Bhubaneswar: The Millet Song composed by Grammy Award winner and composer-producer Rickey Kej has achieved a remarkable milestone by being viewed by over 1 million people on YouTube. This is a significant accomplishment for Odisha Millets Mission, a flagship programme of Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Odisha.
The Odisha Millets Mission has been working tirelessly to promote millet cultivation and consumption in the state. The Millet Song by Kej is a significant step in the mission’s efforts to raise awareness about millet and its benefits. With more and more people recognizing the importance of millet, it is likely to become a prominent part of their diets.
Millets are rich source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Moreover, they are drought-resistant and requires less water and fertilizer compared to other crops, making it an environmentally sustainable option for agriculture. The overwhelming response to the Millet Song is a testament to the increasing awareness among people.
In his response to the reach achieved by the Millet Song, Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for creating awareness about the benefits of millet through Odisha Millets Mission.
ଏହି ଖବର ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଖୁସି ଯେ ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ ସୁଦ୍ଧା #OdishaMandiaSong କୁ 1 Million ରୁ ଉର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ବ ଲୋକ ଦେଖିସାରିଲେଣି। ମାନ୍ୟବର ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀ @Naveen_Odisha ଜୀ @MilletsOdisha ଦ୍ଵାରା ମିଲେଟର ଉପକାରିତା ଉପରେ ସଚେତନତା ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରୁଥିବାରୁ ମୁଁ ତାଙ୍କୁ କୃତଜ୍ଞତା ଜ୍ଞାପନ କରୁଛି।https://t.co/oXXKZ7WscB
— Ranendra Pratap Swain (@rajaaswain) March 9, 2023
Agriculture Department’s Principal Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee, on behalf of Odisha Millets Mission, expressed his gratefulness to Kej and everyone involved in the project. The Department hopes that the humble crop gets much deserved attention, he added.
The Mandia Song reaching 1M views in just one week shows the interest on the climate resilient nutri-cereals. @MilletsOdisha is grateful to @rickykej and everyone involved in the project. We hope that the humble crop gets much deserved attention. https://t.co/ZAPx4Ybxdy
— Arabinda K Padhee (@arvindpadhee) March 8, 2023
It is pertinent to mention that five Grammy Award winners, including Kej, have been part of the Millet Song, starting from lyrics, to vocals and instruments.
