An ornate rangoli spread on the floor and kolatam dance performed by a team of farmers, added ethnic touch to the biodiversity festival featured recently by Sabala, an NGO that works for the revival of millet cultivation and consumption, at L. Kota mandal.
The annual fest aimed at bringing back the fading culture of consuming indigenous foods made of local crops and popularising millets. The platform provided an opportunity for 220 farmers to exhibit their crops and millet-based products.
Farmers from Kothavalasa, Lakkavarapukota and Vepada mandals displayed different varieties of finger millets, foxtail millets, bajra, little millets and barnyard millets along with assorted pulses and rice grown in their regions. The forum also offered an avenue for farmers to exchange good quality seeds and popularise cultural practices followed by the communities.
Explaining the objective of the festival, secretary of Sabala K. Saraswathi said: “The annual fest is a collaborative effort to bring back fading practice of eating healthy food made of indigenous seeds. Apart from millet promotion and consumption, the stage brought the local communities together to share their knowledge with one another in growing millets and preparing value-added products to enhance their livelihood.”
Those who were a part of the celebrations relished kheer , porridge, snacks, sweets and flavoured rice items made of assorted millets as lunch, served by local communities at the venue. Joint director (Agriculture) - Vizianagaram district G.S.N.S. Leelavathi, among others, attended the festival.
