Guduram Majhi, a tribal farmer, on Thursday recalled the glorious journey of millet from the days when it was sold at Rs 12 per kg till now when it is selling for Rs 40 per kg.

Thanks to the consistent patronage of the Odisha government, which has given a platform to tribals like Guduram to sell their products through Millet Mission, the grain, which is an essential part of the tribal dietary system, is now a part of everybody’s diet. The Odisha government through its Millet Mission is purchasing millets worth around Rs 250 crore from the farmers. More than 2 lakh farmers of 177 blocks are cultivating millets.

There has been a sea change in the prices of millet in the last three years. Prices have gone up and he is making handsome profits.

Guduram, who hails from the tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district, told The Telegraph: “There was no demand for millets three years back and we used to sell it at Rs 10 to Rs 15 depending on the quality of the millet.

“ Now things have changed and I am producing around 10 quintals of millet every year. I used to cultivate on around one acre of land and now I am cultivating on three acres of land.”

Like Guduram, other tribal farmers like Bharat Bhotra and Damburdhara Gond shared their success stories while attending the international convention on millets, which was inaugurated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday, and described how millet cultivation has changed their economic condition.

It is now more profitable compared to rice cultivation. While the minimum support price (MSP) for rice is Rs 2,950, the MSP for millet at present is Rs 3,845.

Last year, Odisha purchased 6 lakh metric tonnes of millets and this year it targets to procure eight lakh metric tonnes from farmers.

Naveen said: “Odisha is a pioneer in designing a people-centric millet mission with a focus on livelihoods and nutrition of our tribal communities. The convention aims at preparing a global roadmap for millets.”