Millets Millets Millets, kya hai millets?

Millets story: Important for #UPSC!

Millets Millets Millets. Hai kya millets?
Why is the media talking about them every day?

What are millets?

These are Small Grained Cereals! eg: Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Kuttu, Rai, Kutki etc.

History
It finds mention in:
• Yajur Veda
• Kalidasa’s Abhijnan Shakuntalam
• Sushruta’s Samhita
• Kautilya’s Arthashastra
• Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari

Why so much noise about Millets in the news?
⏩COVID, Conflict, and Climate pose challenge to global food security
⏩Millets de-risk this challenge
⏩2023: Declared as Int’l Year of Millets on India’s initiative

Points to be noted
⏩Among the first to be domesticated (evidence from IVC)
⏩India, W. Africa, China & Japan: Home to indigenous crop
⏩Need less water than rice & wheat
⏩Widely found millet globally: Jowar

Millets in India 🇮🇳
⏩Widely found millet in India: Bajra
⏩Grown as Kharif crop(s)
⏩7% gross cropped area

Nutritious value of Millets
⏩Protein: 7-12%
⏩Carbs: 65-75%
⏩Fat: 2-5%
⏩Dietary fiber: 15-20%
⏩Called a ‘Powerhouse of Nutrition’ -OR- nutri-cereals

Benefits of Millets
⏩ Eco-friendly and healthier
⏩Need less water than rice and wheat
⏩Can be grown in rain-fed areas without irrigation
⏩Iron and Zinc rich thus reducing anaemia burden
⏩Best suited to deal with obesity and diabetes (have niacin)
⏩Gluten free and thus help people with irritable bowel syndrome
⏩High fibre content thus improving gut microbiota therefore keeping one fuller for longer
⏩Belonging to the grass family, they are more tolerant to drought & extreme weather conditions, can grow in poor soil & hills
⏩Lower glycaemic index than rice/wheat. This helps in controlling weight and blood sugar levels and therefore reducing the risk of heart diseases and even cancers (how much blood sugar level spikes after consuming any food item)

Millets under PDS & MSP
⏩Coarse grains (food grains) under section 2(5) of NFSA 2013
⏩In reality, negligible coarse grains distributed as of now
⏩Government is now pushing to include millets in PDS
⏩MSP for Jowar, Bajra, and Ragi (only) as of now

State-wise distribution of Millets in India

Jowar
⏩Area: 4.24mn ha 2020-21
⏩Production: 4.78mn tonne
⏩MH>KA>RJ>TN>AP>UP>TS>MP

Bajra
⏩RJ>UP>HR>GJ>MP>MH

Major consumption of which millet in which state:
⏩Gujarat: Jowar & Bajra
⏩Karnataka: Jowar & Ragi
⏩Maharashtra: Jowar & Bajra
⏩Rajasthan & UK: Ragi

Politics on Millets
⏩Food basked of ~60 cr people globally
⏩Mostly grown in Low-Income Countries (LIC) of Asia-Africa
⏩India pitched the idea of 2023 as IYM pitching itself as leader of LIC group
⏩Activities around Millets u/ IYM 2023 will be seen as ways of Political Parties to reach out to farming communities in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Rajasthan & Karnataka.