With rhythmic sweeps of their arms, a group of farmers in Eraviperoor, a village in Pathanamthitta, scatter handfuls of tiny seeds over a fertile field near Nellad. Over the past several months, they have worked methodically to cultivate ragi, sorghum, and pearl millet – grains essential to their diet. And buoyed by the success of these crops, which germinate within days and are ready for harvest in weeks, they are now on a mission to popularise millet-based dishes among the public.
Taking this effort a step further, Nutrihub Millet Cafe, the second millet cafe in the State aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle, has begun operations in the village. Established under a scheme by the Agriculture department, the cafe is jointly managed by the department, Koipuram block panchayat, and Eraviperoor grama panchayat.
The scheme, titled Post-harvest management and value addition: establishment of millet cafe, has been implemented at a cost of ₹3 lakh, while the Eraviperoor panchayat contributed ₹2.12 lakh.
The cafe offers a diverse menu featuring both traditional and modern millet-based dishes at affordable prices. In addition to beverages like millet shakes, it serves snacks such as kozhukatta and ilayada, as well as millet-based meals, pasta, and noodles. The cafe operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Alongside the cafe, an adjoining outlet sells premium branded agricultural products, including millets. Alongside making the healthy food locally available, the panchayat is actively promoting cultivation of millets too. As part of it, farmers receive free ragi, sorghum, and pearl millet seeds from the local agricultural extension centre.
“The panchayat has allocated ₹1 lakh for the project, while the agriculture department provides a subsidy of ₹20,000 per hectare for millet farming. Currently, around 20-30 farmers in the panchayat cultivate millets on plots as small as five cents,” said K.B. Shashidharan Pillai, president of the local body.
Published – March 01, 2025 07:51 pm IST
