Tribals reap benefits of millet farming
- Koraput: Bareng Jani, a tribal farmer from Bhejapadar village in Koraput district's Dasmantpur block, used to produce only two quintals of finger millet or ragi from his one acre of land using traditional farming methods. But now he produces approximately 10 quintals of ragi from the same land after implementing better organic and scientific practices taught by experts of Odisha Millet Mission (OMM).
- Similarly, Trilochan Paraja of Narakendraguda village in Kandura block has been harvesting approximately 10 quintals of finger mil- let from his one acre of land, up from two quintals prior to OMM's intervention.
- Thousands of tribal farmers in the district, like Jani and Paraja, have reaped the benefits of better technology and scientific farming methods introduced by the OMM since its launch in the disarming methods. tract in 2017, which has strengthened their economy.
- Officials said millet farming is not a new concept for the district's tribal farmers, who have been doing it for de- cades for its higher nutrient content compared to other grains. But the yield was significantly lower due to adverse agroclimatic conditions and the use of traditional farming methods.
- "The specially designed OMM programmed was launched in the tribal districts to revitalize millets in farms. Farmers were taught good agronomic practices and the system of millet intensification (SMI) as part of the mission, which resulted in a significant increase in yield. Mandia mandi (millet procurement centers) are also being established to assist farmers in marketing their produce," said Tapas Chandra Roy, managing director of the agricultural technology management agency (AT MA) in Koraput.
- Millets are grown in less fertile soil with very little water. Koraput's soil is mostly acidic, and the lands are sloppy and surrounded by hills, making it ideal for mil- let cultivation, he added. A financial incentive of Rs 5,000 per hectare for SMI and Rs 2,500 per hectare for line transplanting is being offered to encourage farmers to grow millets," an official said.