Livelihood improvement of under privileged farming community of Theni, Madurai and Dindigul districts of southern Tamil Nadu through minor millet seed production

Nowadays, minor millets becoming more popular than other cereals due to its inherent properties of adaptability to a range of marginal growing conditions, nutritious, and withstanding severe biotic and abiotic stresses. However, underutilized and neglected in the cultivation part in several areas. It is also a known fact that the Theni, Madurai and Dindigul districts of southern Tamil Nadu has major population of Scheduled caste (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST), “Paliyans” are living near the foothills of the Western Ghats, which is largely rural. These populations are really vulnerable communities which need better agricultural system for livelihood improvement and nutritional security. Here, our aim was to improve incomes, nutritional status, and empowerment on the promotion of minor millets for attainment of food security through agricultural interventions on seed production technology and value addition in minor millets such as barnyard millet and little millet that resolve agricultural production and ensures availability of quality seeds and helps in creating jobs of vulnerable community. As part of Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS) programme on SCST development, we initiated various agricultural activities to upscale the minor millet cultivation and consumption in eight blocks in three districts namely Theni, Madurai and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu, India. In summary, our holistic approach to bring into the independent seed security system at the village level by insisting the seed selection, seed production, value addition and exchange of seeds among the farming community for sustainable income.