Millet Cultivation and Food Security in Tribal Region of Odisha, India: A Microlevel Analysis

Abstract

As the world is facing challenges due to climate change and food insecurity, millet has proven its adaptivity to adverse agro-climates such as poor soil, minimal water, and significant weather variation. The present study attempts to assess the cultivation and consumption of millet in the tribal region. Hence, the tribally dominated Koraput district has been chosen as the study area. It is based on a primary survey of 150 millet cultivators. Although finger millet cultivation has been taken up by the farmers, it is mostly done for household consumption rather than sale at market. However, it is known that millet cultivation generates significant returns. Hence, farmers prefer to cultivate paddy instead of millet for commercial sales due to procurement and productivity issues, marketing problems. Furthermore, though millet along with rice is the staple food for a tribal household, rice consumption is highest in the food basket. This is prevalent as rice is being sold by the government at a very subsidised price. Hence, a proper strategy focussed on revamping millet cultivation and consumption would be beneficial in the fight against food insecurity and climate change, particularly in the tribal regions.