Rising awareness of the nutritional benefits of millets such as finger millet (ragi) and foxtail millets nothwithstanding, the acreage under such coarse cereals in major producer Karnataka is being lost to cash crops such as maize, sugarcane and cotton.

A recent analysis of the changes in cropping patterns in the State from 2005-06 to 2014-15 by the Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission (KAPC) reveals that farmers in the State were increasingly showing their preference for cash crops such as cotton and maize at the expense of oilseeds, cereals and millets. “This shift towards cash crops will have huge implications for food security,” warned TN Prakash Kammaradi, Chairman, KAPC.

Shrinking acreage

Citing the example of ragi — a staple in South Karnataka — Kammaradi said the acreage under the finger millet has shrunk by over a fourth during the study period (see table). The deficit in rainfall in the current year has further impacted the acreage, which has come down to 5.91 lakh hectares (lh) against the targeted 7.34 lh.

“At this rate of crop displacement, we may see ragi vanishing from the State in another 20 years,” Prakash said, adding that KAPC has already submitted its findings to the State government for necessary action.

Karnataka accounts for over two-thirds of ragi produced in the country, followed by Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Similarly, other cereals such as rain-fed paddy, jowar, bajra and wheat have also witnessed a drop in acreages in the State.

Also, the area under almost all oilseeds, except soyabean, has come down as farmers have opted for cash crops. The area under oilseeds has more than halved to 14.91 lakh hectares in 2014-15 from 28.63 lakh hectares. Sunflower seed witnessed the biggest loss of acreage, estimated at around 11 lakh hectares over the period.

Kammaradi said the impact of global demand-supply dynamics on pricing of crops such as maize, cotton, soyabean and sugar has been a major reason influencing farmers’ preference for these crops.

Other factors

Besides, the advantages of high yielding hybrids, aggressive promotion by private-sector seed companies and the ease of production, especially in maize, were the other reasons that have resulted in their rising acreage.

Interestingly, the shift in cropping pattern has happened at a time when the State has witnessed diversion of about 11 per cent of cultivable farm lands for various other usage, the study reveals.

Also, the area under horticultural crops has witnessed a marginal increase of 36,000 hectares during the period.

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