Minor millets in South Asia: learnings from IFAD-NUS project in India ...

84 minor millets in south asia
Table 12. Response of finger millet to cropping systems (mean over farmers and locations)
Treatments Grain yield (q/ha) Gross return
Anur Aralikatti Mean
(INR/ha)
Net return
(INR/ha)
B:C ratio
(INR/rupee
invested)
t1 Finger millet
+ pigeonpea in
4:2 row ratio
9.35+4.75 9.18+5.49 9.26+5.12 14,008 9,883 3.40
t2 Finger millet
+ pigeonpea in
5:1 row ratio
10.50+4.12 10.15-4.18 10.32+4.15 9,847 5,747 2.40
t3 Finger millet
– horsegram
(sequence)
market rates:
12.40+5.20 12.83+5.18 12.61+15.19 10,929 7,079 2.84
Finger millet (grain)-inr 425/q; pigeonpea (grain) - inr 1,425/q; horsegram (grain) - inr 775/q;
Fodder/straw - inr 50/q
Table 13. Response of foxtail millet to cropping systems (mean over farmers and locations)
Treatments Grain yield (q/ha) Gross Net return B:C ratio
Halyal Chebbi Belur Mean
return
(INR/ha)
(INR/ha) (INR/rupee
invested)
t1 Foxtail millet +
pigeonpea in 4:2
row ratio
18.1+7.5 14.2+5.0 10.4+8.7 14.2+7.0 16,355 11,305 3.24
t2 Foxtail millet +
pigeonpea in 5:1
row ratio
market rates:
20.0+4.5 15.0+3.1 12.5+5.9 15.8+4.5 13,182 8,282 2.69
grain; Foxtail millet – inr 400/q; pigeonpea - inr 1,425/q; Fodder/straw: Foxtail millet - inr200/t;
pigeonpea - inr 50/q
Based on these demonstration trials on farmers’ fields, it was concluded that
among the cropping systems, growing little millet, finger millet and foxtail millet
along with pigeonpea in 4:2 row ratio was found more productive and profitable.
8. Processing, value addition, product development and marketing
India is one of the world’s largest producers of agricultural and food products. Three
quarters of the population live in rural areas and largely depend on subsistence
agriculture for survival. Today, the consumer is looking for food with three basic
characteristics, (i) convenience in preparation, (ii) cultural acceptance, and (iii)
high quality. There is an increasing concern over the need for restructuring and
rejuvenation of the agro-food chain in order to improve efficiency and employment
opportunities (Yenagi et al., 1998). A study was undertaken on three important small
millet crops, viz., finger millet (ragi), foxtail millet and little millet to explore the
inherent technological opportunities for better utilization of resources in designing