Empowering Energy, Water, Agriculture Network (EEWA) powered by SwitchON Foundation is trying to promote awareness in different parts of West Bengal and Jharkhand on climate and nutritional benefits of millets, also trying to create a market for the farmers to sell the produced millets. After the green revolution, once rice and wheat were introduced to our diets and promoted aggressively, millet farming and its consumption dramatically fell. The consumption of millets in India today is over-indexed in tier 2 and 3 cities with most of them only known by their local names. Due to climate change, productivity of crops is being affected. And with the increase of population we need to increase productivity to ensure food security. For this we need to shift to an alternate cropping system and provide nutrition to the people.
Moreover India is facing acute water shortage presently and with less land available for cultivation, millet is a great option as it can thrive in very less water and difficult climatic conditions.
As a committed supporter of the Millets,SwitchON Foundation, with the help of West Bengal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (WBSRLM) organized a district level workshop in Purulia and Bankura of West Bengal on 9th and 11th of November respectively. SwitchON Foundation organized the workshop at a time when there is a global discussion about climate change and global warming. A change in the local tendency toward millet production has the potential to have a positive impact on this issue as millet is a climate resilient crop and also it has high
nutritional value. Moreover the year 2023 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of the Millet.
All the government representatives and the NGO partners who were present in the meeting supported the farmers to produce millets. In Purulia, Ms. Ankita Upadyay (WBCS Exe.), BDO, Jhalda II said ‘Under the ‘Matir Srishti’ scheme , the farmers can grow millets. Since there is no market for millets right now, after millets are produced, the farmers can sell their seeds in the stall in my office.’ Then Shri. Debdash Ganguly, (WBCS Exe.) Dy. Magistrate & Dy. Collectore, DRDC Purulia said ‘There is a lot of scope for millet cultivation in Purulia as there is a lack of water in the district and SHG didis should be made aware about the importance of millet cultivation.’ In Bankura, Mr. Dipankar Ray, Dy. Director of Agriculture (Admn.), Bankura, Dept of Agriculture, GoWB said ‘For the farmers to grow millets, it is very important that they own the land.Millets can be used as a green fodder. Millets have high nutritional value and it is good for diabetes and heart.’ Dr. Sabyasachi Das, National Coordinator RRAN & Director WASSAN said ‘Millets can withstand drought and do not demand any synthetic fertilizer. Millets are disease and pest resistant .’
SwitchOn Foundation in collaboration with e-NAM organized a millet workshop in Sahibganj and Dumka districts of Jharkhand on the 19th and 22nd of December respectively. SwitchON Foundation started the event with registration of farmers on eNAM portal followed by
delivering notes/views by dignitaries from various govt departments like APMC, JSLPS, NABARD, Dept of Agriculture. The session also had Q&A sessions by farmers, experience sharing by local FPOs and CSOs.
The event brought together various sector experts, dignitaries of the government, in one platform to address knowledge gaps in millet cultivation, create awareness and information among farmers on revival of millets and provide multi-faceted support and capacity to farmers
from various stakeholders to adopt millet cultivation and inclusion of these ancient grains in local food systems. In the workshop in Sahibgunj Shri Neyaz Ishrat, APMC Secretary said ‘Whatever a farmer grows can be directly sold to the National Agriculture Market. We will support the farmers in all possible ways.’
In Dumka, Subhendhu Behra, Nabard DDM: ‘A.P.M.C and SwitchON can do the things together. Farmers should be made aware about millets and support should be given so that they can grow this grain.’
SwitchON Foundation also organized a talk show on : “Magic millets, bringing back the ancient nutritional grains" during Saras Mela 2022 in view of the international year of millets 2023. Our supporting partners for the event were- RRA Network, RCRC Network and WASAAN. The event focused on creating awareness on millet, value chain and the marketing potential of millet products among farmers, stakeholders and larger citizens. The session also emphasized the revival of millet consumption and set the narrative of millet being a sustainable crop among citizens in India.
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