Harvesting success through Millets
Harvesting success through Millets
Sesha Seth, a 70-year-old farmer from Banjidunguri village in Bijepur block, was honoured as the best millet farmer in September 2023. His journey into millet farming began only a few years ago. Until 2021, Sesha and his wife Tulasi cultivated paddy, green gram, groundnut, and vegetables, with millet grown only for self-consumption. That changed after he attended an Odisha Millet Mission (Shree Anna Abhiyaan) awareness campaign in 2019, where he learned about Millet’s resilience and potential for higher income through the insights of fellow farmers and the Mahashakti Foundation (MSF) team. Inspired by the benefits other farmers were experiencing, Sesha decided to give millet cultivation a try.
With MSF’s support, he started cultivating the “Bhairabi” millet variety on one acre in 2021. Under the guidance of MSF staff and Community Resource Persons, he adopted new farming practices, including organic seed treatment, transplanting, and using bio-inputs like handikhat and Ghana Jibamrut. He also accessed agricultural tools from the local Custom Hiring Centre (CHC) at nominal rates. Throughout his first harvest, Sesha received ongoing support from local Block Agriculture Officers and MSF, and he used a millet thresher provided during harvest time.
His first millet crop produced a yield of 12 quintals per acre, which he easily sold at the Ragi Mandi, receiving payment in his bank account within 72 hours, along with a government incentive. Motivated by this success, Sesha expanded his millet cultivation to three acres, averaging a yield of 10 quintals per acre. He now also produces and sells high-quality millet seeds to a local Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), which supplements his income. With improved earnings, Sesha has been able to move his children to private schools for better educational opportunities, a significant change that highlights the transformative power of millet cultivation.
Sesha’s journey serves as a model for other small farmers, showcasing how millet farming, supported by effective guidance and market access, can improve both income and resilience. His story reflects the growing importance of millet in local agriculture and stands as a testament to sustainable farming practices promoted by Shree Anna Abhiyaan, govt of Odisha.
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© 2024 Mahashakti Foundation. All Rights Reserved || Developed by CBSPL.