Millets: Varieties, Benefits & Issues

• APEDA has prepared a strategy to promote millet exports. It comes in the backdrop of 2023 being declared the International Year of Millets by the UN General Assembly.
• Under the APEDA strategy, Indian missions abroad will brand and publicise Indian millets. e-Catalogues on various Indian Millets, a list of active exporters, start-ups, FPOs, etc., will be circulated. Start-ups will be mobilised for export promotion of the Ready to Eat (RTE) and Ready to Serve (RTS) categories.

Millets 

• Millets (coarse grains) are a group of small-seeded grasses grown as cereal and fodder crops. They are raised mainly as rain-fed Kharif crops (sowed with the onset of the monsoons) in India.
• There are 16 significant millet varieties, including Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Minor Millets (Kangani), Proso Millet (Cheena), Kodo Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki), Two Pseudo Millets (Buck Wheat/Kuttu), Amaranthus (Chaulai), Brown Top Millet, etc.
• Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated. Evidence shows that the Indus valley people (3,000 BC) consumed millets. They are now grown in more than 130 countries.
• Globally, sorghum (jowar) is the biggest millet crop. Its significant producers are the US, China, Australia, and India. Bajra is another major millet crop.

Major Millets of India

Jowar (Sorghum)

• It is the main food crop grown in semi-arid areas of central and southern India. It hardly needs irrigation. South of Vindhyas, it is a rainfed crop, and its yield is low in this region.
• Jowar is sown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons in southern states. In the northern states, it is mainly grown as a fodder crop in the Kharif season.
• Clayey deep regur and alluvium are the best-suited soils for jowar. It can be raised on gentle slopes up to 1,200 meters in elevation. It does not grow well where the rainfall exceeds 100 cm.

Bajra (Pearl Millet)

• Bajra is the second most important millet. Just like jowar, it is also used as food and fodder in drier parts of the country.
• It is a rainfed Kharif crop of dry and warm north-western and western parts of the country. It is a hardy crop which resists frequent dry spells and drought in this region.
• Bajra can be grown on poor light sandy soils, black and red soils. It requires 40-50 cm of annual rainfall. The upper limit is 100 cm. It is sown either as a pure or mixed crop with cotton, jowar and ragi.

Ragi (Finger Millet)

• Ragi is mainly grown in drier parts of south India (drier parts of Karnataka) as a rainfed Kharif crop. It requires a warm climate and 50-100 cm rainfall.
• It is raised on various soils (red, light black, sandy, well-drained alluvial loams). Karnataka is the largest producer. Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu are the other major producers.

Benefits of Millets

Ecological Benefits

• Millets are climate-smart crops. They are hardier & drought-resistant (can grow in semi-arid areas and poor soil conditions) because of their
  • short growing season (70-100 days, as against 120-150 days for paddy/wheat) &
  • lower water requirement (350-500 mm versus 600-1,200 mm).
• In general, the yields of alternative grains are lower than rice, but in rainfed conditions, they are more resilient and can withstand the vagaries of climate change.
• They need less water, pesticide and insecticide, and hence, they are environmentally friendly.

Health Benefits

• Millets are a powerhouse of nutrition because of their high nutritional value compared to rice & wheat. Being alkaline in nature, they are easily digestible for infants.
• They are rich in protein (muscle growth), essential fatty acids, dietary fibre (prevents constipation), B-Vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc.
• They are gluten-free and have a low glycaemic index and are high in anti-oxidents thus reducing harmful cholesterol levels while maintaining levels of good cholesterol.

Challenges faced by Millets in India

Shrinking Area

• Over the last six decades, the area under millet production has been shrinking due to preferential consumption in favor of wheat and rice.

Consumption Patterns of Millets in India

• According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), less than 10% of rural and urban households reported consumption of millets. This has been due to the perception of it being ‘poor person’s food’.
• Millets are consumed mainly in Gujarat (jowar and bajra), Karnataka (jowar and ragi), Maharashtra (jowar and bajra), Rajasthan (bajra), and Uttarakhand (ragi).

Millets under the Public Distribution System (PDS)

• Under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA 2013), eligible households can get rice, wheat, and coarse grain at Rs 3, Rs 2, and Re 1 per kg, respectively.
• Though the Act does not mention millets, coarse grains are included in the definition of ‘foodgrains’ under Section 2(5) of the NFSA. However, their procurement and distribution under the NFSA have been minimal.

Other Challenges

• The government declares MSP only for jowar, bajra, and ragi.
• Low remunerative prices, lack of input subsidies, poor shelf life due to its intrinsic enzyme activity, etc.

Millets Production, Consumption & Export

• India is the largest producer of millets in the world (41% of global production).
• India’s top millet-producing states are Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, and MP.
• Jowar is mainly grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, TN, Andhra Pradesh, UP, MP, etc.
• Bajra is mainly grown in Rajasthan, UP, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

Export of Millets

• Share of export of millets is nearly 1% of the total millet production.
• Exports of millets from India include mainly whole grain.
• Export of value-added products of millets from India is negligible.
• India’s major millet exporting countries are U.A.E, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Libya, etc.

Consumption Patterns of Millets in India

• According to the latest available NSSO household consumption expenditure survey, less than 10% of rural and urban households reported consumption of millets.
• The consumption of millets was reported mainly from Gujarat (jowar and bajra), Karnataka (jowar and ragi), Maharashtra (jowar and bajra), Rajasthan (bajra), and Uttarakhand (ragi).

Initiatives to promote millets

• In 2018, the Union Agriculture Ministry declared millets as Nutri-Cereals and the powerhouses of nutrition, considering their high nutritive value & also anti-diabetic properties.
• 2018 was observed as the “National Year of Millets”. The UN General Assembly adopted an India-sponsored resolution to mark 2023 as the “International Year of Millets”.
• Scientists from the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) have developed a technology for extracting gluten from wheat dough & its regeneration in bajra & maize flour.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Authority (APEDA) has prepared a strategy to promote millet exports.
• Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA) aimed at coordinating millet research programmes at the international level.
• Shree Anna Scheme: Launched in 2023 to popularise millets. Indian Millets Research Center, Hyderabad would be promoted as a Center of excellence under it.

Initiatives required to promote millets

• Better recipes need to be invented to get millets mainstream & make them part of everyday diet.
• Multigrain breakfast mixes should be promoted as alternatives to early morning energy drinks like boost.
• Millets should also be included in the PDS along with wheat & rice.
• All millets should be brought under MSP (at present only jowar, bajra, and ragi receive MSP support).
• Millets should be introduced under the PM POSHAN Scheme (Mid-Day Meal Scheme).