Abstract
This article aims to investigate the growth in area, production and productivity, mapping of cultivation technologies, economics, potentials and constraints for area and production expansion of finger millet. The exponential growth rates, indicated that though there was deceleration both in area and production there was significant growth in productivity due to introduction of high yielding varieties. The respondents under different production system (rainfed and irrigated situation) were homogeneous with respect to the age and family size except land holding and education level. Finger millet possesses tremendous potential for product diversification and export. Mapping of cultivation technologies indicated that, farmers applied more fertilizers than recommended. Hence, there is a need to strengthen extension/outreach programmes to create awareness among farmers to use the optimum level of nutrients, which helps in reducing the cost incurred by farmers as well as subsidy burden on government. The existing procurement price for finger millet was Rs. 2100/q which failed to cover the cost of production under rainfed situation. In the total land holding, the area under finger millet accounted for major (64%) share in rainfed situation and thus the procurement price must be fixed looking into the cost of production of rainfed (Rs. 2624/q) finger millet, which helps in improving the welfare of finger millet growing small farmers.
Highlights
1.1 Introduction to the ProblemMillets are one of the oldest foods known to humans but they were discarded in approbation of wheat and rice with urbanization and industrialization
Finger millet was an important crop in rainfed situation in kharif whereas, red gram was the major crop in irrigated situation
The results indicated that, yield was high in irrigated situation compared to rainfed situation which was mainly because of the management practices like timely irrigation, optimum plant spacing, use of fertilizer and FYM
Summary
Millets are one of the oldest foods known to humans but they were discarded in approbation of wheat and rice with urbanization and industrialization (http://www.millets.res.in). Millets are the imperative food and fodder crops in semi-arid regions that are predominantly gaining more relevance in the world (http://www.millets.res.in). They are mostly grown in marginal areas or under agricultural conditions where major cereals would fail to give sustainable yields (Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species, 2014). Millets produce multiple securities (food, fodder, health, nutrition and ecological) making them the crops of agricultural security (Millet Network of India-Deccan Development Society-FIAN, 2009). Minor millets (finger millet, foxtail, kodo millet, proso millet, little millet and barnyard millet) have received far less research and development recognition than other crops with regard to crop improvement, cultivation practices and utilization (Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species, 2014)
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