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With political parties gearing up for the election year and setting up manifesto committees, millet farmers and non-governmental organisations working in drylands have come up with a ‘Manifesto for Millets’, listing out a set of demands to promote dryland crops.
Though the manifesto, released here, will initially be targeted at the political parties in Telangana (which is going for early polls), it will be released nationwide a few months later.
The manifesto asks political parties to come out with an affirmative plan of action. “Every millet farmer should be given a string of incentives to grow millets. The incentives could include a bonus for producing nutritious crops, a bonus for the water saved in irrigation by growing millets and one for hosting climate resilient crops,” PV Satheesh, Director of Deccan Development Society, told BusinessLine .
The measures would together cost about ₹10,000 an acre, he said, adding: “The government can extend this support as long as the farmer grows millets.”
Rain-fed areas such as Telangana have historically grown millets, he observed.
“But wrong policies have led us to pursue low-nutrition and high-water intake crops such as rice in recent years,” he said.
While appreciating the government’s efforts to offer good grade rice at a low price, he felt these would help only in the short run. “But, in the long run, offering millets to ration card holders would help,” he said.
He further said millets need to be introduced in anganwadis and mid-day meals to help women and children in rural areas address the challenge of malnutrition.
Organic farming
The manifesto notes that millet farmers follow organic farming, which helps check the contamination of soil, water and food by the use of chemicals.
It wants the government to implement the National Food Security Act, which recommends the inclusion of at least 7 kg of millets per ration card.
“In Telangana, we have done a disservice to our malnutritioned population by ignoring this recommendation. It is time we brought in a strong correction in our food policy,” it says.
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