KATHMANDU: Millet production has significantly increased in Bajura district as farmers return to cultivating the crop they had previously abandoned.

Local authorities across all nine municipalities in the district have been actively encouraging farmers to take up millet farming, contributing to the rise in output.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Bajura, millet production reached 6,200 metric tonnes in the 2025/26 (2082/83) fiscal year, up from 5,360 metric tonnes in the previous year. Out of the 22,000 hectares of cultivable land in the district, approximately 5,260 hectares are currently dedicated to millet farming.

Bholaram Joshi, a senior farmer from Budhiganga Municipality, noted that rising demand for millet has provided farmers with better returns. “Previously, millet was not highly valued here. Now that local millet is reaching markets across the country, farmers have started cultivating it again,” Joshi said. He added that while he previously purchased millet for Rs 30 per kilogram, the price has now risen to Rs 50 per kilogram as buyers have started visiting villages to source the crop directly.

Millet is considered highly nutritious due to its content of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Some local governments in the district have made millet-based dishes mandatory in school lunch programs.

Furthermore, guests at major hotels in the district are increasingly requesting millet bread and dhindo, often preferring these traditional dishes over rice.

The crop is relatively easy to farm as it does not require extensive irrigation and thrives even on sloped, marginal land.

Significant production is reported across various local levels, including Himali, Jagannath, Swamikartik, Budhinanda, Badimalika, Gaumul, Budhiganga, Khaptad Chhededaha, and Triveni. Harish Bista, chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, confirmed that millet production has seen a notable increase compared to previous years.