Odisha’s Keonjhar will get first millet unit prepared 

By Express News Service
KEONJHAR : Keonjhar’s first millet processing unit is all set to cater to the vitamin wants of 86,000 youngsters of the district.Set up beneath Odisha Millet Mission with help from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), the unit has a capability to course of two quintal millet per hour and over 500 quintal in a month. “The processing unit is fully functional and ready to supply clean ragi for different flagship programmes” Collector Ashis Thakare stated after its inauguration on Wednesday. 

Chief district agriculture officer SC Dash stated the unit has been arrange to make sure provide of unpolluted ragi for the flagship ragi laddu programme beneath Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. It shall be managed by Krushna self-help group (SHG) beneath Mission Shakti programme.

The district administration has launched ragi laddus as morning snacks for pre-school youngsters in supplementary vitamin programme beneath the ICDS scheme. Two ragi laddus per week shall be supplied as morning snacks to pre-school youngsters (between 3 and 6 years of age) enrolled beneath ICDS within the district along with the prevailing menu.

More than 86,000 youngsters in Keonjhar shall be lined beneath the programme. As many as 21 girls SHGs have been engaged to provide ragi laddu combine to three,254 anganwadi centres within the district.To preserve an uninterrupted provide, about 1,050 hectare land has been introduced beneath millet cultivation this kharif season in Keonjhar.

During rabi, over 500 ha in seven blocks could be lined. TDCCOL, the district stage procurement company, would buy over 2,300 quintal of ragi from farmers at `3,295 per quintal by March this 12 months. The unit is a three way partnership of Odisha Millets Mission and Mission Shakti.