After reviewing the present millet farming practices, farmers from 45 villages across Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and other districts have come up with the concept of integrated millet cultivation.
The recent biodiversity festival, organised by the Millet Network of India (MINI) in collaboration with Sabala and Sarada Valley Development Samithi (SVDS), paved the way for setting up of Millets Producers’ Organisation wherein millet farmers from 45 villages across Coastal Andhra will join hands to constitute four committees under a registered body.
According to the NGO representatives, the prime objective is to identify the lacunae in the millet farming system and bring out multiple solutions to address the concerns of farmers.
“These committees will mainly focus on four departments -- production, procurement, processing and marketing. Since the villages already have farmers’ club, a couple of members from each club will be conducting reviews and meetings on a periodical basis at various villages,” says K. Saraswathi, executive secretary of Sabala.
With the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) extending its support in the inclusive growth, the newly-formed organisation will be one-of-its-kind initiative to promote best farming methods across various mandals.
For those who like to concentrate on effective marketing techniques, the initiative appears to be a welcome move.
“It is a challenging task to make considerable margins in millet farming. Platform such as this will not only help us get into different layers of cultivation but also help us strengthen our profit-making skills,” says M.B.A. Naidu, a farmer from Cheedikada mandal.
Regular training
Besides improving effective marketing techniques, the committee members plan to address the challenges involved in cultivating millets and chart out diverse methods to help producers come up with innovative cultivating procedures. “By conducting regular training in cost-effective methods of millet cultivation, there is always a wider scope to enhance our livelihood as well,” says Venkatalakshmi, a millet producer from L. Kota.
