Odisha constitutes committee to recognise, release of traditional millet varieties

The Landrace Varietal Release Committee will advise the State government on all matters relating to mainstreaming of millet landraces

A tribal woman displaying her newly harvested millet crop near Tumudibandha village in Kandhamal district of Odisha. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

The Odisha government has constituted a ‘Landrace Varietal Release Committee (LVRC)’ for the release of traditional millet varieties as certified seed, the first State to develop a protocol for the release of millets landraces.

The LVRC is mandated to advise the State government on all matters relating to mainstreaming of the landraces on millets, besides reviewing the implementation of government-approved standard operating procedure on landrace millets.

The committee will be responsible for assessing and releasing landraces of millet crops for the State considering the different traits of traditional varieties and community or farmer preferences.

“Seed system for landraces is a very unique initiative of Millet Mission of Odisha. We wish to recognise the efforts of custodian farmers, mostly tribals, in the conservation of traditional millet varieties. Odisha is the first State to develop a protocol for the release of millet landraces,” said Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Secretary of State Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment department.

Farmers especially tribals in interior pockets of Odisha grow about 62 varieties of millets. However, farmers in Odisha largely grow finger millets. The State government is currently studying their characters, yield patterns and custodians (farmers).

“We have been identifying millets being grown in different parts of the State through our extension programmes. Scientists will be roped in defining characters of each millet variety. Subsequently, based on its yield rate and uniqueness, it will be formally released by LVRC,” said Sailendra Mohanty, Joint Director in Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment department.

Realising the importance of highly nutritious and climate-resilient millets in tribal society, the State government launched Millet Mission in 2017 and subsequently in 2022, the programme was expanded to 177 blocks in 30 districts with an additional investment of over ₹2800 crore. The objective behind the mission was to promote millet, incentivise its production and providing market linkage to millet crops.

“The institutional framework for recognising the conservation effort of tribes was long overdue. Tribals and other traditional growers of millets have been conserving and reviving millets in their own capacities for years now. The gain from millets’ success must be shared with farmers,” said Prasant Mohanty, executive director of Nirman, a non-government organisation.