Odisha’s First Exclusive Millet Shakti Café Inaugurated in Keonjhar Dist

Keonjhar: Odisha’s first exclusive Millet Shakti Café has been inaugurated inside the Collectorate Campus, Keonjhar under “Special programme for promotion of Millets in Tribal-cum-Mining Areas of Keonjhar, Odisha under DMF”.

Mission Shakti Department and Odisha Millets Mission have joined hands to start the first-of-its-kind café, which will be managed by Women SHG Federation supported by Mission Shakti.

The core objectives of the initiative are to improve the nutritional status of all age groups and revive the age-old tradition of millet consumption and popularize consumption of millet foods, once prevalent among the tribal communities in Odisha. This will also provide livelihood opportunities to members of Mission Shakti as envisaged by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said Keonjhar Collector Ashish Thakare at the opening ceremony.

Joining the programme virtually, Mission Shakti Minister Tukuni Sahu and Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Mission Shakti Department Sujata R Karthikeyan interacted with the Mission Shakti members and appreciated their efforts.
All of us are aware about the nutritional value of millets and their climate resilient characteristics. Given to their nutritional qualities, Millets which are now renamed as Nutri-Cereals can bring diet diversity and promote nutritional security. Food and nutrition are mandatory for overall physical and mental health. If you need an active life with growth and development, then a balanced diet is a must.

Mission Shakti and Odisha Millets Mission signed a memorandum of agreement for promotion of millet entrepreneurship and millet awareness campaigns through Women SHGs in 14 districts of Odisha. Mission Shakti has Women SHG membership of 70 Lakh women members in Odisha. Odisha Millets Mission is flagship initiative of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Dept, Odisha in 15 districts. Rs 32.72 Crores is provisioned for supporting millet entrepreneurship and awareness campaigns through Women SHGs for 3 years in 14 districts.

In this context to promote millet consumption in the state, Mission Shakti & Odisha Millets Mission have joined hands to start Odisha’s 1st exclusive Millet Shakti Café in Keonjhar District. This café will be managed by Women SHG Federation supported by Mission Shakti.

The Millet Shakti Café will sell an array of millet-based food products to provide an option in millets food to people who wish to have a quick breakfast or snack with tea or coffee, take back grains and ready to eat / cook items to make recipes as per their preferences. 90% of all products sold at the Millet Shakti Café shall be millets-based.

More than 10 millets-based hot cooked items, over 10 dry and bakery items, millet drinks, packaged millet grains and ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products will be sold at the outlet.

Complementary items like coffee, tea, chocolates will be served to make it an attractive spot for the young audience. Packaged millet grains, ready to eat and ready to cook products supplied by processing units or FPOs supported by Odisha Millets Mission will also be available at the Quick Service Restaurant.

Keonjhar district has received national-level recognition for introducing ‘Ragi Laduu’ for preschool children enrolled across AWCs and became the first district in the state to include millets under ICDS. This is a unique model in the country with decentralized production, procurement, processing, supply and consumption of millets.Currently, more than 86,500 pre-school children across 3,257 Anganwadi Centres in the district are covered. NITI Aayog featured this unique initiative in their Health and Nutrition Practice Insights.

With this historic step, Keonjhar became the first district in the state by establishing Millet Shakti Café Outlet in the district.

The Keonjhar district administration has also initiated the process to include ‘Ragi Biscuit’ under MDM scheme in the district.

The Odisha Government has also decided to open 15 Millet Shakti Café Outlets within the next year in urban areas of the State.