29 November 2025, Andhra Pradesh
To strengthen tribal livelihoods and promote millet-based entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, Agricultural Research Station, Vizianagaram, ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh jointly supported the establishment of a Millet primary processing unit Cum Custom Hiring Centre, integrated with a Millet Food Canteen, at Dhimsa Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), Killoguda Village, Dumbriguda Mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju District. The facility was inaugurated by District Collector, ASR district Andhra Pradesh today under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) initiative of the Global Centre of Excellence (GCoE), under the guidedance of Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR–IIMR.
Dhimsa FPO comprises predominantly small and marginal tribal farmers who have been constrained by labour-intensive post-harvest operations, lack of access to modern machinery, and low returns from selling raw millet grain. The newly established Custom Hiring Centre addresses these challenges by providing farmers with shared access to advanced machines for cleaning, dehulling, grading, and production of rava/semolina, thereby ensuring timely and efficient post-harvest handling.
Through localized value addition, farmers can now transform their millets into marketable and higher-quality products, enabling an estimated 20–30% increase in income, along with reduced post-harvest losses and improved product hygiene. This initiative strengthens market confidence in tribal millet produce and enhances the economic viability of FPO operations.
As part of the facility, a Millet Food Canteen has also been introduced to promote nutrition awareness, tribal food culture, and tourism-linked income generation. The canteen and centre together create livelihood opportunities, particularly for women Self-Help Groups and tribal youth, who will be engaged in food preparation, serving, and operational management.
This community-owned Custom Hiring Centre is an innovative extension based strong demonstration of how mechanization, local value addition, and market linkage can collectively enable sustainable income growth, women empowerment, and improved nutritional security in tribal regions. The initiative sets a replicable model for expanding millet entrepreneurship among remote tribal populations.
Senior officials, NGO representatives, community leaders, and tribal farmers participated in the inauguration program and extended their appreciation to ICAR–IIMR, Hyderabad, for implementing impactful, scalable, and farmer-centric interventions that uplift tribal farming communities.
(Source: ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad)
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