Tura, Oct 31: The mission to boost millet farming is making rapid strides in Meghalaya with as many as 28 farmers from the Garo Hills region recently undergoing an intensive training on organic millet farming.

Millet farming is being promoted by the government of India as part of its National Millets Mission (NMM) and the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). NMM’s goal is to increase the production and consumption of millets. The mission includes promoting organic farming of millets, developing new millet-based products, and increasing the area under millet cultivation.

Millets are a climate-resilient cereal that are good for the environment and have many health benefits. The reasons for promoting millets are also related to their nutrition value, which although similar to Rice and Wheat, have higher proteins, minerals and vitamins.

Although the green revolution was critical to meet India’s need for food security and nutrition in 1960s, increasing rice and wheat yield significantly, the millets are making a comeback due to consumers becoming more health conscious and realising the multiple benefits of nutrient-rich and gluten-free cereals.

India’s major millets include Sorghum, Pearl millet, and Finger millet, which are more commonly known as Jowar, Bajra, and Ragi, respectively.

To push the region into growing millets, a seven-day vocational training programme on “Empowerment of Women and Tribal Youths through Organic Millet Farming in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya” funded by ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad was held from October 23 to 30, 2024 at the Multi Technology Testing Centre and Vocational Training Centre (MTTC&VTC) , College of Community Science, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Tura.

Dr. Sabyasachi Majumdar, Assistant Professor, MTTC&VTC coordinated this programme.

28 farmers from Kherapara village of West Garo Hills District in participated and learnt in detail about the package and practices of cultivation of great millet and foxtail millet, benefits of intercropping of millets with cowpea, use of biofertilizer, vermicompost, Jeevamritha and Beejamritha for cultivation of millets, necessity for preservation of local millet seeds and hands on training on preparation of jowar roti.

At the end of the programme, the farmers were also given certificates.

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