Three-day millet fair draws to a close

The three-day Organics and Millets International Trade Fair, held at Palace Grounds, saw business worth Rs 240 crore, according to agriculture department commissioner K G Jagadish.

“About 2,000 farmers who participated in the national- and international-level talks sought information about the millet market system. Around 300 B2B meetings have been held exclusively for farmers,” Jagadish told the gathering during the concluding ceremony of the event on Sunday.

“The severe drought situation has left farmers disappointed. We have already planned to introduce agricultural techniques that utilise less water. Millet crops consume less water. Some programmes will be organised to encourage farmers to grow millets,” said H N Shivashankar Reddy, Minister for Agriculture.

“There has been a huge demand for the production of millets globally. We will help our farmers get in touch with national and international traders directly. Good marketing systems, support prices for products and special plans will be introduced, through which farmers can earn more profit. Our intention is to make every farmer self-reliant,” Reddy said.