Uttar Pradesh govt looks to double millet area to 2.5 mn hectares

According to the agriculture department, the current cultivated area of jowar and bajra in UP stands at more than 170,000 hectares and 900,000 hectares, respectively

Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi christening millets as ‘Sri Anna’ (divine foodgrain), the Uttar Pradesh government is looking to more than double the cultivated area of indigenous foodgrains.

The state is targetting to increase the millets acreage from about 1.1 million hectares to over 2.5 million hectares. UP is among the top millet producing states in India with its basket comprising jowar, bajra, kodo, ragi, kottu and sanwa.

At the same time, the state will launch exclusive millet outlets and engage women rural entrepreneurs and self-help groups (SHG) in its value chain.

According to the agriculture