KCEP-CRAL Millet Training of Trainers’ Manual

Abstract

The purpose of this training of trainer’s module is to familiarize extension officers, lead farmers and service providers on the millet production practices and empower them knowledge and skills to train farmers’ trainers.. This will enable them to impart knowledge on good agricultural millet production practices to farmers through farmer trainings.Millets are a group of grasses mainly found in the arid and semiarid regions. They produce small seeded grains and are often cultivated as cereals. They include Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) and Foxtail millet (Setaria italica). The popularity of millet fell for some years due to introduction of maize, wheat and rice, but the current unpredictable rainfall patterns accompanied by frequent maize crop failures have led to renewed interest in the production of indigenous, drought tolerant crops. Popularity of millets is once again on the rise with millers demand being far above the deliveries. Land under millets production in Kenya was 111,271 ha in 2011 with a production of 73,396 tons.