Malkangari, 20/1/26: Under the “Sri Anna Abhiyan” scheme of the Agriculture Department of Malkangiri district, the first Ragi purchase market of the Kharif marketing season 2025-26 has been inaugurated today at Nuugad (Chedenga) under Mathil Block. The opening of this market will provide an opportunity to local small and marginal farmers to sell their produced ragi at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs.4886/-. This year, it has been determined in the district level mandia purchase committee to buy 50,000 quintals of mandia through 32 mandis of Mathilki, Chittakkonda, Khairput, Korukonda, Kalimela and Malkangiri block. MLA Chittagong Mangu Khil and District Chief Agriculture Officer Mahesh Padhi, Secretary of Controlled Market Committee Sanjay Kumar Das, Branch Manager of Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Odisha Limited Bikram Singh, Member of Nuaguda Panchayat Dambarudhar Perma and District Project Coordinator of Shri Anna Abhiyan Alok Purohit were present in this inauguration ceremony and said that through Shri Anna Abhiyan millet cultivation Encouraging and ensuring farmers’ income and nutritional security. He opined that public health will be improved by the promotion of pulse grains like ragi. This procurement market will ensure transparent and convenient procurement process, timely payment and intermediary-free system. Local farmers have welcomed the move. The institute was attended by agriculture department officials, local public representatives, members of self-help groups and a large number of farmers.