, there are
approximately 0.82 million hectares of Char land
or riverine island. About 70% of the people who
live in the char areas across Bangladesh rely on
agriculture for their livelihood. Due to low soil
fertility, most of the char land remains fallow.
Under poor soil conditions, millets, particularly
foxtail millet and proso millet, give a better yield
compared to all other crops; in case of other
grain crops, there is a probability of complete
failure. These are hardy crops and quite resilient
to a variety of agroclimatic adversities, such as
poor soil fertility and limited rainfall. For many
years, farmers in this char region have grown
the local cultivars of foxtail millet and proso
millet. The area of millets in the char regions
is decreasing day by day due to the lower yield
of local varieties. The Plant Breeding Division
of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute
(BARI) is working on millet research. They
have developed four high yielding varieties of
foxtail millet and one variety of proso millet.
These varieties are higher yielding compared to
local cultivars. Farmers are now growing BARI
released high yielding millets instead of local
cultivars in majority of the char land. Therefore,
crop productivity as well as cropping intensity
has increased, which has helped achieve
food security. Hence, both the socioeconomic
condition and income of the people in char
areas are improving. Millets are rich in protein,
minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients; they are
gluten-free and therefore, ideal for people who
are gluten intolerant. The needy people in char
areas used to eat millet as an alternative to rice
since it met their nutritional needs. The people
of the char regions are changing their livelihood
status by cultivating the new improved BARI
released varieties of millet, which will assist in
achieving food security and nutritional security.
Pitch: The Char lands are home to some of
the poorest and most vulnerable people in
Bangladesh. About 6.5 million people ( i.e.
5% of Bangladesh’s total population) live in
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
216 the Char lands and depend on agriculture for
their livelihoods. For many years, farmers in
the Char regions have grown local millets, but
this has resulted in low grain yields. As a result,
the area of millet-cultivable land in the Char
area has decreased. BARI has released high-
yielding millet varieties suitable for Char lands.
Currently, farmers in the Char area are growing
BARI-released millet varieties, including BARI
Kaon 2, BARI Kaon 4, and BARI Cheena 1, and
they are achieving positive results, changing
their livelihood status and earning more money.
Problem analysis: The main issue in the
Char area of Bangladesh is the lack of good-
yielding millet varieties, along with challenges
in obtaining high-quality seed and marketing
millets. The scarcity of quality millet seeds
in the Char area has forced farmers to rely
on poor-quality seeds. Farmers depend on
labour-intensive, time-consuming, and tedious
conventional grain processing techniques.
Women in the Char area have traditional
knowledge of millets and their use in making
local foods. However, these recipes have low
commercial potential due to their short shelf
life and lack of preference beyond their locality.
To address these challenges, BARI is working
to increase popularity of millets in the Char
area. BARI has a millet variety improvement
program and quality seed production activities.
It has introduced simple and user-friendly millet
processing equipment, and is also organizing
field days, block demonstrations, and training
programs to promote the adoption of newly
developed millet varieties.
Solution: BARI has released four foxtail varieties
(BARI Kaon 1, BARI Kaon 2, BARI Kaon 3, and
BARI Kaon 4) and one proso millet variety (BARI
Cheena 1). Adaptive trials of millet varieties,
along with local cultivars were conducted in
the Char areas of different districts. These
districts included Munshigonj, Rangpur, Tangail,
Borguna, Jamalpur, Gaibandha, Faridpur, and
Manikgonj. In the case of foxtail millet, BARI-
released varieties such as BARI Kaon 2 and BARI
Kaon 4; these varieties produced higher yields
than local cultivars. In the case of Proso Millet,
the newly introduced variety BARI Cheena 1
consistently outperformed local cultivars in
yield. BARI conducted block demonstrations
of their millet varieties in farmers’ fields in
targeted Char areas. They also arranged field
days on millet production in Char areas with
the participation of farmers and agriculture
officers. BARI also organized a participatory
varietal selection program in farmers’ fields and
provided simple, user friendly millet processing
equipment in targeted Char areas. In the Char
areas of farmers’ fields, BARI produced two
tons of breeder seed millets. Additionally,
BARI organized millet-made food exhibitions in
Gazipur for top officials.
Target population: The millet cultivation project
targets marginal and smallholder farmers,
including men and women. These farmers are in
the Char areas of Munshigonj, Rangpur, Tangail,
Borguna, Jamalpur, Gaibandha, Faridpur, and
Manikgonj districts. In the Char areas, both men
and women are involved in farming activities.
