In the face of change in climatic patterns and erratic weather conditions posing numerous problems to farmers standing crops and livelihoods, farmers in Northeast India’s state of Manipur have found better alternative in climate resilient millet crops with its yield providing good harvest, enabling them to tight over any unforeseen events triggered by crop failure.
Millet has been extensively grown in the last two decades. However, the practice of growing this cereal crop was found to have been abandoned in hill districts citing huge clearance of forest cover.
In a few isolated farms, it was grown by a few farmers but it turned out to be a waste of time and labour as massive attacks by birds destroyed their farms. “According to farmers, an increase in the number of growers ensured less impact on the standing crop as attacks by birds were evenly shared.”
In 2023, farmers paddy yield in Manipur’s Ukhrul had reportedly suffered huge setbacks with its yield reduced to 45 - 50 per cent. This severely affected several farmers of the state as rice is their staple food.
When this IFP Correspondent asked the farmers of the district if they could manage their livelihood with the paddy (rice) they have harvested, several of the farmers lamented that the paddy they have in store will soon be over before harvest.
The stark reality is that in the absence of stable income, several farmers would have no food on their table. Purchasing rice imported from outside the state is also beyond their capacity with three tins (local measuring unit) worth rice bags imported from outside charges Rs 1,950 to 2,000 in the local market.
On being asked as to why they have not grown millets, they cited attack by birds and forest clearance as the main reason for not growing this climate resilient crop in addition to lack of knowledge on the significance of millet as a climate resilient crop. They, however, assured to plant millet crops next season.
The farmers from different districts of the state including Ukhrul have decided to grow millet crops as an alternative to deal with crop failure and hardships caused by decline in paddy and other standing crops.
There are also some farmers who had planted millet in the last week of July, believing that harvesting the same with paddy would reduce damage by birds.
Nganingwon RK, 26, is a strong believer of millet crop from north of Ukhrul district. This year, she had grown one tin (a local measuring unit) of millet seed and had harvested 30 tins.
Sharing exclusively to the Imphal Free Press, Shimray exuded confidence that the crop she had cultivated would help meet her family needs in the long run in addition to supporting her children’s education.
“Given my years of experience with ‘lan’ (Millet in Tangkhul dialect) and comparing with paddy crops whose production and productivity had sharply declined, I have decided to focus more on it in the years to come starting next season. This is a reliable crop with promising returns. For farmers time, labor and good yields is everything,” she stressed, while highlighting her future plans.
A scientist who is familiar with millet crops said that millets are the “most suitable in tropical as well as sub-tropical” which can be grown up to an altitude of 2100m. It is a heat loving plant and the minimum temperature required for its germination is 8-100C. “A mean temperature range of 27-290C during the growth period is best for proper development and good crop yield,” he said.
Millets are climate friendly as they can counter many of the adverse effects of climate change better than most other food crops. They grow in almost any type of soil, the scientist added.
Grace Thumra, 75, another farmer from Lunghar village under Ukhrul assembly constituency who had participated in the millet crop training organised by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Manipur said that she had harvested 30 tins and thanked the department for timely initiative.
“I sold one kilo at Rs 100. Apart from money earned, this cereal crop is good for health as I have tasted and experienced its benefits,” she said. More farmers should go for growing these crops so that the alternative is arranged for any unseen events, she added.
If more farmers plant millets, the damage by birds will be significantly reduced, she said, urging more farmers to grow millets next season as paddy has sharply declined impacting their livelihood.
Millets are small-grained, annual, all-season cereals which can be cultivated round the year, but best suited for warm season, belonging to the grass family.
It is also called the nutri-cereals as they provide most of the nutrients required for normal functioning of the human body.
Millet is a climate resilient and dry land cereal. They have low requirements of water and fertility when compared to other popular cereals like paddy, maize and wheat. They are highly tolerant to drought and other extreme conditions.
It is also referred to as a ‘smart food for the future’ with high calcium, Zn, Fe, and low glycemic livelihood.
