Industry
Nagaland wants its vanishing foxtail millets to be part of PSF
Summary
- The state has sought the inclusion of foxtail millet in the price stabilization fund to protect the local crop and support farmers against the backdrop of declining cultivation rates
NEW DELHI : The Centre is considering a proposal from Nagaland to add foxtail millet to its state-level Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), in a move to bolster agricultural diversity and protect the indigenous crop.
This initiative, a senior government official to Mint, aims to safeguard this staple yet endangered crop by ensuring its continued cultivation and economic viability.
The PSF functions to build-up India's buffer stock of crucial food commodities, releasing them into the market strategically to control price spikes. Each state has its unique intervention basket for such purposes.
Nagaland's request to include foxtail millet in its PSF aims at counteracting the crop's stagnating cultivation rates, despite being a staple food in the region.
The area under millet cultivation in Nagaland has only seen a slight increase to 883,000 hectares in 2020-21 from 867,000 hectares in 2013-14. Specific figures for foxtail millet cultivation were not immediately available.
“The government of Nagaland had requested inclusion of millet (foxtail) under state PSF…it was thoroughly discussed in the state level price stabilisation management committee (meeting) held in January," the official cited above said. The request was approved by the committee, with a final decision expected soon.
This proposal is in line with Nagaland's efforts to boost millet production, reflecting the commitment of both state and central governments to these nutrient-rich grains.
Currently, Nagaland's PSF includes onions, potatoes, and pulses. Including foxtail millet is expected to promote its cultivation by providing price support, thus safeguarding the local crop from a potential extinction.
Millets have long been a staple of the regional diet because of their durability and high nutritional value. However, the rise in consumption of fine cereals, along with a sub-par production system and inadequate compensation for millet farmers, have led to the decline of millet consumption and production.
The negligible growth in the cultivation area for these superfoods is largely attributed to the scarcity of high-quality traditional seeds, fertilizers, and effective farming methods, along with the impact of changing climate patterns.
In December at an event promoting millets, Nagaland's chief minister Neiphiu Rio had underscored his government's commitment to secure the interests of millet farmers. "With companies agreeing to come for millet contract farming in the state, we have to produce on a commercial scale and we need to have minimum price protection for the farmers with buy-back facilities," he mentioned.
This push for millet cultivation comes at a time when millets are regaining their status as a superfood in urban markets, thanks to their nutritional value and versatility.
This resurgence aligns with the International Year of Millets 2023 and India's G20 presidency, highlighting the importance of millets in sustainable agriculture and nutrition.
To reinforce this initiative, the Nagaland government has begun the GI registration process for four known varieties of millets, including foxtail.
The past few years have witnessed a quiet yet determined movement in the northeast of India to promote local millets, aiming to revive some varieties close to extinction. For instance, millet raishan was a dietary mainstay in Nongtraw, Meghalaya’s Khasi Hills, until the early 1970s.
