The Kudumbashree mission will take out ‘Nammatha Theevanaga’ (What we can eat), a State-level yatra to promote millets in connection with the ongoing International Year of Millets.
The yatra, that will cover all 14 districts from September 18 to October 6, is being organised by the Attappady Adivasi Comprehensive Development Project, a Kudumbashree initiative in Attappady, the centre of millet cultivation in the State.
It is being held as follow-up to a seminar organised by the Attappady Adivasi Comprehensive Development Project and the Kudumbashree in May, to increase millet production in Attappady, improve sales, and take the Attappady millet products to other parts of the country.
Even though millets are gaining popularity among the health conscious, low awareness remains a hurdle. The yatra-cum-campaign aims at increasing cultivation of millets and their consumption and tap into their business potential. It will help find a market for the millets cultivated by agriculture entrepreneurs in Attappady’s tribal belt under the ‘Hill Value’ brand.
An exhibition of various millets, their seeds, displays and seminars on their nutritive values and health benefits, and a millet food mela will be held as part of the yatra in all districts.
As cooking millets poses a challenge for many, live demonstrations of how to cook different types of millets will be held.
Thiruvananthapuram Collector Geromic George will flag off the yatra at VJT Hall here on September 18. Kudumbashree Executive Director Jafar Malik will be present at the launch, organised by the Kudumbashree’s Thiruvananthapuram district mission.
