NERAMAC holds event to promote millet production

KUNAL RAI

GANGTOK, : An event to promote millet production and to generate awareness on its benefits was organised by North-Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), a Central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), at Gangtok today.

NERAMAC has previously conducted similar programmes across various Northeastern States to boost millet awareness and production.

The event was attended by State Agriculture principal director Rajen Thapa as the chief guest, Horticulture director Bhim Lal Dahal, NERAMAC managing director Commodore Rajiv Ashok (Retd.), and NABARD Sikkim assistant general manager Tempa C. Bhutia.

Addressing the programme, Commodore Rajiv Ashok highlighted millet as a super food with significant health benefits. He informed that the Government of India declared 2018 as the “Year of Millets” to promote awareness of the crop’s nutritional value.

In 2023, millet was designated as an international super food, spurring a rise in production and global demand, though domestic consumption remains a challenge due to ingrained dietary habits.

Commodore Ashok encouraged farmers in Sikkim to expand millet cultivation, leveraging the State’s status as India’s first organic State to market high-quality organic millet both nationally and internationally. He infomred that NERAMAC currently collaborates with 220 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in its efforts to promote millet.

Principal director Rajen Thapa emphasized millet’s nutritional benefits, particularly for reducing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and iron deficiency. He acknowledged the difficulty in shifting dietary habits but urged residents to gradually incorporate millet into their diets. According to Thapa, millet cultivation is labour-efficient and requires significantly less water compared to paddy. He urged local farmers to transform Sikkim's barren lands into productive millet fields to capitalize on the demand for organic produce.

Thapa informed that Sikkim currently cultivates millet on approximately 2,000 hectares, amounting to only 2-3% of the State’s arable land. He encouraged the State’s 58 FPOs to work together to expand millet production, branding and sales to meet growing national and global demand. He also highlighted the government’s support through seed distribution and buy-back schemes for quality crops to motivate farmers.

The programme also had stalls showcasing a variety of millet-based products from entrepreneurs in Sikkim, Assam and other NE States.