TRVK, Siddipet & ARS, Tornala Conducted Awareness cum Field Day on Millet cultivation and value addition

TRVK, Siddipet & ARS, Tornala conducted Awareness cum Field Day on Millet cultivation and value addition products was organized in the foxtail millet field of farmer Janardhan Reddy at Alirajpet village, Jagdevpur Mandal, Siddipet district on 07.04.2026. Dr. G. Santosh Kumar, Scientist and Head, ARS, Tornala, addressed the farmers. He stated that nearly 60% of the cultivated area in India depends on rainfed agriculture. Among these, about 75% is under coarse cereals, with crops like sorghum and pearl millet being widely cultivated. However, other millets such as finger millet, foxtail millet, little millet, kodo millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, and browntop millet are grown in relatively smaller areas. He emphasized that millets require less water, low investment, minimal inputs, and fewer chemical fertilizers. Therefore, they can be successfully cultivated in rainfed areas, shallow soils, and low-fertility lands without significant reduction in yields. He also mentioned that the government is promoting millet cultivation as they provide economic, food, and nutritional security, and encouraged farmers to adopt millet farming. Later, Dr. Ch. Pallavi, Coordinator & Scientist (CP), TRVK, Siddipet explained about the nutritional importance of millets and their value-added products. She explained that millets are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They help improve heart health, control diabetes, and boost immunity. Additionally, millets contribute to soil fertility by fixing nitrogen and play a key role in enhancing food security and preventing malnutrition. She advised farmers to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and promote millet cultivation. She also suggested that replacing crops like paddy and cotton with millets can result in higher profits with lower water usage and investment. Later, Dr. A. Ramadevi explained pest and disease management in various crops, Dr. D. Swetha highlighted the best management practices in millet cultivation. Smt. A. Saritha provided awareness on seed production techniques in different crops, Dr. G. Neelima informed farmers about the availability of seeds at ARS, Tornala. Farmer Kistaiah shared his experiences in millet cultivation with farmers. In this programme, A.D.A. Mr. Anil, MAO- U. Vasantha Rao, AEOs- Sharanya and Samatha, Alirajpet Sarpanch Yellesh, Itikyala Sarpanch Rajalingam, representatives from Coromandel Company (Prudhvi and Anil), Alirajpet FPO Chairman and members and 100 farmers were participated.