For the first time in Palpa, the first millet planting festival was held at Humin Marsidanda on Wednesday.

Farmers from Humin, Tahun, Pipaldanda and others participated in the festival with the main slogan 'Promotion of Traditional and Raithane Crops, Our Campaign'. "This year, the festival has been organized as a symbol," said Krishna Bahadur Rayamazhi, Ward President of Rambha Rural Municipality-4, Humin, "It will be continued in the coming year. We are planning to have a bigger festival with preparations.''

is not to be mentioned in the policies and programs of the federal, state and local governments for the promotion of Raithane crops. But the budget allocation is very low. As Raithane crops are disappearing, some local levels have been trying to protect them. "We have been giving subsidies for millet and rice under Raithane crop protection for three years now," Rambha Rural Municipality Chairman Bishnu Prasad Bhandari said, "This has increased the enthusiasm of the farmers."

The municipality and the ward have been emphasizing the promotion program of millet cultivation, which is considered as a nutritious and healthy food crop. Wards have been doing millet cultivation promotion programs by allocating a separate budget. "Millet has been growing in the kitchens of the city lately," said Radha Kumari Shrestha, the vice president of the rural municipality. Until 15/20 years ago, every farmer used to plant millet, which helps in self-sufficiency in food. But in recent years, as its importance is being forgotten, the fields of farmers have started to become barren. Since two years ago, Rambha rural municipality has started giving subsidy to millet under Raithane crop in all wards. Bir Bahadur Pun, chief administrative officer, said that this year Raithane has organized a millet planting festival to promote crop promotion and also to explain the importance of millet.

In most places of the district, until a few years ago, there were hardly any who did not grow two/four millets. Millet Planting Festival has given a positive message when it is becoming difficult to find millet planters in recent years. Bhoj Bahadur Wik, executive member of Rambha rural municipality, said that he stopped planting millet crops because there are no people to work due to foreign employment and laziness due to reliance on remittances. He said that millet planting festival was held because millet planting should be promoted and disseminated.

Raithane crop production is low but they have stopped planting it due to lack of government subsidy for promotion. According to Milan Kafle of Rambha Rural Municipality-4, Humin Bagchaur, millet which is planted as a substitute crop in the traditional style using the seeds of the local breed has been stopped by the later generations in most of the villages.  He said that millet, which is used for food as flour, bread, and bread, has stopped using it now that the food is changing.

"Recently, farmers have also come to the point that such Raithani crops should be protected," he said. Women join groups and are engaged in cultivating millet collectively and individually. The grant has also inspired many people. Farmers stopped planting millet because the programs announced by the federal and state governments would only reach the grassroots level. "In the past, a lot of millet was planted, but in the middle it was stopped," said Savita Suryavanshi Magar of Humin Marsidanda. Next year, more will be planted.'

Rambha rural municipality has been giving a subsidy of 3,000 per plant to millet under Raithane crop promotion. According to the rural municipality, under the production-based subsidy, 3,000 is given to millet as well as old Raithane paddy, 3,000 to Zhinuva crop and 2,000 to Burmeli. For three years, grants have been distributed at the rate of 4 lakhs every year. According to the data of Krishi Gyan Kendra, 3 thousand 762 metric tons of millet was produced in Palpa in the previous year while 3 thousand 561 tons were produced in the current financial year.