After 50 yrs, Tiruvarur farmers reap success in millets cultivation

Thiruchirapalli

Despite millets being cultivated in Cauvery Delta region, the farmers had stopped sowing the grains for the past 50 years as they were successful in cultivating paddy. However, in due course of time, the farmers could not cultivate paddy due to the scarcity of water during summer and thus the state government has introduced a project to encourage them to cultivate millets which consume less water and less expense comparatively and as a short term crop which gives good returns to the farmers.

IAccording to the officials, there was a growing need for the millets across the state for its rich contents of energy and medicinal value and so the officials have been giving on field training for cultivating millets and distributing several seed varieties and even distributing the base fertilizers for undertaking cultivation. The officials have also been giving tips for marketing and making value added products with millets.

Since getting the support from the officials, several farmers from Tiruvarur district had undertaken millets cultivation and they could get good yield as they applied the suggestions of the officials while cultivating.

“The officials gave us the infield training in cultivation of millets through which we could get a good yield in foxtail millet which is a high demand millet in the market in recent times. We have also cultivated maize and corn with the seeds provided by the officials and it gave an additional income for our family,” said Ravichandran-Jothilakshmi couple from Viswanathapuram near Needamangalam.

Meanwhile, Rajendran, a horticulture farmer from Mela Nagai near Mannargudi said, the officials gave him varieties of seeds and even fertilizers in addition to the proper on field training, including marketing ideas.

“In addition to this, a subsidy to take up millet cultivation under the millet revival project has been distributed to each farmer and we are grateful to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who introduced the scheme to get us an additional income,” Rajendran said.