The Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare M.R.K. Paneerselvam has announced that the government will soon issue an order for the nomination of one scientist per block as part of the 2023-24 agri-budget.
These scientists will coordinate with department officials and farmers at the block level, integrate the latest technologies, and assist farmers in marketing value-added products. To facilitate effective communication, WhatsApp groups will be created at the block level for effective dissemination of information and guidance.
Minister Paneerselvam made this announcement during the International Millets Conference and Futuristic Food Expo 2023 inauguration, held at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). The event was organized to celebrate the Centennial Year of Millets Research (1923-2023) and the International Year of Millets – 2023.
In order to achieve the production target of 38.2 lakh tonnes, around 9.8 lakh hectares have been dedicated to millet cultivation.
The Minister urged TNAU to develop high-yielding seed varieties that are more resistant to saline conditions, as Tamil Nadu aims to lead in millet production due to the growing preference for millet-based food among health-conscious individuals.
Vice-Chancellor of TNAU, V. Geethalakshmi stated that the university has already released 32 seed varieties of sorghum and various other millet crops. TNAU has also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with universities in the United States and Canada to develop high-yielding seed varieties and utilize advanced technologies.
Additionally, the university has adopted 112 farmer-producer organizations, guiding them to obtain Geographical Indication tags and organizing buyer-seller meets to promote their yield.
During the event, Mohammed Shahidur Rashid Bhuiyan, Vice-Chancellor of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, addressed the gathering, which included approximately 350 scientists and 250 farmers.
An English daily mentioned that the Futuristic Food Expo showcased value-added products made from major millets such as sorghum (cholam) and pearl millet (kambu), as well as minor millets including kelvaragu (ragi), foxtail millet (thenai), proso millet (panivaragu), kodo millet (varagu) and little millet (samai).
