Processing, storage, procurement, consumption and Marketing practices of Kodo millet in Tumkur District

Abstract

Survey on consumption and utilization of millets specially with reference to the kodo millet was taken up in the selected villages of 5 taluks of Tumkur district. Majority of the respondents belong to the age group of 31-40 years (39%) educated upto high school (36%) belong to the small family (45%) having farming experience >10 years, had monthly family income (40%) Rs. 3504-7007 and land holding of 2.5 to 5.0 acres (42%). Forty eight per cent of the farm families cultivated kodo millet in 1-3 acre of land and utilized for consumption (42.59%), selling (27.77%) and for seeds purpose (29.63%) and most of the respondents (93.33%) marketed their produce to local market and few respondents (6.66%) to the Agriculture produce markrt committee (APMC). All the respondents followed the primary operations like cleaning (100%) and dehulling (100%) and only few followed grading (13%) and most of the respondents followed the secondary processing operations like milling (84%), semolina (66%) and flour (80%) of the kodo millet. However, a few followed popping (1%), extrusion (9%) and baking (1%). Storage of minor millets in different containers and bags revealed that most of the respondents stored minor millets in steel box (31.43%). Sixty two percent of the respondents were vegetarian and most of the respondents preferred millets as they are good and healthy (82%) and few of the respondents consumed millets because of availability (5%). Thirty nine percent consumed kodo millet occasionally (39%) followed by weekly (27%) and once in 3 days (26%) respectively in the form of rice, curd rice, paddu and dosa. Majority of the respondents (96%) had awareness that daily consumption of millets could prevent the occurrence of diseases and most of them opined that it was good for lowering the blood glucose level (91%).