Although the percentage of male farmers is
higher than female farmers, women are directly
involved in different post-harvest activities. The
adoption of high-yielding millet varieties is
expected to increase the productivity of Char
areas, improve farmer income, and create
empowerment opportunities for women.
Results: Billah et al (2019) conducted an
experiment in the Jamalpur char land area
during 2018-19 to find out the yield performance
and promote proso millet in char land areas.
BARI Cheena-1, Local-1, and Local-2 were used
as varieties/cultivars in that experiment. They
observed that BARI Cheena-1 was a dwarf type
(61.43 cm) compared to Local-2 (76.60 cm).
They found that BARI Cheena-1 had the most
effective grains per panicle (364g) compared to
the Local Cultivar. They also found that BARI
Cheena-1 had the maximum 1000 seed weight
compared to Local-1 and Local-2. BARI Cheena-1
produced the highest yield (2.4 t/ha) compared
to Local-1 and Local-2 (Table 1). Rahman et al
(2018) conducted an adaptive trial experiment
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
217 at the farmer’s field in Gaibandha char during
2016-17 to disseminate and promote BARI Kaon
varieties to the farmers of char areas. They used
BARI Kaon-2, BARI Kaon-4, Local Cultivar-1, and
Local Cultivar-2 as their experimental materials.
They observed the highest number of spikelets/
spike, number of grains/spike, and 1000-grain
weight (g) in BARI Kaon-4 compared to the
local cultivar. They recorded the highest grain
yield (2.98 t/ha) in BARI Kaon-4, which was
statistically similar to BARI Kaon-2 (2.96 t/ha) but
significantly higher than the local cultivar (Table
2). Here, it was observed that BARI released
millet varieties performed better compared to
the local cultivar.
Table 1: Performance of different proso millet varieties with local cultivar at the Jamalpur char area
during the rabi season of 2018-19
Genotypes
Plant height
(cm)
Panicle length
(cm)
No of grain/
panicle
1000 grain
wt. (g)
Grain yield
(t/ha)
BARI cheena 1 61.43 26.153642.6 2.90
Local 169.60 18.833132.3 2.16
Local 276.60 20.833222.4 2.26
CV (%)2.82 9.374.77 4.49 5.31
LSD
0.054.43 2.468.61 0.28 0.60
Sources: BARI Annual Research Report 2018-19
Table 2: Performance of different foxtail millet varieties with local cultivar at the Gaibanda char area during the rabi season of 2016-17
Genotypes
No of spikelet/
spike
Length
of spike (cm)
No of grain/
spike
1000 grain
wt. (g)
Grain yield
(t/ha)
BARI Kaon-260.2324.15 367.25 2.51 2.96
BARI Kaon-465.6021.80 397.70 2.64 2.98
Local 155.0819.83 311.50 2.20 2.00
Local 258.0820.83 321.50 2.36 2.15
CV (%)0.601.37 0.62 0.55 2.01
LSD
0.050.580.46 3.61 0.04 0.09
Sources: BARI Annual Research Report 2016-17
Potential for upscaling and replicability: In
Bangladesh, most cultivable land is used for rice. Therefore, preliminary surveys should be conducted in char areas based on millets’ uses, constraints, and opportunities. For upscaling the production of millets, the following interventions should be taken:
(i) increase the allotment of land to these crops in char and plain lands, (ii) use better seeds and improved cultivation practices to increase yield and productivity, (iii) enhance regional capacity for seed production and supply quality seed at the local level, (iv) introduce labor-free grain processing technologies to help women
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
218 promote the consumption of these grains and
increase their income through value chain
construction, (v) raise public awareness of
millets’ significance for food and nutritional
security, (vi) develop marketing strategies for
millets, and (vii) develop consumer need-based
value-added products from millets.
Drivers of change: Several factors have
contributed to the dissemination of millets in
Bangladesh. These include rapid technological
advancements, expanded farming possibilities
resulting from agricultural research, increased
market opportunities, and higher profit
and income. Policies, public investment in
agriculture, and the delivery of essential
inputs have successfully encouraged farmers’
aspirations and positive attitudes toward
change. Improved crop varieties with useful
traits, higher yields, and higher profitability are
being developed and disseminated for millet
cultivation. Other improvements include better
irrigation management, policy reforms, and
agriculture investments. Access to domestic
and international markets via improved road
networks and trade policy reform (reduction of
input tariff rates) has helped increase domestic
production and consumer access to food.
Farmers have improved access to technological
information through face-to-face interactions
with extension personnel, agricultural
information centers, and other stakeholders.
