Plan to promote ragi via PDS fails to 'rice'

THE pilot scheme launched by Tamil Nadu to distribute 2 kg of ragi (finger millet) instead of rice to eligible and interested ration cardholders through Public Distribution System (PDS) in Dharmapuri and the Nilgiris districts in May 2023 to promote millet consumption is yet to gain momentum, primarily due to challenges in procuring ragi from farmers.

- B ANBUSELVAN

This is despite Tamil Nadu being the second largest producer of ragi, only next to Karnataka. The state's annual production ranges between 2.27 lakh and 2.55 lakh metric tonnes (MTs), with Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Erode, Tiruvannamalai, and Salem being the top ragi-producing districts. Moreover, the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹42.9 per kg offered by the government at its Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) is higher than what the farmers usually get in the open market.

A section of ragi farmers TNIE spoke to acknowledged that private buyers offer between ₹3,900 and ₹4,000 per 100 kg, which is less than the ₹4,290 they can get in DPCs.