A millet mela showcasing a slew of crop varieties and underlining their health benefits for the consumers and potential financial benefits for the farmers will be held in the city on August 26th and 27th.
The two-day mela will be held at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry and is being conducted by Sahaja Samruddha and Using Diversity. The event is also being held as part of the International Year of the Millets and the organisers have averred to disseminate knowledge on health benefits of consuming millets and their nutrition value.
Being held in the backdrop of monsoon failure in this part of the State, the mela will also highlight how millet cultivation can be promoted as a drought crop to benefit the farmers as these are drought-resistant and can withstand moisture stress.
Mr. Krishnaprasad of Sahaja Samruddha said that apart from a slew of regular millets cultivated in Karnataka the mela will also showcase millet varieties from farmers of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha etc. An added attraction is the exhibition of millets cultivated by the tribal communities from different States such as Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, etc. ‘’In all, about 250 varieties of millets will be displayed and information about their health benefits will be provided at the mela’’, said Mr. Krishnaprasad.
The mela is also being supported by GIZ Organization, ICAR, JSS Agriculture Science Centre-Suttur, Devadhaanya Farmers’ Production Company-Kundagoal all of whom have partnered with Sahaja Samruddha.
The organisers said farmers’ groups from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, etc along with Devadhaanya Farmers’ Production Company will also sell seeds, crops, and organic products. The mela will also have lip-smacking culinary delights made of millets and can be savoured by the visiting public, said Mr. Krishnaprasad.
In addition to millets, various fruit saplings, organic seeds, vegetables, roots, natural oil, ice-cream, home-made pickles and handicraft items will be other added attractions at the mela.
To elicit a broader public response the organisers will conduct a cooking competition of millet dishes on Sunday after 12 p.m. The participants may bring millet dishes prepared at home for the competition and the judges will take a call on the winners. As in ever such mela, a Raagi Mudde eating competition has also been organised post 2 p.m. on Sunday.
For additional information call Manju K.S. on 7090009944 or Komal on 9880908608.