Millets are suitable for cultivation on marginal
(low fertile) and dry soils (rainfed) and have low
infestation rates of crop pests and diseases.
Dilemma and barriers: There were several risks
and constraints that hindered the popularization
and spread of millet products. These risks and
constraints needed to be properly addressed
to promote the use of millet with success.
These included: (i) People’s belief that millet
is a low-status food, (ii) Lack of awareness of
millets’ potential and nutritional value, (iii) Low
public interest in value-added millet products,
(iv) Consumer preference for spending less
on millet items than on rice products, (v)
Lack of training in value addition and product
development for millet growers and business
owners, (vi) No assured marketing, and (vii) Lack
of financial assistance for small businesses and
entrepreneurs for the production of diversified
recipes based on millets. Mitigation strategies
include (i) Effective marketing strategies for
millets, (ii) Development of consumer need-
based value-added products for millets, (iii)
Training and capacity building for farmers and
extension personnel, and (iv) Public awareness.
Novelty and innovation of the solution: Millets
such as proso millet and foxtail are playing
a significant role in ensuring Bangladesh’s
food security and achievement of SDG-2 of
the United Nations. BARI has released mega
varieties of millets (Proso millet-BARI Cheena-
1; Foxtail millet-BARI Kaon-2 & BARI Kaon-4),
which farmers throughout the country are
increasingly cultivating. As a result, most of the
infertile land is now being cultivated, increasing
crop production and cropping intensity,
and contributing to achieving food security.
Bangladesh is now very close to achieving food
security, and the release of these millet varieties
by BARI has made a tremendous contribution
towards this goal.
Contact details: Dr. Reshma Sultana, Chief
Scientific Officer, Plant Breeding Division,
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute
(BARI), Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh. Email–
csopbreeding@yahoo.com
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
219 Location: Sangareddy,  
Telangana, India
Institution: ICRISAT
Summary: ICRISAT, as a public-sector
institution, is responsible for developing
improved varieties and hybrid parents of
mandate crops. Recognizing the value of private
sector seed companies as research partners
for hybrid cultivar development and seed
production, ICRISAT formed the Hybrid Parents
Research Consortia (HPRC) about twenty years
ago in India. Due to the success of this Public
Private Partnership (PPP) model, HPRC was
also initiated in ICRISAT’s Eastern and Western
African crop improvement programs. At present,
about 35 seed companies are members of
HPRC for millet crops, including pearl millet and
sorghum. This includes around ten companies
in Eastern and Western Africa. Private sector
companies provide a token research grant each
year to join the consortium. This approach
utilizes complementary expertise and resources
and generates synergies between International
Agricultural Research Centers (IARCs) and
the private sector in the development and
marketing of improved cultivars’ seed without
compromising the global research agenda in
delivering International Public Goods (IPGs).
ICRISAT employs this approach to deliver its
research products such as improved hybrids and
varieties to poor farmers through Public-Private
Partnerships. The consortia funds complement
ICRISAT’s core funds for pearl millet research.
All ICRISAT-bred materials remain in the public
domain as IPGs, and no seed company has
exclusive rights.
Pitch: This research partnership between
IARC, NARS, and the private sector harnesses
the power of crop improvement to generate
“bankable” research products that catalyze
private and public investments and generate
multiple benefits along the value chains of two
millet crops: pearl millet and sorghum.
Problem analysis: A diverse array of germplasm
is required by breeding programs of both the
public and private sectors to continuously
enhance the productivity of millet crops. Through
this consortium network, ICRISAT generates
Public-Private 
Research Partnership 
to Enhance 
Sorghum 
and  
Pearl 
Millet
 
Productivity in India 
and Other Parts of 
the World
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
220 significant genetic diversity and shares it with
both public and private sector partners, which
helps develop promising cultivars for farmers.
Solution: Public-private partnerships bring
all the stakeholders on board and handle the
challenges jointly. As a group, the consortium
seed companies represent a large human
resource with expertise in diverse areas such
as parental line breeding, hybrid development,
hybrid testing (both on-farm and farmer
participatory), seed production, and hybrid
seed marketing. Hence, through the consortium
network, ICRISAT-bred materials find a fast
delivery vehicle to reach farmers, leading to the
rapid adoption of a diverse range of hybrids on
farms.
