Navigating Change: The Challenge of Shifting from Paddy to Millets in Agriculture

 

Keerthi is a final year student pursuing B.Sc. in Agriculture. As a part of her course, she was engaged in her Rural Agriculture Work Experience. One day, she received an unexpected invitation to speak on the National Food Security Mission platform. This opportunity provides Keerthi with a chance to voice her passion for millets and their numerous benefits for the environment and human health.

Being fascinated by millets from the outset, Keerthi took the stage that day with a fervor that only genuine conviction could inspire. She spoke eloquently about the virtues of millets, their resilience, and their potential to revolutionize the agricultural landscape. However, the reality she faced was stark. The farmers, deeply rooted in age-old practices, were hesitant to embrace this shift, citing the undeniable factor of profitability.

Undeterred, Keerthi embarked on a journey to understand the underlying reasons behind this resistance. Conversations with the farmers yielded a common thread – the economic viability of millets paled in comparison to the staple crops like rice and wheat. Determined to unearth the truth, Keerthi reached out to her uncle, an authority in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

According to data provided by her uncle for Telangana (2019-20), the output value per hectare of jowar, bajra, and paddy was ₹25,003, ₹53,777, and ₹1,10,708 respectively. This data revealed a sobering fact - in relative terms, the output value per hectare of jowar and bajra was only 23% and 49% of paddy's output value, respectively. This means that the lower millet productivity, which is hardly 50% of what rice, wheat or sugarcane can produce, is the main factor that works against millets. The government's idea of transferring ₹85,657 to a paddy farmer per hectare of conversion to jowar seems highly impractical. Also, every hectare converted to jowar results in the economy getting 52 quintals less of foodgrains as the latter gives 7.88 quintals versus 60 quintals from paddy.

The cost of cultivation (Cost A2) of jowar and bajra was about 45% and 53% of that of paddy. Nevertheless, profitability is lower for these two crops. Millets may even give negative net returns depending on the rainfall. Low resource (water and fertilisers) needs for millet cannot outweigh its low profitability.

After much thought, Keerthi after discussion with his uncle came up with a plan. She suggested identifying resource-poor blocks within these areas for millet promotion. This targeted approach would ensure that millets are promoted only in areas where they are needed the most.

However, Keerthi also knew that simply increasing minimum support prices for millet crops may not work. We should adopt an approach similar to the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM). Intially, the OMM was launched in 30 blocks across 7 districts, covering 54000 hectares of land. Recently, it has been approved to be scaled up to 177 blocks in 30 districts, covering 82,000 hectares. The Mission Secretariat aims to increase this number to an ambitious 1,50,000 hectares by the end of 2023. The rapid expansion of the programme within a short period of time shows its success and acceptance throughout the state.  As per data, from 2020- 2022 there is a progressive increase in area of millet cultivation from 13.5 Mn Ha to 14 Mn Ha (area).

Keerthi’s plan also included other measures such as public campaigns, creating demand by including millets in Poshan Mission Abhiyan and Public Distribution System, and supply-side initiatives that encourage millet value chains through Farmer Producer Organisations.

Overall, Keerthi's plan was comprehensive, targeted, and practical. She knew that promoting millets in resource-poor, water-scarce areas would not only provide a nutritious and eco-friendly food option but also help in the conservation of scarce resources.