In an effort to revive the traditional food culture of the Tamils like minor millets (also referred as small millets) and millets of various varieties, and take them to the urban consumers Uzhavan Unavagam (Farmer's Eatery) was inaugurated here in Madurai on Saturday.
Sellur K.Raju, Minister for Cooperation, inaugurated the Uzhavan Unavagam at the Golden Jubilee Building of Women's Self Help Group at New natham Road. The Unavagam has a dozen of stalls serving various traditional recipes made out of minor millets and other agricultural products.
District Collector, U. Sagayam was the brain behind the Uzhavan Unavagam which is first of its kind in the State, when it was introduced by him in Namakkal District in 2009. Here all the stalls serve only traditional food.
Mr. Raju said that Tamil Nadu under the able leadership of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had been framing farmer friendly policies and as a major thrust to boost agriculture production.
The Government announced interest free farm loan of Rs 3,000 crores for farmers who are prompt in repayment, during the Budget.
Recalling Mahatma Gandhi's words that the soul of India lives in its villages, Mr.Sagayam, said that only when there is prosperity in the life of plough carrying farmer we will witness ‘real' development in the nation.
He later said that at a time when urbanization is happening at a rapid pace efforts like these provide farmers an opportunity to come up with value added agricultural products which gives them scope to earn better income. Moreover, all these products sold here are rich in fibre and protein and this was the indigenous food of the Tamils. More than 20 varieties of millet based recipes were served at these stalls.
A total of 118 beneficiaries received Old Age Pension; financial assistance was also given to four farmers by Agricultural marketing Department, 35 farmers by Agriculture Department and 35 by Horticulture Department. Stalls were allotted to farmers who underwent training at the Home Science College and Research Institute in Madurai. Officials belonging to ATMA (Agricultural Technology Marketing Agency) programme, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, were also present.
