Agrodiversity Roundtable : Millets in the Kanha Landscape held in Mandla to advance the International Year of the Millet

 

MANDLA - The landscape around Kanha National Park is one of the country’s remaining strongholds for small millets. Kodo and kutki are climate resilient and nutritious small millets that are native to India. These millets are still grown in the landscape but have been declining over the last decades with shifts in dietary habits. The need to increase awareness about millets and increase production was highlighted during the twoday long roundtable held at Aashirwad Palace Hotel. The roundtable was organised by the Network for Conserving Central India (NCCI) as a platform for several civil society organisations, Self Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations. 

The participants shared information and practices for farmers to increase production and improve processing for millets. Representatives from organisations including Reliance Foundation; Samerth Charitable Trust; Pradan; Earth Focus; Wassan; the Keystone Foundation; Narmada Farmers Producer Organisation Ltd, Mandla; Community Development Centre, Balaghat; Gramodhya Kendra; Parasatola, Self Help Group; Shram Vikas aivam Shodh Sansthan; Foundation for Ecological Security; and World Wildlife Fund-India participated in the discussion. 

The representative from Wassan demonstrated a “millet mixie.” The mixie, which is the size of an ordinary mixie, dehusks kodo or kutki in less than thirty seconds. The traditional dehusking process requires several hours of laborious drudgery most often performed by women. Such innovations can make kodo and kutki more attractive as an option for consumption. 

Other organisations shared innovations for processing and cultivating millets. Discussions were facilitated by Rini Dutta, Centric Brand Advisers. The roundtable identified the dearth of processing units as a key constraint to increasing millet production in the landscape. In addition, the roundtable highlighted the need for mechanisms to ensure viability of seeds and access to markets so farmers can benefit from the increasing national demand for millets. The roundtable will continue to exchange information about practices to boost millet production and consumption in the Kanha landscape.