The Anantapur District administration has begun popularising the cultivation of millets in the International Year of Millets in 2023. It had set a target of doubling the total sown area of Jowar from 5,300 acres this kharif to 10,100 acres by the next year.
The first batch of millets beginning with Ragi, was distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS) from June 1 in the district. To encourage the cultivation of millets, the government will now buy hybrid sorghum at ₹3,180 per quintal minimum support price against ₹2,970 last season and Ragi at ₹3,846 against ₹35,78 per quintal last season.
Anantapur Joint Collector Ketan Garg told The Hindu on Monday that Ragi was cultivated in only 100 acres in the district, which is proposed to be expanded to 1,000 acres (ten times the current sown area) to locally meet the demand for millets in the Public Distribution System supplies.
