Why in news?
NITI Aayog released a report on strategies to accelerate growth in pulses and millets, sparking debate about how India can become self‑reliant in nutrient‑rich crops. Although the document focuses mainly on pulses, it highlights lessons applicable to millets, which face similar challenges of low productivity, market neglect and declining consumption.
Current status and trends
- Global leader: India produces about 41 per cent of the world’s millets, amounting to roughly 16 million tonnes annually, making it the largest producer.
- Uneven geography: A handful of states—Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh—account for more than 80 per cent of production.
- Declining consumption: Per capita millet consumption has fallen dramatically from around 32 kilograms per year in the 1960s to about 4 kilograms today, as rice and wheat dominate subsidised food baskets and diets.
- Growing exports: India exported around 1.8 million tonnes of millets in 2022–23, with the United Arab Emirates, Nepal and Saudi Arabia as major buyers.
- Policy attention: The Union Budget 2023–24 renamed millets as “Shree Anna” and earmarked funds for research, processing and marketing.
Why millets matter
- Nutritional benefits: Millets are rich in iron, calcium, fibre and proteins, helping combat malnutrition and anaemia, especially among women and children.
- Climate resilience: They require far less water than rice and can thrive in drought‑prone, rain‑fed regions, making them ideal for climate‑stressed areas.
- Low input costs: Millets need minimal fertiliser and irrigation, reducing input costs for small farmers and improving livelihoods.
- Food security: Including millets in schemes such as the Mid‑Day Meal, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and public distribution system enhances nutritional security for vulnerable populations.
- International branding: Re‑branding millets as “Shree Anna” and promoting them at global fairs position India as a leader in healthy grains.
Existing initiatives
- National Food Security Mission (NFSM‑Millets): Supports area expansion, distribution of improved seeds and productivity enhancement in millet‑growing regions.
- Shree Anna Mission: Launched in 2023, this six‑year mission funds research, processing, branding and marketing of millets nationwide.
- Inclusion in welfare schemes: States such as Karnataka have integrated millets into school meal programmes, creating stable demand.
- Global advocacy: India spearheaded the UN resolution declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets and continues to organise international fairs and buyer–seller meets.
- Export promotion: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is promoting GI tagging, branding and marketing of millet products abroad.
Challenges
- Consumer preference: Urban and rural consumers increasingly prefer rice and wheat because of price subsidies and convenience; millets are often seen as coarse cereals.
- Low productivity: Millets yield around 1.2 tonnes per hectare on average, lower than rice or wheat, due to limited research and lack of hybrid seeds.
- Weak market linkages: Fragmented value chains, inadequate farmer‑producer organisations and a lack of minimum support prices discourage farmers.
- Post‑harvest bottlenecks: Poor storage, processing and packaging infrastructure reduce quality and shelf life.
- Policy bias: Subsidies for rice and wheat under the National Food Security Act and irrigation incentives skew farmer choices away from millets.
Strategies for self‑reliance
- Horizontal expansion: Encourage millet cultivation in rice fallow and degraded lands, particularly in eastern India, to increase acreage without displacing other crops.
- Vertical expansion: Develop high‑yield, bio‑fortified and climate‑resilient varieties supported by stronger seed supply systems.
- Cluster‑based approach: Implement district‑wise crop clusters, as done for pulses, to deliver region‑specific interventions and improve productivity.
- Value chain strengthening: Set up processing hubs, branding units and farmer‑producer organisations to integrate growers with markets.
- Climate‑smart practices: Promote organic cultivation, water‑efficient methods and pest‑resistant farming aligned with sustainable development goals.
Way forward
- Integrate into food security schemes: Mandate the inclusion of millets in the National Food Security Act and ICDS to boost domestic demand.
- Boost research and development: Invest in breeding programmes, agronomic research and seed replacement to close the productivity gap.
- Build export‑oriented brands: Develop geographical indication tags and premium millet brands for health‑conscious global consumers.
- Reform procurement: Provide assured procurement at minimum support prices and establish decentralised procurement centres for millets.
- Raise awareness: Conduct nationwide campaigns on the health, environmental and cultural benefits of millets.
Millets offer triple benefits for nutrition, climate resilience and farmer incomes. Self‑reliance will require coordinated efforts across research, markets and consumer education to restore these traditional grains to their rightful place.