Need to maintain the sowing area of ​​millets

06-Nov-2024 01:09 PM

Need to maintain the sowing area of ​​millets

Hyderabad. Farmers cultivating crops other than paddy and cotton are facing serious challenges as they are neither getting institutional loans nor remunerative prices. This may reduce the enthusiasm and attraction towards millets cultivation and its sowing area may decrease rapidly. The government should take immediate necessary steps to save it. There is a need to provide every possible facility to the producers cultivating crops in dry land.

According to a farmers' organization, the sowing area in Zaheerabad - the traditional producing area of ​​millets in Telangana - is continuously decreasing because the government is allocating land there for industrial zone. According to the organization, when paddy producers are getting an additional bonus of Rs 500 per quintal above the minimum support price, then why would they want to cultivate other crops. Similarly, cotton is purchased by the government and farmers get the minimum support price (MSP). But there is no such facility for millets. Millets crop is a barrier to climate change, so its cultivation should be encouraged instead of being reduced.

According to experts, the use of chemical fertilizers and water resources is increasing rapidly. Due to this, the possibility of biodiversity is decreasing. Millets are capable of stopping this situation. Experts are also worried about the increase in industrial use of maize because due to this there is a possibility of reducing its availability for human food purpose.