CAU-Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), South Garo Hills, under ICAR-ATARI, Zone-VII, Umiam, celebrated World Millet Day at the KVK Training Hall, Chokpot, with enthusiastic participation from rural youth across the district.

World Millet Day, observed on 30 August, was introduced by Millets International Media Portal, which issued a call to the millet community to mark the occasion through meaningful awareness, education and community-based activities.

Responding to this call, CAU-KVK South Garo Hills organised the programme to promote awareness of the nutritional, health and agricultural importance of millets and to encourage scientific millet cultivation.

The programme brought together 48 rural youth from different villages of South Garo Hills district, creating a focused platform for learning about millet diversity, cultivation, nutrition and livelihood opportunities.

A publication titled “Importance of Millets” was released during the programme. Authored by Dr. Athokpam Haribhushan, Principal Scientist & Head, and Mr. Rike Chelchak A. Sangma, SMS (Agronomy), it was distributed among the participants to strengthen awareness of the nutritional and health benefits of millets and their role in healthy diets and sustainable agriculture.

In his inaugural address, Dr. Athokpam Haribhushan emphasised expanding the area under millet cultivation and adopting scientific cultivation practices to improve productivity and farmers’ income. He also highlighted the significance of World Millet Day and the Government of India’s initiative to promote millets as “Shree Anna.”

The technical session was conducted by Mr. Rike Chelchak A. Sangma, who explained the millet varieties suitable for the district, their nutritional and health benefits, and the complete Package of Practices (PoP) for successful cultivation under the agro-climatic conditions of South Garo Hills.

Different types of millets were displayed and demonstrated to help participants understand millet diversity, identification and utilisation. The programme concluded with an interactive session between participants and KVK scientists and staff, covering millet cultivation, value addition, processing and marketing prospects.

The observance reinforced the potential of millets as nutritious food crops and as an important pathway for sustainable agriculture, improved farm livelihoods and stronger community awareness in South Garo Hills.

About the World Millet Day Call: Millets International Media Portal called upon the millet community to observe 30 August as World Millet Day through activities that build awareness, encourage millet consumption and strengthen the millet ecosystem.