LUNGLA, 28 Aug: Almora (Uttarakhand)-based Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), in collaboration with the Tawang Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), organized a farmers-scientists interaction programme in Phomeng and Khleteng villages in Lungka circle of Tawang district, under the NEH programme of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), on Thursday.
The programme aimed to promote improved finger millet technologies, and to strengthen farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange in the region.
During the interaction, VPKAS senior scientist Dr DC Joshi highlighted initiatives undertaken for millet promotion in Tawang, including the introduction of the improved finger millet variety VL Mandua 376 and the VL millet thresher.
He commended the farmers for conducting quality frontline demonstrations and sharing VL Mandua 376 seeds with adjoining villages, enabling the variety’s rapid spread across the district in 2025. Dr Joshi emphasized the benefits of early-maturing, high-yielding varieties in boosting production, and encouraged horizontal dissemination of quality seed among farmers.
VPKAS agronomist Dr RP Meena spoke about improved agronomic practices and eco-friendly weed management techniques to enhance profitability. He also stressed the importance of mechanization in finger millet cultivation.
Utkarsh Kumar demonstrated the Vivek millet thresher-cum-pearler, explaining its role in reducing drudgery, saving time and costs, minimizing post-harvest losses, and improving produce quality.
The farmers expressed keen interest in adopting the thresher, and requested the VPKAS and the KVK to facilitate its availability.
KVK agronomist Dr CK Singh, credited with popularizing VL Mandua 376, locally as ‘teen mahine ka mandua’, informed that the variety was cultivated in over 40 villages during kharif 2025, including in border areas near Tibet and Bhutan.
“Due to its short duration, higher yield (about 1.5 times more than the local cultivar), early maturity (over a month earlier), and better grain-to-husk ratio, the variety has gained wide acceptance,” he said, and projected that VL Mandua 376 would reach most finger millet-growing villages in the next 2-3 years through institutional seed supply and farmer-led seed exchange.
A total of 99 farmers participated in the event. They reiterated the urgent need for millet threshers to cope with the increased production from VL Mandua 376 and to ease post-harvest operations. (DIPRO)
