ADDRESSING PRODUCTION BARRIERS IN MINOR MILLETS V.VEERABADRAN

YIELD GAP IN MINOR MILLETS IN TAMILNADU 2007-08 (Kg/ha)

Crop Variety Potential Actual

Foxtail Co 7 1855 469

Kodo APK 1 2400 1469

Little Co 4 2820 1002

Barnyard Co KV 2

2114 NA

Proso TNAU 164

1893 NA

YIELD GAP

YIELD LEVEL

Potential Achievable/ Experimental

Actual / Farm

FACTORS Plant

Soil

Climate

Soil

Climate

Resource management

Biotic /Abiotic stress

Socio-economic

PRODUCTION CONSTRAINTS

• Marginal environment

• Poor returns

• Local varieties & traditional management

• Non-adoption of technology

• Poor promotion

Production constraints

• Drudgery in processing

• Consumption associated with poverty

• Reduced demand due to shifts in consumption habits

• Lack of government initiatives

IN FAVOUR OF MINOR MILLETS

• Resilience to thrive in harsh environment

• Nutritious and health food• Multiple use as food, feed, fodder,

neutraceutical, industrial, soil health• Short duration C4 crops for arid and

semiarid tracts• Climate change ready crops• Crops for agro-biodiversity

REQUIREMENTS FOR REVIVAL

Genetic Improvement

Resource management technology

Enlarging demand and market

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

• Conflict of interest

• constraint visualisation

• more grain per unit area, time, water and energy

• Best suited agro-ecosystem

• Culturable wastelands

• Cultural management

• Best cropping system

• Low input, Low or no cost technology

• Organic production

INDEX NUMBER

Crop AREA PRODUCTIVITY

Foxtail millet 16.7 106

Kodo millet 14.4 124

Little millet 33.5 114

ENLARGING DEMAND AND MARKET

• Value addition• Cattle and poultry feed• Industrial use• Expand consumption zone• Sell in PDS• Nutrition and Health foods• Integration of all aspects• Change in nomenclature• Link up with other partners

BROWN REVOLUTION

THANK YOU