ARS Karimnagar organized “Awareness Programme on Nutri-cereals (Millets), Health benefits and Cultivation Practices” on 9th February, 2023.

Awareness Programme on Nutri-cereals (Millets), Health benefits and Cultivation Practices” has been conducted on 9th February, 2023 by ARS Karimnagar. Dr.K.Madan Mohan Reddy, Coordinator DAATTC invited all the dignitaries on to the dias and programme started with University song. Dr.G.Manjulatha, Principal Scientist and Head gave the welcome address and briefed the significance and the nutritive value of the millets and encouraged the farmers towards the cultivation of millets for healthy generations. Dr.G.Srinivas, Associate Director of Research, RARS, Jagtial has chaired the session and encouraged the farmers to enhance cultivation of millets at least from this year onwards as 2023 being International Year of Millets. The chief guest, Sri. R.V.Karnan, Honorable Collector and District Magistrate has addressed the farmers that the millets were poor men food in the ancient days but now turned out to be the rich man’s food owing to the health issues and less physical stress in the present livelihood. The guest of honor, Smt. Ch.Priyanka, CEO of Zilla Parishad, has sensitized the farmers on the value of nutri-cereals and their significance in building strong and healthy beings for the society. Dr.P.Rajaiah, Principal Scientist (Ag.Engg.) and Head, AICRP on FIM, ARI, Rajendranagar has detailed the various machinery available for sowing to harvesting for the farmers in various crops. Dr.N.Venkateshwar Rao, Senior Scientist KVK, Jammikunta has addressed the farmers to go for millets along with the consumption of brown rice and to increase the production acreages of millets which will inturn enable better processing and marketing opportunities for the farmers. Sr. Ananth Kumar, AGM, NABARD Karimnagar has explained the different agricultural schemes beneficial for the farmers. Various machinery from several private firms right from sowing to harvesting including drone spraying have been demonstrated to the farmers along with the working condition, price and availability. Agricultural exhibition pertaining to the various millets and their varieties and the various byproducts from Millet Plus Incubation Centre of PJTSAU, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad have been procured and nutritional values explained to the farmers. As a part of Exposure Visit to Agricultural Research Station, Karimnagar, the various research activities and crop diversification project including 10 crops along the exhibition of machinery and millets were explained to the adopted village farmers Various millet products viz., Ragi malt, bajra biscuits, Korra payasam have been prepared and served for the guests and farmers. The Production technologies of Millets was discussed by Dr.P.Madhukar Rao, Scientist (Agronomy) followed by Suitable varieties in different millets by Dr.D.Sravani, Scientist (Pl.Br.). Value addition in millets was discussed in brief by Dr. G.Usharani, Scientist (Pl.Br.) followed by disease management in millets by Dr.M.Rajendra Prasad Scientist (Crop Protection) and insect management in millets by Dr. A.Vijayabhaskar, Senior Scientist (Pl.Path.). The ICT Tools and Mobile Apps in Agriculture were demonstrated to the farmers and around 150 youtube subscriptions were subscribed in the farmers’s mobiles. The District Agricultural Officer, Sri. V. Sridhar, Agricultural Officers, Agricultural Extension Officers, 30 farmers from adopted village and around 142 farmers from other mandals of Karimnagar district, 20 from private firms of machinery have participated in the programme.