CHENNAI: Following announcement of the Agriculture Minister in the State’s first agriculture budget, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to sell millets and value-added millet products in fair price shops run by cooperative and civil supplies departments. The products will be sold in Chennai and Coimbatore as a pilot project. A G.O has been issued in this regard.
According to the G.O, MRK Panneerselvam, while presenting the agriculture budget, had announced, “Action will be taken to encourage value addition in millets and ensure remunerative price to farmers. Millet rice will be procured by cooperative societies and distributed through Public Distribution System in cities like Chennai and Coimbatore.”
And now, the government has decided to sell millets through PDS shops. For this, the government has constituted a seven-member State-level committee which would be led by the Registrar of Cooperative societies.
Steps will be taken to procure millets like ragi, kambu, thinai, kuthirivali, saamai, varagu etc., through Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs). Processing of the millets and value addition will also be done by them, the government order says.