Uttarakhand

• 19 Mar 2024

Rise in Income of Uttarakhand Millet Farmers: Study

Why in News?

According to a study by the Indian Institute of Management, Kashipur, three out of four millet-growing farmers in Uttarakhand have seen a 10-20% increase in their annual income owing to the push to millet farming by the Centre and state government.

• The study is named "Millet Production in Uttarakhand: An Empirical Analysis of its Socio-Economic Impact and Marketability Challenges".

Key Points

• The study conducted on more than 2,100 farmers found that many of them are still not aware of the increased demand for millet-based products, and are still growing it on a smaller scale for personal consumption only.
• According to the study, 75% of farmers in the state who grow millets have seen an increase in income by 10-20% as the Centre and state government continue to push farming of the crop.
  • The study, however, did not specify the number of millet-growing farmers among the 2,100 who were surveyed.
  • It was conducted by four senior professors and five data collectors of the institute over a period of six months.
• The study was conducted to address the marketability challenges of millet production and identify effective strategies to increase its economic presence.
  • The sample size for the survey was collected from the major hilly regions of the state, including Pithoragarh, Joshimath, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli.

Related Initiatives Taken by the Government

• National Millets Mission (NMM): NMM was launched in 2007 to promote the production and consumption of millets.
• Price Support Scheme (PSS): Provides financial assistance to farmers for the cultivation of millets.
• Development of Value-Added Products: Encourages the production of value-added millet-based products to increase the demand and consumption of millets.
• Promoting Millets in PDS: The government has introduced millets in the Public Distribution System (PDS) to make it accessible and affordable to the masses.
• Promotion of Organic Farming: The government is promoting organic farming of millets to increase the production and consumption of organic millets.