Meet ‘Milli’, The Official Mascot Of Odisha’s Millets Divas

Bhubaneswar: Milli is the official mascot of ‘Millets Divas’ which Odisha is scheduled to celebrate on November 10 this year to promote ‘mandia’ or millets as a highly nutritious and eco-friendly food product.

Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain and Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers Development Arabinda K Padhee tweeted to introduce ‘beautiful Milli’ in a Sambalpuri saree and Indian hockey team jersey.

Padhee had earlier informed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had approved the first Thursday of Margasira month in the Hindu calendar to celebrate the finger millets, the climate-resilient crop with high nutritive values. Millets are prominently grown in the rainfed regions of Odisha and have played a very important role in the diet of tribal communities.

The state government is already promoting cultivation of the nutri-cereal in 142 blocks across 19 districts, involving 1,92,281 small and marginal farmers. This year, it sanctioned Rs 362 crore under Odisha Millets Mission which was launched in 2017 to revive millet farming in the state.

On August 12, the BJD government sanctioned Rs 362 crore under Odisha Millets Mission launched in 2017 to revive millet in farms and on plates in the state. It is touted to be the second largest targeted agricultural programme after Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA),