ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad, recently organized a specialized training programme for Scheduled Caste (SC) farmers focusing on balanced fertilizer usage and millet-based value addition. Conducted under the GCoE–SCSP initiative, the two-day programme aimed to strengthen farmers’ knowledge of soil nutrition, sustainable agricultural practices, and efficient crop management. Members of the Tekmal Farmers Producer Cooperative Society participated in the sessions, which highlighted the importance of scientific fertilizer application in improving yields while minimizing input costs.



As part of the programme, farmers were introduced to various millet processing and entrepreneurship opportunities. Participants visited the bakery unit at Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University and the Shree Anna Processing Unit, where they received practical demonstrations on preparing millet bakery products and mechanized jowar roti production. To support rural enterprise development, ICAR–IIMR also provided a roti-making machine to the farmer producer organization, encouraging community-level millet processing and income generation activities.



The initiative placed special emphasis on empowering women farmers through millet-based enterprises and skill development. Experts explained how value addition, branding, and better marketing strategies can enhance profitability and create sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural areas. During the concluding session, ICAR–IIMR scientists encouraged participants to adopt balanced nutrient management practices and embrace millet value addition to improve both farm productivity and economic resilience.