Tribespeople at Aaduvilantankudi reap benefits of millet farming

Tribal community in Idukki returns to traditional millet farming, supported by agricultural department and Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

The tribal community at Aaduvilantankudi in Santhanpara grama panchayat in Idukki is reaping the benefits after returning to their traditional food habits with millet cultivation.

S.P. Venkidachalam, a tribal farmer at Aduvilanthankudi, says the tribespeople decided to go back to traditional farming after nearly 20 years after they suffered food scarcity during the 2018 floods and the COVID-19 pandemic period.

“We started collecting millet seeds last year and began cultivation with the support of the Agricultural department. Of the 51 families in the settlement, 15 joined the initiative. We successfully cultivated millet in 10 acres and have decided to extend it to 15 acres next year,” says Mr. Venkidachalam.

“Now we cultivate five millet varieties. Millet farming was our culture once and an integral part of our food habits. But the fields were diverted to cardamom and other cash crops over the years. We have decided to return to our traditional food culture,” he says.

Santhanpara agricultural officer Binitha K.N. says the department provided ₹20,000 as subsidy per hectare for the tribal farmers to encourage millet farming. “They received good yield in the first year from the Aduvilanthankudi area. The Santhanpara panchayat will ensure support for millet farming in the tribal hamlet in the coming year too,” she says.

Agronomy specialist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Idukki, Ashiba A. says the KVK has distributed five kg of biofortified finger millet variety seeds to the tribal farmers of Aaduvilantankudi for trial cultivation in the coming year. KVK officials will monitor the cultivation and provide assistance.

“The KVK aims to encourage cultivation of their traditional millet varieties in addition to the high-yielding biofortified finger millet variety. If the trial farming succeeds, the KVK will encourage farming of biofortified finger millet variety in more areas,” says Ms. Ashiba.