Millet Matters: Assessing Farmer Adoption and Outcomes of Foxtail Millet Technologies
A. Srinivas
*
ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad, India.
B. Dayakar Rao
ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Foxtail millet is a climate-resilient nutri-cereal with high nutritional value and suitability for dryland agriculture. However, its productivity remains low because of the limited adoption of improved production technologies. This study evaluated the adoption and socio-economic impact of improved foxtail millet (Setaria italica) production technologies demonstrated through FLDs in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs) are a proven extension approach for showcasing the performance of improved agricultural technologies in farmers' fields under the supervision of scientists. A total of 180 farmers were selected randomly from the study area using a purposive random sampling method. The selected farmers were beneficiaries of FLDs conducted during 2018-2023 in the Eastern Dry Zone and North-Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka, and in Andhra Pradesh. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, mean, correlation analysis and t-test to assess the impact of demonstrated technologies on knowledge, adoption, productivity and profitability. The outcomes revealed a substantial increase in knowledge and adoption of improved agronomic practices, high-yielding varieties, disease and pest management, and timely sowing among FLD beneficiaries in the North-Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Yield improvements ranged from 72% to 75% over the pre-FLD stage, contributing to improvements in income levels and fodder yield. Increases in the benefit-cost ratio (25%) and area under foxtail millet (15%-19%), along with improved sustainability of millet farming over the pre-FLD stage, were observed in the North-Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In contrast, adoption rates in the Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka were below 10%. The major production constraints identified were labour scarcity, rainfall during harvesting and damage from wild animals. The marketing constraints were price fluctuations, lack of procurement cooperatives and inadequate processing facilities. The findings highlight the importance of FLDs in improving productivity, profitability and technology adoption in foxtail millet cultivation. Establishing millet processing units, forming FPOs, and strengthening millet value chains and market linkages are recommended to enhance farmers' profits and increase the area under foxtail millet cultivation.
Keywords: Foxtail millet, frontline demonstrations, technology adoption, dryland agriculture