First Millet Planting Festival to be Held in Lahachok

Pokhara, 15th Shrawan — The first-ever millet (kodo) planting festival will be held tomorrow in Ward No. 4, Lahachok of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality. The event is organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Gandaki Province, Kaski district, in collaboration with Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality.

The Government of Nepal has declared Shrawan 16 as the National Millet Day with the slogan “Millet-based Diet: The Foundation of Food Security and Healthy Life.” In line with this, the first millet festival is being organized in Lahachok, informed Bobarjung Gurung, President of FNCCI Gandaki Province.

The festival will feature popular folk singer Jeevan Sharma along with other local artists performing cultural and entertaining programs. A millet planting competition among mothers’ groups will also take place, accompanied by traditional Panchebaja music.

“We must become self-reliant on domestic products,” Gurung said, “This festival aims to promote millet farming by attracting farmers and increasing production.”

Millet is a nutritious grain that can be stored for years without spoiling and is mainly cultivated in hilly regions. It contains a high amount of protein necessary for the human body. However, its production has been declining due to decreasing interest in agriculture and migration from rural areas.

Traditionally, farmers in hilly areas plant millet after the maize harvest in the first week of Shrawan. Many previously cultivated fields are now lying fallow due to declining millet farming. Despite reduced production, demand for millet remains high. Millet is used to make various dishes such as flatbread (roti), porridge (dhindo), and steamed cakes (puwa), and is also used for homemade alcoholic beverages.

Gurung added that the festival aims to increase interest in millet farming, highlighting its multiple uses and benefits.