Shillong, Mar 19: Around 60 farmers took part in the millet festival-cum-awareness programme organised by KVK Ri Bhoi at Umwang Them Village on Tuesday.
The event strives to help motivate farmers and retain them in the agriculture profession by enhancing income and improving livelihood. A wide variety of millets such as finger millet, foxtail millet and pearl millet and processed millet products like porridge, pitha, idli, samosa , steam snacks items and kheer were displayed during the exhibition.
The event also featured an interaction between farmers and scientists.
Dr BP Singh, DTAC chief, ICAR, Umiam highlighted the benefits of cultivating and consumption of millets for better health benefits while principal scientist & KVK head, Ri Bhoi Dr Mokidul Islam talked about natural farming and encouraged the farmers to grow millets in a larger area for enhancing their income through processed products.
Eliza C Syiemlieh, Subject Matter Specialist Home Science and M. Lyngdoh, Deputy Project Director ATMA, Nongpoh Ri Bhoi highlighted the benefits of processing millets into value-added products and the importance of growing different varieties of millets and the need to incorporate millet consumption in the daily diet was also stressed.
The programme, organised as part of the Krishi Swarna Samriddhi week, will conclude on March 21.
