Agri Dept sets target to sow millets on 5K acres

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 23

As the Centre is celebrating 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Agriculture Department in Punjab has decided to increase the area under millets from 2,500 acres to 5,000 acres.

Last year, according to the official data, millets were grown on 2,500 acres in the state. However, meeting the target seems a big challenge. Gurmukh Singh, a farmer from Gurdaspur district, who has been doing millets farming since last seven years, shared, “The main challenge to meet the target is lack of millet processing units in Punjab. At present, there are three private millet processing units in the state. The government should first focus on the areas where processing units are already functioning.”

He said, “Sowing machines have to improvised. Proper training must be given to farmers for millet farming.”

Sources in the Agriculture Department said they were waiting for funds from the Centre Government. Once they received funds, government-run millet processing unit would set up for farmers, the sources said.

Millets are sown in April. The department is providing seed to farmers through the National Seed Corporation and other sources so that more area could be brought under millets.

Chief Agriculture Officers in the state have been asked to promote millet farming in their respective districts.

In Jalandhar, the area under millets is negligible. Agriculture Department officials said in Shahkot and Bahogpur, farmers sow less millets on their land. As per official data, no millet farming is done in Kapurthala.

There are nine types of millets, including jawar (sorghum), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), proso millet (chena), kodo millet (kodra), foxtail millet (kangni), barnyard millet (swank), little millet (kutki), browntop millet (hari kangni) out of which mostly bajra is grown in the state.

The millets require less water and can be grown on less fertile land.

The Agriculture Department is now holding camps to encourage farmers to sow millets on their land.

Dr Daljit Singh Gill, Joint Director, Agriculture Department, said, “There is a plan to encourage school students to shun maida (refined wheat flour) and start eating millets instead. We will tie up with the Health Department in order to make people aware about benefits of millets.”

Gurvinder Singh, Director, Agriculture Department, said, “The area under millets is quite less in the state. But we have made an action plan to promote millet farming. Also, a state-level nodal officer has been deputed to encourage farmers to sow millets.”

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