Target population: The availability of
diverse and productive cultivars through the
Consortium has greatly benefited the farming
community. In India, at least 60 to 70% of
pearl millet and sorghum hybrids are based
on ICRISAT Consortium-bred hybrid parental
lines, which has contributed significantly to
biodiversity with the largest number of hybrids
on-farm in sorghum and pearl millet compared
to any coarse grain cereal. Additionally, it has
led to enhanced disease resistance with no
downy mildew epidemics in the last fifteen
years, yield stability, and increased productivity
with a genetic gain of about 3% per annum. The
Consortium has also helped develop promising
cultivars of sorghum and pearl millet in Brazil,
Central Asia, and many African countries.
Results: A third-party evaluation of the on-farm
impact of pearl millet hybrids developed under
Pearl Millet Hybrid Parents Research Consortium
(PMHPRC) by member partners for ten years
(directly or indirectly based on ICRISAT breeding
lines) in India was carried out and published
(Venkata Rao et al. 2018). The study covered five
hundred and sixty-three pearl millet growers
spanning fifty-seven villages and twenty-five
Mandals in three states (Rajasthan, Gujarat, and
Uttar Pradesh) in India, revealing that PMHPRC
hybrids covered about sixty percent of the
pearl millet hybrid area. These hybrids provided
atleast twenty percent higher grain and fodder
than the varieties/other hybrids they replaced.
For Gujarat, HPRC hybrids were grown in 0.72
ha, while the non-HPRC hybrids were grown
in 0.19 ha. A hectare of HPRC hybrids, on an
average, yielded 21.76 quintals of grain and
32.55 quintals of fodder per ha. Similarly, a
hectare of non-HPRC hybrids yielded only 18.57
quintals of grain and 30.22 quintals of fodder in
Gujarat. In Rajasthan, HPRC hybrids were grown
in 0.58 ha, while the non-HPRC hybrids were
grown in 0.52 ha. A hectare of HPRC hybrids,
on an average, gave 27.28 quintals of grain
and 38.7 quintals of fodder. A hectare of non
HPRC hybrids yielded 22.03 quintals of grain
and 31 quintals of fodder. In Uttar Pradesh,
HPRC hybrids were grown in 0.57 ha, while
the non-HPRC hybrids were grown in 0.28 ha.
The average yield of HPRC hybrids was 39.35
quintals of grain and 55.4 quintals of fodder
per ha. The non-HPRC hybrids gave only 32.78
quintals of grain and 47.7 quintals of fodder per
hectare. The longevity of the hybrids developed
using PMHPRC-bred genetic materials was
8–20 years in the market, compared with 3–7
years for the hybrids of non-PMHPRC bred
lines. The total benefits on account of HPRC
hybrids were worked out as US$39.5 million in
Gujarat, US$55.2 million in Rajasthan and $39.0
million in Uttar Pradesh. The total benefits due
to these hybrids in the three states added up
to 133 million US Dollars. The overall benefits
at the country level could exceed 150 million
US Dollars per year if contributions of HPRC
hybrids are accounted for in other states of
India as well.
Potential for upscaling and replicability: The
same model has been replicated in sorghum
and pearl millet crops in Eastern and West
African regions.
Drivers of change: Formation of the Consortium
platform with formal guidelines developed in
consultation mode helped public and private
sector organizations gain trust in the platform.
The mantra of equality for all partners drives
the PPP model.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
221 Dilemma and barriers: The risk was that
the private sector organizations might not be
satisfied with the research products and as a
result, their capacity to develop productive
Novelty and innovation of the solution: This
PPP model was developed for the first time
in the CGIAR network. Other CGIAR centers
like IRRI and CIMMYT have also replicated this
model successfully.
Contact details: S. K. Gupta, Principal Scientist
(pearl millet breeding), ICRISAT, Patancheru,
Telangana-502324, India. Email–s.gupta@cgiar.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
222 The good practices from Asia and Africa,
mapped in this compendium showcase a
range of learning opportunities for millet
mainstreaming from diverse set of stakeholders
including Governments, NGOs, FPOs, startups,
cooperatives, KVKs, academia, private sector
and grassroot implementers. The stories
documented from the ground are testaments to
the existing capacities of different stakeholders
that can help in revitalizing millet in food
systems across the world.
The call was open for all stakeholders and
engagement/orientation workshops organized
for all states within India and multiple
stakeholders in Asia and Africa. While the
stories have been shared from different
corners of the world, Odisha with over hundred
stories submitted has clearly championed the
cause of millets in their state and needs to
be recognized as a true leader in millet value
chain development and mainstreaming. The
stories shared bring experience from different
geographies, but the interconnectedness
between different stories is evident through
the commonalities in the problems, drivers of
change, barriers, or strategies employed. The
case stories in the compendium are innovative
and solution oriented, focusing on millet value
chain development and millet mainstreaming.
