Bhubaneswar, Mar 19 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday said Rs 100 crore will be spent next year for the ongoing millets mission for the benefit of around five lakh small and marginal farmers.

"An amount of Rs 100 crores will be spent during the next year for this purpose. It will be scaled up in the future. This will benefit about five lakhs farmers, specially in the rain deficit areas of the state," he added.

The Chief Minister said millets is a staple diet for the tribals of Odisha since time immemorial.

"The state government is already implementing it by a programme named Odisha Millet Mission. I'm glad to announce that to provide remunerative price to the millet-growing farmers and to improve nutrition security, the state government will procure millets and utilise in various schemes," he added.

The Odisha Millets Mission is being implemented in 30 blocks across seven districts - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nuapada, said an official.