Raipur/New Delhi
Millets, often called ancient superfoods, are making a quiet yet powerful comeback across India. In Chhattisgarh, the push for these climate-resilient and nutrient-rich grains is taking a unique culinary route—through millet steel carts.
WOMEN AND THE HARD WORK BEHIND MILLETS
Millets like Sikiya, Kodo and Kutki, though nutritious, are tough to dehusk. Rural women still rely on traditional methods such as musar (wooden stick pounding in ground pits) and jata (mud grinders turned in circles). Even with machines available, their use remains limited, making millet processing an arduous, time-consuming task.
This difficulty, coupled with the easy availability of rice through the public distribution system (PDS), has led to a decline in millet consumption in rural households—even as urban consumers embrace millets for their health benefits. Yet, tribals, particularly women, continue to hold millets close to their culture, livelihoods, and celebrations.
FROM ODISHA’S MILLET CAFES TO CHHATTISGARH’S MILLET CARTS
In Odisha, millet cafes under Mission Shakti have successfully empowered women while popularising millet-based cuisine. Inspired by this model, Bhilai-based Agranshu Dwivedi, Chief Executive Officer of Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University, is ready to roll out a similar initiative with a twist.
“Millet hand carts will be shortly launched as part of a funded project under CSR to revive the grains in Chhattisgarh. Altogether, 108 moveable steel carts will be handed over to the same number of women’s self-help groups free of cost. To start with, 72 carts will be distributed, with the rest to be done later on. The groups will receive training on the preparation of millet recipes,” Dwivedi told The Indian Tribal.
These carts will serve millet-based fast foods like idli, dosa, noodles and even momo. Some primary and secondary processing machines have already been purchased, and procurement of millets will be sourced from the State Minor Forest Produce (Trading & Development) Co-operative Federation Limited. The carts, likened to mobile food trucks, will first operate in Patan, Durg and Rajnandgaon, with women trained to prepare nearly 50 millet-based dishes.
Millets, mostly nurtured by women, can ensure the feminisation of agriculture, especially in India, where major decisions related to crop choices still rest with men. The decline of these heirloom crops not only affects nutrition and climate resilience but also alters gender dynamics at home and in the fields. Where millets are revered, like in Koraput, they empower women with decision-making authority over household purchases. In a climate-insecure world, millets are more than food—they symbolise sustainability, empowerment and agency.
CHHATTISGARH’S MILLET MISSION
Though known as India’s rice bowl, Chhattisgarh has its own deep millet roots—particularly Kodo, Kutki, and Ragi. The state launched its Millet Mission in 2021, and procurement continues through women’s committees. For instance, in Dantewada, both Kodo and Kutki are procured by women’s samitis and auctioned via the forest department.
In 2023-24, the procurement price stood at Rs 3,200 per quintal for Kodo, Rs 3,350 per quintal for Kutki, and Rs 3,846 per quintal for Ragi. Farmers have long cultivated these grains organically, reflecting their resilience and sustainability.
MILLETS AND NUTRITION DRIVES
Millets also feature prominently in anganwadis through government campaigns such as Poshan Pakhwada (fortnight) and Poshan Mahina (month). At weekly chaupals in anganwadis, women are educated about nutrition, and millet-based items like pakoda, chilla, halwa, laddoo and ragi pej are served.
“Kodo and Kutki are loved in Chhattisgarh. People here don’t consume jowar and bajra much,” said Bhubaneshwari Yadav, in charge of an anganwadi in Mohla-Manpur-Chowki, a tribal-dominated district. “Many people also use ragi a lot. Ragi atta is consumed as well as Ragi pej.”
A CLIMATE-SMART GRAIN FOR THE FUTURE
In the 2024 Kharif season, Chhattisgarh reported 12,388 hectares under Kodo and 27,183 hectares under Kutki. These figures reinforce the resilience of these grains in the state’s agrarian landscape. From health-conscious city youth to rural women fighting climate change, millets are reclaiming their rightful place on the plate.
As steel carts roll out, Chhattisgarh is not just reviving an ancient grain—it is scripting a story of nutrition, empowerment and sustainability.
