Farmers in Madhya Pradesh growing millet to receive cash incentive

Farmers in Madhya Pradesh will now get an incentive of Rs 10 per kg on millet production as part of the Mohan Yadav-led government’s plan to increase crop output, storage, processing, branding, and selling of coarse grains.

According to the recently announced Rani Durgavati Shri Anna (Millets) Promotion Scheme, the incentive would be deposited directly into the farmers’ bank accounts.

The state is known for its coarse grains, such as jowar, bajra, kodo, and kutki, which are majorly cultivated in the districts of Mandla, Dindori, Balghat, Shahdol, Anuppur, Betul, Chhindwara, Sidhi, and Singrauli.

To create awareness and increase the production and consumption of millets, the United Nations, at the behest of the Indian government, declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

Senior journalist and political analyst Saji Thomas said the government’s latest decision could be linked to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections because nearly all the districts cultivating millet are tribal-dominated.