Cultivating future: Nagaland wants foxtail millet under price stabilization fund

livemint.com:

NEW DELHI : The Centre is considering a proposal from Nagaland to add foxtail millet to its state-level Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), in a move to bolster agricultural diversity and protect the indigenous crop. This initiative, a senior government official to Mint, aims to safeguard this staple yet endangered crop by ensuring its continued cultivation and economic viability. The PSF functions to build-up India's buffer stock of crucial food commodities, releasing them into the market strategically to control price spikes.

Each state has its unique intervention basket for such purposes. Nagaland's request to include foxtail millet in its PSF aims at counteracting the crop's stagnating cultivation rates, despite being a staple food in the region. The area under millet cultivation in Nagaland has only seen a slight increase to 883,000 hectares in 2020-21 from 867,000 hectares in 2013-14.

Specific figures for foxtail millet cultivation were not immediately available. “The government of Nagaland had requested inclusion of millet (foxtail) under state PSF…it was thoroughly discussed in the state level price stabilisation management committee (meeting) held in January," the official cited above said. The request was approved by the committee, with a final decision expected soon.

This proposal is in line with Nagaland's efforts to boost millet production, reflecting the commitment of both state and central governments to these nutrient-rich grains. Currently, Nagaland's PSF includes onions, potatoes, and pulses. Including foxtail millet is expected to promote its cultivation by providing price support, thus safeguarding the local crop from a potential extinction.