VIRUDHUNAGAR: If everything goes as per the district administration's plan, the students of selected government schools in Virudhunagar could relish millets for their breakfast, which is provided as part of the Chief Minister's Free Breakfast scheme, by November 15.
Since its launch in September in the district by ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu at Virudhunagar's Kariyapatti block, the breakfast scheme proved a boon to more than 3,000 students of 69 government primary schools in Kariyapatti Panchayat Union alone.As of now, the menu designed has food items including Pongal, Semiya Kichadi, and wheat upma.
The move to introduce millets comes as the small-seeded annual cereal and forage grasses are rich in nutritious value, plus they are available in plenty in the district. Millet varieties - Kuthiraivali, Saamai, Varagu, etc are being grown in around 55,000 hectares in the district.
Speaking to TNIE, Collector J Meghanath Reddy said initially, the breakfast with millet will be provided to the children two days a week, adding the district administration is currently working on preparing the menu and it would be finalised soon.
"We are working on the cost factor as well as not every millet available is cost-effective. We are also looking for millets which are available easily," Reddy said.The millets will be procured from the FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations) that have already been doing great work in millet processing and packaging.
On the nutritional benefits, Chennai-based Nutritionist Sangeetha Jayakumar said the intake of millet from an early stage will be beneficial for the children as it would help them develop a healthier digestive system and increase immunity. "Millets also are less acidic, low in sugar, high in fiber, and less in fat content," she said.