Ragi, the staple diet of old Mysuru region, appears to have benefitted from the decision to include it in the Anna Bhagya scheme.
According to Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao, the production of Ragi in the State has increased by 10 folds from 1.40 lakh quintals in 2014 to 14,40,000 quintals now after the government announced the minimum support prices for this nutritious minor millet at the time of sowing itself to instil confidence among farmers to try this crop.
While the market price for Ragi is ruling around Rs. 1,400 a quintal, the government has announced an MSP of Rs. 2,000 for this crop, he said.
However, the production of another minor millet jowar is yet to improve to the expected level, he expressed concern. The government has decided to include these two minor millets in the public distribution system to take care of nutritional security.
