The Chhattisgarh government has decided to procure Kodo, Kutki and Ragi on support price and to include these crops under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. It is also set to implement the 'Chhattisgarh Millet Mission' to increase their production.
The government has declared the support price of Kodo-Kutki as Rs 3,000 per quintal. The government will give an incentive at the rate of Rs 9,000 per acre to the farmers for cultivating Kodo-Kutki crop, an official communication said on Friday. The government has also provisioned Rs 10,000 per acre for the farmers who take Kodo-Kutki crop, instead of paddy. Chhattisgarh is the only state in the country to take a decision like this.
The main focus of the Millet Mission will be in the districts of the most malnutrition-affected Bastar region. These millets are produced naturally in these districts.
But over time and due to non-availability of good quality seeds and lack of technical guidance, farmers turned away from the production of millets.
Now the Millet Mission will not only promote production of millets in tribal areas but will financially empower the farmers. It will also contribute towards eradicating malnutrition in these areas.
Under the Millet Mission, the area and production of different types of millets like Kodo, Kutki and Ragi will be increased in the tribal areas, various products will be prepared and consistent efforts will be made to increase the consumption of millets in the state. The demand for nutritious millets is now increasing significantly in the country and abroad.
