Millets -The Miracle Grains of Koraput (A Short Film)

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Koraput the land of diversity is decorated by forests, waterfalls, terraced valleys, and springs that attract nature lovers.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of the Koraput District because around 83% of people depend on it. The soil and climate are favorable for taking up different diversified crops. The main crops grown are Paddy, Millets, Maize, and Pulses.

But Millets play an important role for the small and marginal tribal farmers as millets have the capability to address food, nutrition, fodder, and the most important the climate change.
Millets are the next crop grown after Rice in terms of area. Millets are cultivated in 72,689 hectares. Out of which Finger Millet is cultivated in 59,139 hectares and that accounts for about 79%. Rest in 12,815 hectares other millets are grown like Little Millet, Foxtail Millet, Sorghum, Pearl Millet, and Barnyard Millet.

The beauty of Millets is that they can be grown in less fertile soil and requires very less water.
Finger Millet is also known as Ragi. But here the locals called it Mandia. Due to its nutritional benefits and ease of the process, it is mostly consumed in rural areas. It is an important diet in most of the tribal family and it is the first food of the day as it gives them more energy to work throughout the day.

Finger Millet is rich in Calcium as it contains about 364mg/ 100 gm of grains. You can find a lot of finger millet varieties in Koraput. Some varieties are Jam Mandia, Jana Mandia, Dusherra Mandia, Bhalu Mandia, and many more.

Ratnakar Jani of Paraja Godri of Dasamantpur Block had grown Finger Millet organically in his 4 acres of land and has become the inspirational farmer after his retirement from Defence Force.
The introduction of Cycle weeder for weeding has made his work easier and saved his time and money.
He was supported by Odisha Millet Mission. The facilitating Agency – DHAN Foundation came forward and guided him from seed to market and he was able to harvest about 40 quintals from his 4-acre land.
The second millet which comes after Ragi is the Little Millet and it is locally called Suan. It is wonderful millet that is suitable for all age groups. Little Millet has an important role in providing nutritional components such as phenols, tannins, and phytates with other nutrients.

The third one is the Foxtail Millet; it is locally called Kangu. Foxtail Millet provides a host of nutrients, has a sweet nutty flavor, and is considered to be the most digestible and non-allergic grains available. The delicious kangu Kheer is prepared out of this millet.

The fourth one is the Barnyard Millet which is locally called Khira.

The presence of husk in Little Millet, Foxtail Millet, and Barnyard Millet makes it difficult to process. The women of Bhanjapadar Village said it takes about 1 hour to process 1 kg of Little Millet. When any Guest comes to our home or at the time of the festival we process the little millet for consumption.
There are few farmers in Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon Block of Koraput who cultivate Jowar and Bajra. In the coming days, Sorghum is the crop that will address the fuel deficiency as it has the capacity to produce Biodiesel.

Last year, a trial of Pearl Millet was conducted in RRTTS, Semiliguda. The outcome of the trial was phenomenal. It showed that Koraput Climate and Soil is most favorable for Pearl Millet Cultivation. The only thing to remember that the harvesting period should not coincide with the rains.

Pearl Millet contains phytochemicals that lower cholesterol. It contains folate, magnesium, copper, zinc, and Vitamin E and B-complex. It is recommended for pregnant women due to its high iron content.

Millet Farming in Koraput offers livelihood security as it supports employment during the cropping season starting from plowing to processing.

The tribal people still possess’ skill and talent in cooking with millets. They make a lot of recipes out of millets. The famous recipes are Mandia Jau, Mandia Anda, Mandia Raav, Mandia Roti, and many more. They also make their drink with Ragi.

So, Millets play a critical role in food security. The millet diversity is ensuring the dietary diversity on the plate of the tribes of Koraput and thus addressing the nutritional security.