Millet Research and Cultivation
The project entitled “Enhancing food security of rural families through production, processing and value addition of regional staple food grains” with the objective to increase the productivity and consumption for improved nutritional security, to reduce the drudgery of women in processing and harvesting and to enhance their income and social status. Four villages, two from district Chamoli (Saloor, Paini) and two villages (Chauki, Nagrasu) from district Rudraprayag, covering 157 families are selected. The crops chosen for the project activities are finger millet, barnyard millet and grain Amaranth. After the positive response of the first year through increase on productivity in grain and straw yield both the work was done with the same farmers of previous year, benchmarking the socio-economic status and agricultural practices in the selected households, interventions are made on technical aspects like improved variety of seeds, cultivation practices, value addition of the products, marketing and use of vermin compost in their fields. The value addition in target crops has been initiated to promote consumption and income
In the first phase, men and women farmers were selected for participatory demonstration of improved seeds and production technology for enhancing productivity and increased food availability. Improved varieties of finger millet (VL-149, VL-146, VL-315), barnyard millet (PRJ-1 and VL-172) and grain Amaranths (PRA-3, VL-44 and Durga), along with their respective local varieties were laid out. These demonstrations involved 157 marginal farmers. Concurrently production of vermin-compost was also initiated by supporting construction of 100 pits (in addition to the 67 of previous year 33 new vermin compost pits were constructed this year).
On the value addition front, two processing centers (common facility centre), one in Khemada and the other in Paini were established and all members of the associated women SHGs were trained on value addition and product development, the trained women developed the new protocols on the value addition front with the help and guidance of the trainers. In total this year, four such training programmes were organized on themes such as improved cultivation, vermin-compost production, value addition, packing, packaging and market linkages of the SHGs.
Implementation of the project has led to increase in income of villagers. Production of value-added product accrues superior financial gains for the producers This will make them more independent and open to adopt new technologies and practices. Apart from this, it can help to set an example for nearby communities to engage them in such income generation activities.
