Spreading awareness about the millets

(MainsGS3:Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country)

Context:

Recently, the Centre government kicked off the International Year of Millets, announcing a host of activities across the country to promote the cultivation and consumption of the ‘nutri-cereal’.
Central ministries, State governments and Indian embassies will hold events throughout the year to promote and spread awareness about the benefits of millets for the “cultivator, consumer and climate”.

Benefits of millets:

Millets are part of a group of small-grained cereal crops used as both food and fodder.
Experts believe them to be one of the oldest foods known to humans and the first among cereals to be cultivated for domestic purposes.
There is even evidence of the consumption of millet in the Indus Valley civilisation and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon apparently included millet among their treasured plants.
Millets offer more than one nutrient to the diet and are considered more nutritious than rice and wheat.
Millets are rich in iron, dietary fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, and niacin.
These grains contain 7-12% protein, 2-5% fat, 65-75% carbohydrates and 15-20% dietary fibre. Millets are also gluten-free.

Beneficial for farmers:

Growing millets is also beneficial for farmers since this rain-fed crop requires less fertile land and water, growing fairly well on dry land.
They have a short growing season as compared to other major crops and can be grown in intercropping or under mixed cropping with pulses and oil seeds.
With a low carbon and water footprint, millet crops can be cultivated without extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides and can survive extreme weather.
Presently, millets are grown in more than 130 countries and consumed as a traditional food by over half a billion people across Asia and Africa.

Largest producer:

As per FAOIndia is the largest producer of millet in the world with a share of 41% in 2020 and Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are leading producers.
Though productivity has increased over the years, the area under cultivation of millets declined, especially after the Green Revolution, with a policy thrust on other grains which gradually impacted the expansion of millet production in the country.
In 2019, India accounted for 80% of the total production of these grains in Asia and 20% globally — around 170 lakh tonnes from138 lakh hectares of land, providing yield per hectare greater than the global average.
India is also among the top five exporters— India exported millets worth $64.28 million in 2021-22 and $59.75 million in 2020-21, according to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

Lack of awareness:

Despite offering high benefits to both the consumer and producer, millets are not very popular mainly due to a lack of awareness.
But at a time when the world is battling a pandemic and climate change, and faces a significant challenge of food security, the nutri-cereal can play a significant role if marketed well, focusing on their high nutritional value, low input and maintenance requirements and climate-resilient nature.
Problems of unavailability of good quality seeds, restricted cultivation, the low shelf life of grains, lack of research, absence of machinery for processing and market gaps also need to be addressed to tap into their true potential to increase farmers’ income, generate livelihoods and ensure food and nutritional security.

India’s efforts to promote millet:

As per the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, the world is moving backwards in its efforts to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
The Union government promoted millets under the Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion (INSIMP), as a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) between 2011 and 2014.
In the following years, NITI Aayog worked on a framework to introduce millets under the public distribution system for “nutritional support”.
In 2021, the Centre approved the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), earlier known as the mid-day meal scheme, in government and government-aided schools and advised State governments to include millets in the midday meal menu to enhance the nutritional outcome.

Conclusion:

India’s efforts to promote the consumption and production of millet got a boost when the UNGA accepted the country’s proposal and dedicated 2023 to spreading awareness about these grains.
Mission focuses on PM’s vision to make IYM 2023 a ‘people’s movement’ and positioning India as the ‘global hub for millets’.