Kodo millet — that has been traditionally cultivated mostly by tribal people on a non-commercial basis — is witnessing a greater farming push in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. “There has been an increase in the acreage of Kodo millet as its demand is on the rise. The Agriculture Department is working in this direction and we are getting desired results,” a farmer said.
This year, Kodo millet was cultivated in over 6,929 hectares of land,” District Agriculture Officer, Nl Pandey said while adding that the crop takes 110 days to mature. According to the official, Kodo is beneficial for diabetes patients and this crop require very less water, so it is also famous as ‘crop of drought’. Baiga people take a special interest in cultivating Kodo millet which is also called the ‘sugar free rice’. The Kodo millet demand has jumped on a national scale in recent times. The crop is being sent to Mumbai, Jalgaon, Pune, Dehli, Nagpur and other parts of India, it was learnt. This crop is being cultivated mostly in Bodla and Pandaria block in the district.
The indigenous people who are engaged in the millet farming say that once the Kodo seeds are sown, then only a few times irrigation is required. The crop does not need pesticides as well. Interestingly, the ‘Baiga tribe’ which is one of the primate tribe group (PTC) are also cultivating maize crops in the district. According to district administration officers, tribal people are taking up maize farming in a big way.