‘We will tell about the methodology to be adopted by the farmers in growing millet organically in the district’
‘We will tell about the methodology to be adopted by the farmers in growing millet organically in the district’
Hampapuram-based Anantha Adharana Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) is one of the six organizations selected by the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to represent the country at the Dubai Expo from February. 17 to 19.
The sole representatives of the state from the Anantapur-based FPO, M. Ramakrishna and Y. Gangreddy left for Dubai on Tuesday.
Mr Ramakrishna said his FPO supports 500 member-farmers to improve production quality, value addition and is looking forward to tie-up with larger firms for marketing.
“There are all nine millets in Anantapur district called ‘Chiru Dhanyalu’, traditionally cultivated in Rayalaseema region, and they are organic,” he said.
He said that though the quality of bajra grown here was unparalleled, the farmers were unaware of value addition techniques and received low prices for their produce.
At the Dubai Expo, they will present the methodology to be followed by farmers to grow millet organically, post-harvest processing and marketing and value addition opportunities. “While raw millets attract only ₹30 to ₹50 per kg, first-tier value-addition or processing will help farmers to get at least ₹100 per kg, at a time when organic millets are grown in urban areas. ₹300 per kg is sold. kilos,” he said.
IIMR has put up a millet pavilion at the ongoing expo in Dubai, which will be inaugurated by the Union Agriculture Minister, with a small cubicle for each participating group.
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