CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam on Saturday announced that millet festivals will be organised at district level and at the State level to create awareness about the millet nutrition among farmers, Entrepreneurs, Farmer Producer Organizations, Women Self Help Groups, voluntary organizations and consumers.
Farmers will be encouraged with assistance for activities starting from cultivation till marketing the produce with value addition. This scheme will be implemented with a total allocation of Rs 92 crore from Union and State Government fund, the Minister said presenting the agriculture budget for the year 2022-23 in the State Assembly.
To promote production and consumption of millets among Self Help Groups, the State Government will take steps tosupport 500 marginal farmers at a cost of Rs 1 crore under Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission.
Millets are minuscule in appearance, but highly nutritious for strengthening the body. To endorse this concept, the United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the "International Year of Millets".
To enhancemillet production, Two Millets Special Zones will be formed covering the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Vellore districts as one zone and Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Tenkasi, Ramnathapuram, Sivagangai, Theni, Trichy, Karur, DindigulAriyalurand Perambaluras the second zone.
In order to withstand climate change, crop diversification is encouraged. Special schemes will be implemented to popularize the cultivation of millets and pulses as an alternative to water intensive crops.
The Minister said special Package will be provided to encourage the farmers to take up alternative crops such as Millets, Pulses and Oilseeds in Kar, Kuruvai, Sornavari season in an extent of 66,000 acres at an outlay of Rs.10 crore.