The present study examined the production of millets in India with special emphasis on the economics of millet cultivation in HP. In India, Rajasthan has the maximum area under cultivation (6.15 m ha) for millets and is the largest producer (8.33 m tonnes) as well. Regarding the cultivation of millets in Himachal Pradesh, it was found that finger millet and pseudo/minor cereals accounted for 6.46 per cent of the total cropped area on sample farms. Further, it was seen that per hectare operational cost (Cost A1) for finger millet and pseudo cereals was ?24354 and 21715, respectively. The output-input ratio over cost A1 was found to be 2.61 for finger millets, whereas for pseudo-cereals, it was 1.66. Given the policy thrust for millet production and consumption, continuous technology advancement, institutional innovations, value addition, and marketing mechanisms are essential to achieving sustained productivity growth. This analysis is of vital importance both from the point of view of evolving sound production plans and for the formulation of price policies, especially when millets hold great promise for mountain agriculture in the context of natural and organic farming in the country.
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