PALAKKAD: The agriculture department’s millet unit at Cheerakadavu, in Attappadi’s Pudur panchayat – set up in July 2022 – has processed nearly 7,000kg of grain in the last one year.
The millet varieties cultivated in Attappadi include little, foxtail, sorghum, kodo, barnyard, finger and pearl. The largest crop is ragi (finger millet) and chama (little millet).
The ragi is converted into powder. A farmers’ producer company, called Atfam, has been floated by the department, with over 152 cultivators (shareholders) utilising the processing unit. The company purchases millet from farmers at Rs 60 per kilogram and processes it, before selling the products under the Atfam label, Rangaswamy, chairman of the company, told TNIE.
The department procures the produce from farmers and converts it into value-added products. Farmers can also directly process their produce at the unit. The products are then sold at different melas in various districts. The millet cultivation is being carried out under the Attappadi Integrated Tribal Development Project.
Organic certification
The allotment of organic certification to 310 farmers, who were not part of the first batch, is in the final stage. Inspections have been completed and they are expected to receive the certification soon, said R Latha, assistant director of the agriculture department.
Once certification is received, farmers will also be able to export their products. In the first phase, 926 farmers secured organic certification. INDOCERT inspects the fields continuously for three years before it allots organic certification.
Those who wish to purchase the produce and value-added products can contact Atfam at: 9645 298 860