Why India’s push for millets is yet to gain widespread traction

Table of Contents☰

Millets – about, historical background, millets around the world, significance
Millets in India – Production, millets under PDS, steps taken by the govt

Why In News:

A pre-launch celebration of International Year of Millets was held recently in New Delhi.
It was organised by the Ministries of Agriculture and External Affairs.

The word “millets” is used to describe small-grained cereals like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (kangni/ Italian millet), little millet (kutki), etc.
They require much less water than rice and wheat, and are mainly grown in rainfed areas.

Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated.
There is evidence for consumption of millets by the Indus valley people (3,000 BC), and several varieties that are now grown around the world were first cultivated in India.
West Africa, China, and Japan are home to indigenous varieties of the crop.

Globally, sorghum (jowar) is the biggest millet crop.
The major producers of jowar are United States, China, Australia, India, Argentina, Nigeria, and Sudan.
Bajra is another major millet crop; India and some African countries are major producers.

Food security
- Millets are a climate-friendly crop that can even be grown in drought-hit areas.
- COVID was a period that reminded the world what a pandemic could do to food security. Hence, experts are highlighting the importance of millets.
High nutritive value
- Millets are considered to be powerhouses of nutrition. In April 2018, the Agriculture Ministry declared certain millets as Nutri Cereals for the purposes of production, consumption, and trade
  - These include:
    - Jowar, bajra, ragi/ mandua,
    - the minor millets — kangani/ kakun, cheena, kodo, sawa/ sanwa/ jhangora, and kutki
    - the two pseudo millets, buckwheat (kuttu) and amaranth (chaulai).
- Millets are more nutritious compared to fine cereals. Millets contain 7-12% protein, 2-5% fat, 65-75% carbohydrates and 15-20% dietary fibre.
Political significance
- Millet is grown mainly in low-income and developing countries in Asia and Africa, and are part of the food basket of about 60 crore people across the globe.
- By proposing the resolution to celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets, India pitched itself as a leader of this group.
- This is similar to the Indian initiative on the 121-nation International Solar Alliance.
Health benefits
- Millets reduce Anemia, liver disorders, and Asthma.
- Their high dietary fiber provides hunger satisfaction and helps reduce obesity and the risk of Type II Diabetes.

As per the data of Agriculture Ministry, in India, millets are mainly a kharif crop.
During 2018-19, three millet crops — bajra (3.67%), jowar (2.13%), and ragi (0.48%) — accounted for about 7 per cent of the gross cropped area in the country.
Jowar is mainly grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.
- Maharashtra accounted for the largest area and production of jowar during 2020-21.
Bajra is mainly grown in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
- Rajasthan accounted to the largest area and production of Bajra during 2020-21.

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, eligible households are entitled to get rice, wheat, and coarse grain at Rs 3, Rs 2, and Re 1 per kg respectively.
While the Act does not mention millets, coarse grains are included in the definition of “foodgrains” under Section 2(5) of the NFSA.
However, the quantity of coarse grains procured for the Central Pool and distributed under the NFSA has been negligible.

The push to distribute coarse grains under the PDS has not gained momentum.
The Centre has accepted the recommendation of a committee set up by it, that millets be included in the PDS in order to improve nutritional support.
The government has set a target to procure 13.72 LMT coarse grains during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23, more than double the 6.30 LMT procured during KMS 2021-22.

In March, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
The proposal was moved by India, and was supported by 72 countries.
The International Year of Millets will raise awareness about the importance of millets in food security and nutrition.