Distribution of millet seeds in subsidy to promote its cultivation

By Our Correspondent,Dhalkebar, Apr. 26: Mithila Municipality of Dhanusha has started distributing millet seeds to the farmers in 100 per cent subsidy for the promotion of traditional millet cultivation.

The distribution of millet seeds free of cost has been started to encourage the farmers towards millet cultivation which is about to disappear, according to the municipality.

Mayor of Mithila Municipality Mahendra Mahato said that they are distributing millet seeds to the farmers here under a local crop promotion programme.

Until 10-12 years ago, the farmers here used to produce a huge quantity of millets.

He said that the subsidy programme has been introduced to increase the production after the farmers' attraction towards millet production, which is also rich in nutrients, is decreasing.

Mahato said that agricultural equipment and seeds of millet, wheat, corn and chaite paddy are being provided to farmers as subsidies to increase the production of food crops.

Chief of Agriculture Branch of Mithila Municipality Sanjaya Kumar Mahato said that three quintals of millet seeds of Dalle-1 variety will be distributed.

He said that from one kilo of seeds, saplings can be produced for the cultivation of millet in three to four katthas of land.

Agricultural technician Umesh Mahato said that this programme has encouraged farmers who are cultivating millet.

He said that the policy and subsidy programme for the protection of millet introduced to attract farmers towards millet cultivation will increase the promotion and production of local millet.

It is expected that the attraction of farmers towards millet cultivation will also increase.

The demand for millet is increasing as dishes such as millet pudding, which in the past were only eaten by the poor and lower class people, have now become good food for people of urban areas.

At first, after rice, millet, maize and wheat were used as supplementary food.

Millet dishes were also preferred. The people of Terai used to eat millet bread and millet pudding regularly for breakfast and dinner.

However, agricultural technician Umesh said that after gradually turning away from the millet dish, there is also a decrease in its production.