Millet Mission Awareness Campaign launched in Dumka
PNS
Dumka
In a bid to promote sustainable agriculture and strengthen nutritional security, the district administration and the Agriculture Department on Tuesday launched a special awareness campaign under the Jharkhand government’s flagship Jharkhand State Millet Mission at the Beharabak Panchayat Bhawan in Dumka block.
The campaign aims to encourage farmers, particularly in remote rural areas, to take up millet cultivation, adopt modern farming practices, and benefit from government support schemes. Officials said the initiative seeks to improve farm incomes while making agriculture more resilient to the challenges posed by climate change and erratic rainfall.
Addressing the gathering, agriculture department officials highlighted the advantages of millet cultivation, describing it as a climate-resilient crop that requires less water and lower production costs than many conventional crops. They said millets can provide stable yields even under adverse weather conditions, enabling farmers to reduce cultivation expenses while earning better returns from the market. Farmers were encouraged to integrate millets with traditional crops to enhance both household incomes and nutritional security.
Officials informed participants that registered farmers cultivating millets under the mission are eligible for an incentive of ₹3,000 per acre. The scheme covers farmers cultivating millets on land ranging from 10 decimals to five acres, making it accessible to both small and marginal farmers.
Technical experts also guided farmers through the online registration process, eligibility criteria, and required documentation. Information was shared on other departmental schemes related to horticulture, land conservation, plant protection, farm mechanisation, and scientific farming practices. The programme concluded with an interactive session in which officials addressed farmers’ queries on millet cultivation.
Senior agriculture officials, local elected representatives, technical experts, and a large number of progressive farmers attended the launch programme.
