Advantages in taking up cultivation of millets as a summer crop in delta region were explained by scientists to farmers at a meeting held at the ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Needamangalam on Friday.
The scientists motivated the farmers to take up millets cultivation during the summer, explaining that the quantum of water required for raising millets such as `kambu’, `cholam’, `kezhvaragu’, `thinai’ and `kuthiraivali’ would be much less compared to the requirement of paddy varieties.
Further, millets by the virtue of their nutritious value serve as an excellent tool to combat malnutrition and was well received by the consumers, the scientists said.
Releasing a booklet on millets cultivation on the occasion, C.Ponnaiyan, former Minister and Vice-Chairperson, State Policy Development Council, pointed out that though cultivation of millets was not new to Delta farmers, millets cultivation thinned out over the past five decades in view of the green revolution which aimed to enhance the paddy production.
Now, with people realising the importance of adding millets in their diet in view of its nutritious value, there was an assured market for the millets and the value-added products made out of millets particularly cookies etc. in urban pockets.
Further, the cost of cultivation would be much less compared to summer paddy cultivation and also it requires lesser quantum of water for irrigation. Thus, the cultivators could realize a better profit in short term given the marketing prospects of the value-added products of millets, Mr.Ponnaiyan said.
Distributing farm inputs to participating farmers, the SPDC vice-chairperson called upon the cultivators to make use of the guidance and training provided to them for taking up millet cultivation at the ICAR-KVK through “Revival of cultivation and marketing of value-added products of millets” programme implemented under the State Balanced Growth Scheme.
Collector, V.Santha, Director, Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, V.Ambethgar, Programme Coordinator, ICAR-KVK, Needamangalam, M.Ramasubramanian and others participated in the meeting.
