P V Satish, convenor, Millet Network of India (MNI) demanded that the government should provide an incentive of Rs 5,000 per acre to the farmers cultivating millet.
He told reporters here on Tuesday that the government should take steps to promote cultivation of millets which were rich in nutrition value and were becoming popular among the people.
Millet is grown on 10-20 million acres of land in India and the total amount required to provide incentives would not be more than Rs 1,000 crore. The fertiliser subsidy provided by the government was Rs 1.40 lakh crore last year, he said.
Satish maintained that millet cultivation would provide the farmers economic stability and it was mere a myth only commercial crops benefit the farmers in monetary terms. It has been revealed a majority of farmers who committed suicide were those who suffered financials losses in commercial crops, he asserted.
He pointed out the maximum yield per acre for commercial crops like Bt cotton was 5-6 quintals and it gives a gross income of Rs 10,000-12,000 per acre. The net income per acre would be around Rs 5,000 after deducting the expenses. Whereas millet ensured a minimum yied of five quintals per acre and there was no investment. The gross income per acre was between Rs 16,000 to Rs 18,000 and the farmers could have the net income between Rs 13,000 and Rs 15,000 per acre after deducting other expenses which would not cross Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 per acre.
Satish said the government had been urged to include millet in the list of foodgrains supplied under PDS and the National Advisory Council had accepted the proposal and asked the government to take steps in this direction.
Besides, 250 MPs have signed the memorandum submitted in this regard, he said.
