‘Integrated approach must for increasing millet production’

Academicians and officials suggest a combination of strategies, including agricultural process, policies and market support, to increase area of production and productivity of minor millets in the State.

A major initiative towards increasing the production would be expanding the area by encouraging farmers to utilise semi-arid and rainfed regions for millet cultivation as millets required less water, S. Vasuki, Deputy Director of Seed Inspection, said based a series of field studies being conducted across districts.

Utilising fallow, degraded lands for millet cultivation with soil and water conservation measures, following crop rotation system and intercropping with cash crops were some steps that could be suggested to increase the growth of crops, she added.

Using high-yielding varieties, supply of quality seeds, adopting the best practices and efficient irrigation were helpful in enhancing yield.

“Some of the varieties like Co-9, Co-10, pearl millet, Co-7, Co-9 (foxtail millet) and Kodo millet, which were developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, are highly recommended. Also, ensuring the availability of certified seeds through extension services and agricultural cooperatives is deemed as one of the important ways for ensuring quality crops,” Ms. Vasuki said.

Adopting practices like timely sowing, optimal spacing, use of bio-fertilizers, vermicompost and farmyard manure for improved soil health and promoting Integrated Nutrient Management and Integrated Pest Management were important steps to be followed, she added.

Farmer training programmes on millet agronomy, pest management and soil health should be conducted in addition to assisting farmers with small-scale machinery for sowing, weeding and harvesting, she noted.

“Policy and institutional support like providing subsidies and incentives, creating market linkages for farmers through Farmer-Producer Organisations, ensuring Minimum Support Price for millets and supporting them through government schemes like National Food Security Mission and Tamil Nadu State Millet Mission will also help more farmers take up millet farming,” Ms. Vasuki observed.

Ms. Vasuki said conducting awareness campaigns among the public about the health benefits of millets, supporting small-scale processing units for value addition and including millets in Public Distribution System, mid-day meal schemes and Integrated Child Development Services would increase millet consumption.

Focusing on research and development to address issues in production and pest management by collaborating with researches conducted by the TNAU, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Indian Institute of Millets Research could help resolve many of the ground-level issues. Other aspects like easy access to credit and insurance schemes would support the farmers financially, she added.