Millets growers to get RS 6,000 per ha at Vikarabad

Vikarabad: Good eating habits keep people healthy. Rural people are staying away from taking nutrient rich millets, and, as a result, they have been suffering from malnutrition. Now, people are slowly turning to millets and organic food. Keeping in view their health and nutrition values, the state government has taken an initiative to encourage farmers to cultivate millets by extending financial support to them. The government has prepared an action plan in coordination with Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR).

Vikarabad lacks water resources. Farmers cultivate crops under tanks, borewells and others. Most of the farmers are dependent upon rain. Earlier, they were cultivating Bajra, Jowar, Maize and other millets which require less quantity of water. But, over time things changed and they started cultivating paddy, mirchi, soyabean and cotton. Agriculture Research Centre and Oil Seeds Research Centre have started focusing on cultivation of millets which consume less water. As part of the plan, the government is planning to create awareness and provide even support price for millets. It is also planning to extend Rs 6,000 per hectare to farmers to encourage the cultivation of millets.

Doma, Bomraspet, Kodangal, Doultabad, Vikarabad and Darur mandals selected for cultivation of millets on experimental basis. According to reports, millets are being cultivated in 3000 acres in the above mandals. The officials are planning to create awareness among the people over the importance of millets. They decided to cultivate millets in 200 acres in each mandal, and distributed CSV variety (42.6 quintals) of jowar. The officials distributed seeds to farmers in identified villages on 90 per cent subsidy.