|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Karnataka government asks Centre to procure all types of millets at supportive prices
|
|
Thursday, 30 January, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Nandita Vijayasimha, Bengaluru
|
The Karnataka government has now asked the Centre to procure all types of millets at minimum support price (MSP). This is a market intervention strategy by the government to protect the farmers against any fall in prices. The state is home to 8 varieties: barnyard millet, kodo millet, little millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet and pearl and sorghum.
The guaranteed price set by the government for certain crops, ensures farmers receive a minimum income even if market prices fall below that level, essentially acting as a safety net against price fluctuations and protecting them from distress sales. MSP is usually announced before the sowing season and is based on recommendations from a dedicated agricultural pricing commission.
The government agencies buy the farmer's produce at the MSP if the market price falls below it. The support price is usually determined by a government body like the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). MSP, according to agricultural experts, encourages farmers to invest in crop production and contribute to food security by ensuring a minimum level of income.
At the recently concluded three-day International Trade Fair 2025- Organics and Millets held from January 23-25, 2025, in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced market system for organic products in APMCs. Stating that from the next financial year, a market system for organic products will be implemented in Karnataka’s Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), the Chief Minister also demanded that the Union Government sanction a MSP selling price for millets which has been a long-standing demand of farmers.
The state has been proactive in promoting millet cultivation and consumption. In January 2024, Siddaramaiah announced plans to incorporate millets into dishes served at Indira Canteens and in Mid-Day Meal programmes for schoolchildren, aiming to enhance public health and support local farmers. In 2021, the Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission recommended setting a MSP of Rs 5,000 per quintal for various millets and suggested their inclusion in the Mid-Day Meal scheme to boost both farmer income and nutritional intake among students. These initiatives reflect the state's commitment to promoting millets.
"This government is committed to promoting millet farming by providing support for its cultivation, marketing, and other facilities. Karnataka is third in the country when it comes to cultivation area and production of millets. With the aim of establishing a systematic market and supply chain for organic products and millets, our government introduced the organic farming policy in 2017. To raise awareness about organic farming among the State’s farmers, the government also launched the Organic Bhagya Yojana in 2013," he said.
The three-day fair concluded successfully, generating a revenue of Rs 185.41 crore and recording an estimated footfall of 3 lakh people. With participation from 25 states across India and five state agriculture ministers, the fair highlighted the growing significance of organic and millets-based products.More than 330 stalls were set up at the fair, where 194 producers and 105 marketing organisations engaged in 185 B2B meetings.
Karnataka Agriculture Minister N Chaluvaraya Swamy said the government will work towards strengthening the agricultural sector. “When farmers are empowered, the country becomes secure, and villages develop."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|