In 2023, the United Nations recognised the “International Year of Millets”, marking a big milestone that positively impacted the worldwide millet worth chain. This declaration ignited a renewed concentrate on cultivating and consuming millets, producing a robust momentum. Acknowledging the significance of this grain, the Indian authorities renamed millets “Shree Anna,” symbolising its deep connection to Carnatic tradition, and is actively implementing initiatives to advertise millet cultivation and consumption all through the nation.

However, regardless of these promising developments, many marginalised farmers who function small unbiased farms, particularly within the southern area of India have been unable to reap the advantages. Their lack of information, expertise, market connections, and restricted entry to fashionable agricultural know-how have impeded their productiveness and profitability.

Technology will play an important function in addressing these challenges and reworking the millet meals system right into a sustainable mannequin that helps rural livelihoods. Enhancing accessibility, elevating consciousness about some great benefits of millet farming, and establishing market linkages are all important elements of this transformation. Ensuring digital inclusion for native farmers and actively involving the youthful technology, significantly college students, as important stakeholders are pivotal steps on this path.

• Also learn: How millet cultivation can tackle the challenges of food security issues

New agricultural strategies

The present variations in millet farming practices throughout areas present attention-grabbing alternatives for technological intervention and information sharing. For instance, in Andhra Pradesh, crops are grown with nearer spacing, whereas wider spacing is beneficial in Kerala. By creating consciousness about these new methods, farmers can optimise their very own agricultural strategies to maximise productiveness.

Integrating know-how into farming processes can assist automate labor-intensive duties like processing, relieving farmers of a few of their workload and permitting them to allocate time to different important actions. In addition, know-how intervention gives farmers and the area people with a broader market attain, establishing connections with potential patrons, guaranteeing honest costs, and selling sustainable progress whereas assuaging the difficulty of the “digital divide.”

• Also learn: Consumer awareness of millets and its health benefits are high, says survey

Investing in technological developments

In rural areas, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and numerous company initiatives are driving progress by offering important coaching to farmers and enabling them to utilise know-how successfully. Recognising the potential for vital developments within the agricultural sector, there’s a rising emphasis on investing in know-how inside agricultural schools. These schools profit farmers straight but in addition function incubators for small-scale agri-businesses led by enthusiastic younger volunteers and college students. Their collaboration with companions entails conducting in-depth analyses of the native millet meals system and growing prototypes that promote sustainable farming practices for millet cultivation.

• Also learn: Record procurement and distribution of millets planned for 2023-24

Encouraging scholar involvement by way of know-how

A exceptional shift is going down as stakeholders embrace the renewed curiosity in millet cultivation, marking a dedication to a second agricultural revolution. Let’s think about the College of Applied Science IHRD, in Kerala. A big variety of college students at this school hail from farming backgrounds and are sometimes the primary of their households to pursue increased schooling. Driven by their deep-rooted ardour for agriculture and a need to make a significant impression of their communities, these college students are working with corporates like Lenovo on initiatives like Work for Humankind and serving to promote millet cultivation utilizing know-how. Such an setting fosters innovation, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset amongst college students. This ensures that the information gained from their endeavours is theoretical and virtually utilized, yielding enduring constructive adjustments.

The revival of millets and the sustainable improvement of agriculture hinge upon embracing technology-driven initiatives as a robust power for change. To obtain this, we should disseminate information of revolutionary farming practices, spend money on know-how for farmers and agricultural schools, and encourage and help college students. However, it’s important for firms and authorities insurance policies to play their half in creating an enabling ecosystem that nurtures and encourages younger college students to pursue careers in agriculture. By fostering collaboration amongst native stakeholders, academia, and policymakers, we will pave the way in which for a affluent future the place the fusion of know-how and agriculture drives the revival of millets, making certain a resilient and thriving society for the betterment of humankind.

The writer is former principal, College of Applied Science, IHRD an autonomous establishment underneath the Government of Kerala