Opinion: Revive cultivation of ancient grains
By Srividhya S Millets are regarded as heritage crops owing to their cultivation and use as a staple food since ancient times in several parts of the world, especially India. They are being cultivated on varying scales in various parts of the country, mainly by tribal and marginal farmers. But sadly, their place in the […]
By Srividhya S
Millets are regarded as heritage crops owing to their cultivation and use as a staple food since ancient times in several parts of the world, especially India. They are being cultivated on varying scales in various parts of the country, mainly by tribal and marginal farmers. But sadly, their place in the Indian food system vanished after the green revolution when cereals like rice and wheat took over. Since then, their area under cultivation and productivity significantly declined to an extent that their inclusion as part of the daily diet has almost become negligible.
The area under millets cultivation declined more than 50% over the last six decades from 1949-50 to 2017-18. Production of small millet too showed the same trend. The major decline was among small millets (more than 85%), followed by sorghum (over 65%), finger millet (over 30%) and pearl millet (over 18%).
The minimum support price (MSP) for millets remains huge with the cost ranging from Rs 80 to Rs 150 per kg of seeds. Data shows that there has always been an increasing trend with respect to the selling price of these millets. Though productivity has increased over the decades, over 50% of the area of cultivation has been replaced post green revolution (based on estimates data from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics).
Regaining Importance
There is considerable knowledge of these millets among traditional communities but the existing generation is less aware of the super grains. However, initiatives undertaken by various scientific institutions and societies to create awareness of millet crops and their super health benefits are gradually helping them gain back their lost importance. Statistics from 2018-21 show a significant increase in area, production and productivity of these nutri-grains as a result of various incentivising efforts for the cultivation of millets.
Millets include sorghum (Jowar, Jonna), Pearl millet (Bajra, Sajja), Finger millet (Ragi, Ragi chodi), Little millet (Kutki, Samalu), Foxtail millet (Kakum, Korra), Barnyard millet (Sanwa, Udalu/Kodisama), Proso millet (Chena, Variga), Kodo millet (Kodon, Arikelu) and two Pseudo millets (Black-wheat (Kuttu) and Ameranthus (Chaulai). Though these are coarse grains mainly cultivated under dryland ecosystem with less water and meagre inputs in comparison with high water input-demanding crops like rice and water, they are loaded with immense health benefits (gluten-free, rich in iron, calcium, fibre, protein and other vitamins/minerals, and low glycemic index).
Climate-resilient Crops
It is interesting to note that millets require only one-third of the water required by rice, wheat, maize and sugarcane crops. Mostly grown under harsh environments and limited conditions, these contingent crops perform really well when optimum inputs are provided to attain their maximum yield potential. With these attributes, they are regarded as climate-resilient crops or climate-smart crops that can lessen the climate change impacts on food production and quality. Most importantly, the millet crops with proper inputs and marketing can help double the income of farmers.
Over the years, these resilient crops were somehow neglected as rice and wheat were available at subsidised rates post the green revolution era. The due policy support for these crops has been minimal or negligible for more than a decade now, which had forced the marginal farmers to shift to other crops. Also, changing consumer tastes and preferences due to rising per capita income have long ignored these nutri-grains in their diets. However, there is now an increasing attraction to these millets ‘as health foods’ and ‘nutritious millets’ among the urban people. They are also gaining attention as potential options for second generation fuels.
Year of Millets
Recognising their role in climate resilience and enormous nutritional composition, 2018 was announced as the Year of Millets as part of the National Food Security Mission. Since then, millet missions across the country have been launched notably in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Owing to the collective efforts, the year 2023 has been announced as the International Year of Millets, approved by the UN, FAO.
To convince both the rural and urban consumers to return to millet farming and lifestyle, the government has also decided to distribute them through the PDS system at subsidised rates. Moreover, institutions, like the Indian Institute of Millets Research, have taken serious responsibility for addressing millets research at the national level and facilitating linkages between national and international agencies to improve productivity.
However, unfair rates and volatile markets are still major growth barriers to millets. With a view to strengthening the role of millets in food and nutritional security, collective focus should be on approaches that help conserve local varieties, popularise national/State released promising varieties, refine cultivation technologies, target value addition strategies and promote proper utilisation. Policy revisions have to be addressed on the entire value chain of millets, right from quality inputs, production, processing to value addition and marketing to keep their graph increasing on a par with other crops.
The roadmaps developed for the implementation of millets among major cereals must comprise a multi-dimensional approach. Strategies for building capacity of the farmers on aspects like improved agronomic production practices, promotion of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), giving access to farm gate processing technologies and channelised marketing will help revive these underutilised ancient grains, which will be more profitable to farmers and will ultimately find a superior place in the food basket. So, in a step towards introducing diversity in our diets, let’s grow millets, eat millets and stay healthy.
(The author is a Scientist, ICAR- IIMR, Hyderabad)
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