Govt eyes increasing millet output to 45 mt by 2030 -TV Jayan

-The Hindu Business Line

Centre on a mission mode to promote these nutri-cereals

New Delhi: The Centre is drawing up an ambitious plan to increase millet production in the country to 45 million tonnes (mt) by 2030 from the current levels of 17 mt, a senior Agriculture Ministry official said on Thursday.

“The government would like to promote millets from this year onwards. This year has been declared as year of millets. Over a decade or so, the area under millets has been declining and it currently stands at 16 million hectares,” said Ashok Dalwai, CEO of National Rainfed Area Authority of India, who heads a committee on preparing a roadmap for millets.

The plan is to utilise funds available under the National Food Security Mission, which are in the excess of ?300 crore, to increase productivity and expand area under millets. The productivity of millets has been going up, but only marginally.

MSP, procurement

Now that the Centre has announced that it will increase the minimum support price to one and half times of cost of production, millet growers are expected to benefit. More importantly, procurement is going to be strengthened in millets soon, Dalwai said.

“The government is soon to come out with a new procurement policy on which NITI Aayog has been having consultations with State governments. This is not just for millets, but also for other agricultural commodities,” he said.

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