# Meghalaya and Nagaland villages revive millet farming through innovation, PM Modi says

> Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted during Mann Ki Baat how villages in Meghalaya and Nagaland are successfully reviving traditional millet farming through modern techniques and value-added products.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Nagaland · **Published:** 2026-10-29 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/nagaland/meghalaya-aur-nagaland-ke-gaon-mein-loti-bajre-ki-kheti-pm-modi-52765 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** millet farming, Narendra Modi, Mann Ki Baat, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Shree Anna, agriculture

Traditional millet farming is gaining renewed attention across parts of the Northeast, with local farmers and rural communities exploring modern cultivation methods and new product development to unlock fresh livelihood opportunities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed these grassroots efforts during the 139th episode of his monthly radio broadcast, Mann Ki Baat.

 

## Value Addition and Enterprise in Meghalaya

In Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district, the Prime Minister specifically pointed out the efforts of two women from Khanduli village who have been developing value-added items derived from millets. Their enterprise has successfully expanded the utilization of the grain far beyond conventional food preparations, introducing popular products like cookies, cakes, muffins, and baby food to the market.

> 
 According to the Prime Minister, the arrival of these consumer goods has driven up sales figures and heightened overall demand for millets, prompting local farmers to return to cultivating the crop. He noted that millet farming had previously declined in the locality despite the grain holding a historic and longstanding place in regional food traditions. In addition, he cited the example of Chekjing Sangma, an agriculturist from Sadolpara village in the West Garo Hills, who adopted modern farming techniques to grow millets. This modern approach successfully boosted his personal income while raising awareness about the crop among local residents, as Conrad K Sangma wrote on X.

 

## Revival After a Decade in Nagaland

A similar community-led transformation took place in Kezoma village, located in Nagaland's Kohima district, where residents undertook concerted steps to restore millet cultivation after the practice had been discontinued for more than ten years. Cultivation officially resumed in the village in 2024, which was soon followed by the community hosting its inaugural millet festival in 2025. Market demand for millet-based commodities has continued on an upward trajectory across the area ever since.

 

## Global Momentum for Shree Anna

The Prime Minister connected these inspiring regional developments to India's broader national and international campaigns promoting millets, which are officially recognized as Shree Anna. He recalled that India's successful push to designate 2023 as the International Year of Millets drew an overwhelming global response, helping renew public appreciation for the grain's deep cultural and dietary significance, as a report noted.

 Concluding his remarks, Modi emphasized that the ground realities observed in Meghalaya and Nagaland clearly demonstrate how younger generations can seamlessly blend traditional agricultural wisdom with modern entrepreneurship to fortify rural economies while successfully safeguarding local heritage.

## What this means for you
This agricultural revival carries direct practical implications for rural communities, local entrepreneurs, and consumers across the region.

- **Farmer Income:** The rising consumer demand for processed millet goods will directly strengthen rural livelihoods and boost overall agricultural earnings.
- **In Meghalaya:** Growers in villages like Khanduli and Sadolpara gain expanded commercial avenues through new baked goods and baby food products.
- **In Nagaland:** Farmers in Kezoma village benefit from renewed local markets and community festivals established following the restart of cultivation.
- **Nutritional Awareness:** Heightened public interest in traditional grains will secure long-term demand for indigenous crop varieties.
- **Youth Entrepreneurship:** Younger generations gain practical incentives to merge traditional farming knowledge with modern food processing and business ventures.

## Why this happened
The resurgence of traditional millet cultivation is driven by concerted grassroots innovation, community-led restoration efforts, and global promotional campaigns.

- **Product Diversification:** Women entrepreneurs and local farmers developed value-added items like cookies and baby food, successfully reviving consumer interest.
- **Official Campaigns:** High-profile government initiatives, including the designation of the International Year of Millets, brought renewed attention to traditional crops.
- **Modernized Practices:** The adoption of contemporary agricultural methods in villages where farming had previously lapsed enabled a successful return to cultivation.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. In which radio programme did Prime Minister Modi discuss millet farming in the Northeast?
The Prime Minister highlighted these efforts during the 139th episode of his monthly radio broadcast, Mann Ki Baat.

### 2. Which district in Meghalaya saw women developing value-added millet products?
Women in Khanduli village, located in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district, developed value-added millet goods.

### 3. What specific products were created from millets in Khanduli village?
The initiative expanded millet use into items such as cookies, cakes, muffins, and baby food.

### 4. Who is Chekjing Sangma and what contribution did he make?
He is a farmer from Sadolpara village in the West Garo Hills who adopted modern methods to cultivate millets and raise his income.

### 5. In which Nagaland village was millet farming revived after a decade?
Millet farming was restored in Kezoma village within Nagaland's Kohima district after remaining discontinued for over ten years.

### 6. When did Kezoma village host its first millet festival?
Kezoma village hosted its inaugural millet festival in 2025, following the resumption of farming in 2024.

### 7. How is millet being promoted globally following India's initiative?
India successfully championed the designation of 2023 as the International Year of Millets, promoting the grain worldwide under the name Shree Anna.

## Inspiration & Lessons
The journey of these Northeast farming communities offers concrete lessons for rural development and agricultural entrepreneurship.

- **Embrace Value Addition:** Transform raw traditional harvests into consumer-ready goods like baked items and baby food to capture higher market margins.
- **Revive Heritage Crops:** Utilize local agricultural traditions and indigenous crop varieties to build resilient and sustainable rural economies.
- **Community Cooperation:** Follow collective models like the one in Kezoma to restart long-abandoned farming practices through organized local festivals and initiatives.
- **Blend Tradition with Tech:** Combine ancestral farming wisdom with contemporary processing methods to unlock modern market opportunities.

---
_TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._