EPFO APFC 2023 • General Studies • Q.14

Read the passage carefully and answer based solely on the content of the passage and the opinion of the author only. Here is the text with corrected grammar, formatted cleanly for easy copying: The millet project of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation had three objectives: to preserve crop diversity in local millet varieties, to increase the production and consumption of millets, and to enhance farm incomes. The Kolli Hills block of Namakkal district, the project area, is a distinct geographic and agroecological region of the Eastern Ghats, populated by income-poor Scheduled Tribe households. There had been a rapid decline in minor millet cultivation and a shift in land use towards more profitable crops such as cassava (tapioca), pineapple, coffee, and pepper. As the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has pointed out, the area under nutri-cereals has declined steeply in India since the mid-1980s—from 41 million hectares in the 1980s to 24 million hectares in 2017–18. The reasons for a shift in land use included low yields. Furthermore, the processing of millets is a time-consuming and laborious task, typically undertaken by women. Additionally, very little was marketed, and a tiny share of grain was processed into value-added products. The project intervened in three areas. First, yield enhancement was attempted using a combination of participatory varietal trials for improved seeds, new agronomic practices, and new technology. Community seed banks were designed and constructed to conserve, restore, revive, strengthen, and improve local seed systems. Second, customized post-harvest machinery (pulverizers and dehullers) was introduced. The introduction of small-scale, localized mechanical milling operated by self-help groups was a game-changer. The third major initiative was training. The Kolli Hills Agrobiodiversity Conservers' Federation (KHABCOFED) was formed to oversee all activities relating to training and value-addition. Ready-to-cook products were branded under the Kolli Hills Natural Foods label, and market links were established. Net returns from value-added products were five to ten times higher than those from raw grains. Yields have risen as a result of improved seeds, agronomic practices, and intercropping. There have been significant improvements in incomes from millet farming. The shift from hand-pounding to mechanical milling has reduced drudgery for women and encouraged millet consumption. The number of private mills with customized dehullers and pulverizers has risen (and the technology has been marketed to Krishi Vigyan Kendras across Tamil Nadu).