Telangana to procure sorghum at ₹2,970 a quintal
The government of Telangana has decided to buy all the sorghum produced in the state in the just-ended spring season.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has ordered Markfed to purchase about 65,500 tons of sorghum harvested in the season at a price of $2,970 quintal.. The state government will give a bank guarantee of Rs 220 crore to Markfed to facilitate purchase of the commodity.
The government’s decision is expected to bow to one of the farmers in Adilabad, Asafabad, Nirmal, Kamaridi, Midak, Sangardi, Vikarabad, Narayanapet and Gadwal districts.
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It’s time to make millet strong again
Consumption of millet as a direct food declined significantly in India due to policies centered around food security led by the Green Revolution from the 1960s onwards.
Farmers planted sorghum on about 51,395 hectares (against an average of 35,600 hectares) in the spring season, with an expected yield of just over 5 quintals.
India grew sorghum at 38 thousand hectares in 2021-22, with a total production of 48 thousand tons. However, yield levels in India are only 1110 kg per hectare, which is lower than the world average. Andhra Pradesh has the highest levels of yield with about 3167 kg per hectare. In comparison, yields in the United States and Ukraine are in excess of 4,000 kg/ha.