Separate sectional focus has been given to both
categories, however overlaps do exist in a few
case stories.
The compendium will be useful to a wide range
of users as the different solutions can serve as a
template to catalyze policy and practice reforms
through replication in a wider geography with
contextual adaptation. The compendium brings
together multiple stories strengthening the
various dimensions of millet value chain i.e.,
production, storage & distribution, processing,
packaging & branding and consumption. It
covers both major and minor millets cultivated
globally and provides kaleidoscope of solutions
relevant across the spectrum of problems like
climate change, environmental degradation,
food, and nutritional insecurity. From
innovative cultivation practices like System of
Millet Intensification to increase production
being practiced in Odisha and Tamil Nadu to
marketing innovative millet-based products in
Gujarat and Kerala to increase consumption, the
compendium covers a wide range of initiatives.
The stories from Niger on biofortification of
pearl millets, hybrids in west and central Africa
region, technical advances and agriculture
research focus from Bangladesh provide further
insights.
Some of the initiatives like utilization of millet as
green fodder to improve dairy outcomes were
unique but were restricted to locations, while
others like the role of FPO in millet procurement
and marketing found mention in multiple
stories across geographies. The stories also
captured ground-breaking research in varietal
and technology development and diffusion
for different millets. Each of these stories are
promising pathways for the researchers, policy
makers and on-ground implementers for
improving and strengthening the millet value
chain and making it a win-win proposition for
every stakeholder.
Besides focus on Government led program
interventions like OMM, novel initiatives led by
communities are also at the forefront of this
CONCLUSION
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
223 compendium. Case stories like community seed
banks from Meghalaya illustrates how local
communities are reducing their dependency on
external stakeholders and strengthening their
internal capacity to ensure food and nutritional
security. The stories from other nations like
Bangladesh, Mali, Niger, Nepal also provide
significant opportunities of cross-learning
which can be easily tapped to collectively
address the complex challenges faced in
millet mainstreaming. Stories cover important
aspects of value chain from seed production,
seed quality, seed priming, safe storage, seed
treatment, community participation in varietal
conservation, community management of seed
centers, varietal trials, improved agronomic
practices encouraging community organizations
including WSHGs. They have stressed on other
important aspects from training and awareness
raising to branding, value-added products,
safety standards and certification
The compendium also synthesized stories on
the five broader mainstreaming dimensions
of institutional commitment & coordination,
sustainable and innovative financing, multi-
stakeholder partnership, enabling environment
for enhanced production & inclusion in safety
nets and gender. It highlighted different
strategies and approaches used for smooth
implementation of solutions like Odisha’s
MIS Management and Dashboarding system
or compliance trackers for FPOs. A majority
of the stories emphasized the importance of
institutional coordination not just between
different ministries and departments at the
center and state, but also between actors at
the various level to bring about positive change.
The importance of co-ordination on ground and
developing local capacities is acknowledged in
most of the case stories as the most important
element of success.
The role of gender mainstreaming and
cases of economic and social empowerment
of women have also received adequate
representation in the compendium. Multiple
stories specifically credit the success of their
projects to the transformative capacities of
local women leaders. Women sensitization and
empowerment have been given due importance
by including establishment of millet tiffin
centers, millet-based recipes by tribal women,
combating child malnutrition with vitamin and
mineral fortified recipes besides supporting
and hand holding women in seed production,
farming and promoting millet processing.
Sharing knowledge and learnings about the
key issues, barriers, and drivers from existing
success stories can revitalize the millet value
chain and strengthen millet mainstreaming
initiatives. As India is spearheading the global
initiative to celebrate the International Year
of Millets in 2023, this compendium offers a
unique opportunity to facilitate the transfer of
knowledge and promote peer-to-peer sharing
of best practices between the Indian states
and developing nations. The MEGP aims for
greater engagement leading to collaboration
and cooperation from local to regional level for
mainstreaming millets into the food systems.
Moving forward, stakeholders including
the Government, private sector, research
institutions, donor agencies, UN and multilateral
agencies should strive to work together to
replicate their proven solutions at a wider scale
for the larger global interest. MEGP will inspire
many more players to engage in the “Millet
Revolution’, participate, innovate, validate and
collaborate in making this resilient crop a right
choice for future generations.
Millet Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries.
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field.
224 Millets 
Mainstreaming 
in India, Asian and African Countries
A Compendium of Inspiring Stories from Field
Millets Mainstreaming in India, Asian and African Countries