Millets

Millets are small-grained, annual, warm-weather cereals belonging to the grass family.
They are staple crops of the semi-arid tropical region and are one of the oldest foods known to humankind.
Depending upon their size, they are broadly divided into:
- Major millets (E.g., sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet) and
- Minor millets (E.g., little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, and Kodo millet).

India is the largest producer of millets in the world (41%) followed by Niger (12%) and China (8%).
India is the 5^th largest exporter of millets in the world (2020).
The total production of millets stands at around 16 Mn tonnes.
Six states namely Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat account for more than 83 % of millet production in the country.

Farmers

They require low input cost and also consume less water as compared to staple crops like Rice and Wheat.
- E.g. While 1 Kilogram of Rice requires around 5000 Litres of water, Millet requires only around 250-300 litres.
They are Short-duration crops (90-180 days) and can fit into any cropping season.
They also serve as fodder for the needs of the livestock.

Health

They are Gluten-free and have a low glycemic index making them ideal for diabetic patients
Their Micronutrient composition is better than Rice and Wheat, hence can be effectively used against Malnutrition.

Environment

They are C4 category crops which have higher efficiency in absorbing and utilizing carbon dioxide.
They exhibit resilience to climate variability and extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, and heat waves.
Promotes Sustainable agriculture by improving soil health by enhancing soil structure, increasing organic matter content, and reducing soil erosion.

Lack of public awareness: about the nutritional benefits of millets has led to limited adoption of millet-based products.
Multiple processing requirements: Some millets require multiple processing to optimise grain recovery and polishing to retain their nutritional value.
Poor Shelf life: Millets have an active enzyme called lipase that reduces the shelf-life of millet-based products
Supply chain issues: Millet supply chains suffer from inconsistent supply and demand that prevents their commercial viability.
Lack of access to High-yielding variety (HYV) seeds: has led to low crop productivity of millets.

Shree Anna Scheme: Launched in 2023, the scheme aimed at popularising millets and raising their consumption in the country.
- Under the scheme, Indian Millets Research Center Hyderabad would be promoted as a Center of excellence.
Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry for Millet-based products during 2022-27 by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Millets rebranded as “Nutri-Cereals” and 2018 was declared as “National Year of Millets“
Other efforts:
- Millets included in POSHAN Mission Abhiyaan by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- Sub Mission on Millets launched under the National Food Security Mission in 2018.

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