First preparatory meeting held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister for Mandia Divas 2025

Conservation of Agro Biodiversity and Agricultural Heritage by Women Farmers’, theme of the International Symposium

Bhubaneswar- 06/09/2025: A high-level preparatory meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo at Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar today.

Odisha is the only state to dedicate a day for celebrating millets. Every year, 10th November is celebrated as Mandia Dibasa, the Millet Divas. This year too, an International Symposium on Millets will be organized for two days on 10th and 11th November. “Women in Agro-Biodiversity and Heritage Conservation” would the theme of the Symposium. Like last year, various sessions will be conducted by distinguished researchers/scientists, eminent personalities. Odisha has set an example for the entire country in the production, consumption and conservation of small & little millets and forgotten foods. Recently, FCI has lifted Finger Millets from the state and is going to lift 40,000 Metric Tonnes of Millets from Odisha alone.

The Symposium will be attended by more than 400 farmers, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, scientists from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, women scientists from the World Food Program, ICAR, ICAR-CIWA, many renowned scientists and officials from the country and abroad.

In the preparatory meeting, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, presented details of the program and informed about the upcoming roadmap of the department. Director Agriculture Shri Shubham Saxena, Director Soil Conservation and Watershed Shri Subrat Kumar Panda, and Senior officials of the Department offered their thoughtful suggestions during the meeting.