Tawang Farmers Trial High-Yielding Millet Varieties

Itanagar: ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan and Krishi Vigyan Kendra Tawang pushed new finger millet tech across the district from August 17 to 26. The program reached dozens of villages to boost local yields. It focused on teaching better planting methods, seed exchange, and crop management.

Farmers tested the VL Mandua 376 variety. This crop matures 25 to 35 days faster than local types. It also produces more grain. Faster growth keeps the crops safe from wild animals for longer stretches, saving farmers time and hard labor. The staff highlighted that the variety showed healthy tillering and bold grains.

The outreach started at Kyidphel on August 17 with 23 farmers. A field day at Baghar village followed on August 18 for 39 attendees. Teams also visited Namtsering, Dongmareng, and Bletteng, drawing 34, 20, and 48 farmers respectively. They also held sessions at Gongkhar, Gyamdong, Grengkhar, Khyed, Bomja, Bongleng, Sherbang, and Ruikhar.

Engineers demonstrated the Vivek Millet Thresher-cum-Pearler at Phomang for 30 farmers. The machine aims to slash physical labor costs. Researchers noted that the machine drew major interest from the locals. Scientists explained its potential to reduce the labour and physical effort involved in traditional millet threshing and processing.

Dr. Kamini Bisht, Dr. C.K. Singh, Dr. R.P. Meena, and Dr. M.S. Bhinda led the effort. They collected feedback on local constraints to refine future research. This drive seeks to lift millet productivity across the North-Eastern Hill Region.