Farming with less water, lower costs, and superior nutritional value—these attributes of millets are opening up new possibilities for farmers amidst the changing agricultural landscape.
The ‘Bihar Centre of Excellence for Millets Value Chain,’ developed across approximately 450 acres in Mayapur (Tankuppa block, Gaya district), is working towards this very transformation.
As one of the country’s premier millet centers—and the first of its kind in Bihar—this institute integrates research, training, production, processing, and value addition within a single campus. Its objective is to link farmers with modern technology and connect millet cultivation to new income-generating opportunities.
**Field Trials of Diverse Millet Varieties**
Various millet crops—including Ragi, Kodo, Bajra, Kangni, Putki, and Sanwa—have been cultivated across roughly 25 acres at the Mayapur center. Their yield and adaptability under varying conditions are being studied. The Hyderabad-based ICRISAT has been conducting millet research here since July 2023. To date, the institute has researched over 10,000 varieties. Thirty-six varieties suited to Bihar’s climate and soil have been selected and forwarded to the Agriculture Department for further testing and selection.
**Comprehensive Training: From Research to Processing**
A three-story building at the Mayapur site houses training facilities, accommodation, and administrative offices. Infrastructure such as boundary walls, agricultural machinery, ponds, land leveling facilities, and organic fertilizer production units has been developed across approximately 45 acres of the center’s premises.
Farmers receive guidance on improved seeds, scientific sowing methods, crop management, harvesting, processing, and market linkage techniques. This fosters opportunities not only for cultivation but also for manufacturing millet-based products and developing markets for them.
**Nutritional and Health Potential of ‘Shree Anna’**
Millets are recognized as a vital source of nutrition. Ragi is rich in calcium, while various other millets contain fiber, iron, protein, and other micronutrients.
Incorporating them into a balanced diet can help meet nutritional needs. This is why interest in ‘Shree Anna’ (millets) has grown both domestically and globally. Research into the diverse varieties of millets and their nutritional properties is opening up new possibilities for both farmers and consumers.
**Chief Minister Inaugurates and Inspects the Center**
Planning and preparatory work for establishing the Center of Excellence at Mayapur began in 2022 under the supervision of the then District Magistrate, Dr. S.M. Tyagarajan. On March 20, 2026, during the ‘Samriddhi Yatra’, the Chief Minister formally inaugurated and inspected the center.
Prior to this, an online launch event for the center had also been organized. Since then, farmers, agricultural scientists, and trainees from various states—including Bihar—have visited the facility to gain knowledge about millet cultivation and processing.
**A ~₹200 Crore Project: From Farm to Market**
Developed at a cost of approximately ₹200 crore, this center is not limited to research alone; it aims to establish a complete value chain for millets.
Efforts are underway to provide local employment and opportunities for additional income to farmers through advanced production, processing, packaging, and value addition.
This center at Mayapur is now evolving into a hub for training and research, serving farmers not only from Gaya district but also from across Bihar and other states.
Farmers from various states, including Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, have visited the facility. Visits by a former advisor to the US President and a group of 12 trainee IAS and IPS officers have also been noted.
Farmers from different states arrive here daily for training and information on millet cultivation. These activities underscore the center’s pivotal role in expanding the scope of millet farming from the field to the marketplace.
