Resilient ragi's acerage surges on good returns, stable markets

Deccan Herald

3 days ago

Bengaluru: Finger millet or ragi, popular for its nutritional value, has become a priority crop for growers as well..Over the last six years, ragi cultivation has seen the second-largest expansion among agricultural crops in Karnataka, after maize. While the area under maize increased from 15 lakh hectares in 2019 to 19 lakh hectares in 2024 (advanced estimates), the area under ragi grew from 6.73 lakh hectares to 8.73 lakh hectares during the period..Statistics from the agriculture department show that remunerative prices, stable markets and the crop's ability to withstand climatic variations are key reasons for the steady spread of ragi..Seeds of change: The women who revived 77 ragi varieties .Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi in the country, contributing more than 60% of the country's total production. In 2024-25, the state produced 13.5 lakh tonnes of ragi according to advanced estimates. .The rainfed crop spread to all districts in the state, except Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, in the drought year of 2018. Prior to 2018, this staple food of the Old Mysuru region was grown in 23 districts. .For the first time, the area under cultivation crossed eight lakh hectares in 2020, a year after the minimum support price (MSP) crossed Rs 3,000 a quintal. ."There is a positive correlation between MSP and the area under cultivation. Over the last seven to eight years, MSP has increased substantially for ragi. Traditionally, a late kharif crop, now ragi is grown even during the rabi season using residual moisture and occasional rainfall,' says G T Putra, the director of agriculture. In 2024-25, the minimum support price for finger millet was at Rs 4,290 a quintal. ."The decline in area in Kolar could be because of the availability of irrigation. With irrigation, farmers generally switch to vegetables or flowers," he says..However, the yield per hectare and correspondingly, the total production has been fluctuating over the past decade and have been declining since 2019-2020. Last year was an exception, with the 2024-25 advance estimates showing a considerable increase in the production. ."Ragi is a rainfed crop and its yield is directly linked to rainfall. Though it is a climate-resilient crop, there could be fluctuations in yield due to weather anomalies. The yield has not declined due to production practices," says Thimmegowda M N, head of the Agrometeorology Department at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. .Farmers also list factors like food and fodder security, ease of cultivation and mechanisation that make ragi a preferred crop. Farmer Manjunath K in Kottur taluk of Vijayanagara district says, "The crop grows well in adverse climatic conditions. It is resilient to drought, heat and poor soil conditions and brings us good income. The availability of machines has boosted its cultivation amid labour scarcity,' he says. .The cost of cultivation of ragi in one hectare area is around Rs 30,000, with an average yield of 12 to 13 quintals..Earlier, this jowar farmer used to grow ragi as a minor intercrop for fodder. Now, he grows jowar during the kharif season, and ragi in rabi instead of pulses. "Jowar is used only for household consumption as prices are not remunerative," he says. .Despite being a climate-smart crop and a staple in the North Karnataka region, the area under jowar cultivation has dropped by 2.5 lakh hectares in the last five years. Experts attribute this to low MSP. Jowar's minimum support price for 2024 was Rs 3,371 a quintal for hybrid type and Rs 3,421 a quintal for Maldandi variety.."Ragi is the best example of how policy intervention could help sustain agriculture in times of climate change," says agriculture expert V Gayathri, who campaigned for the decentralisation of procurement centres for ragi. "Also, the ragi crop grown in both kharif, and rabi seasons is procured. These interventions should be extended to jowar as well," she says. .Inclusion in the PDS has also helped ensure market stability for ragi. Ragi procurement has remained consistent after it was introduced into the PDS seven years ago, along with jowar.