Millets are growing and regaining their previous glory as one of the ingredients for food items in Indian dining table. In form of Jowar, Bajra Raggi Millets the cereal crops are found in India and have immense nutritional value. Millets are annual warm-weather cereals with small grains attached to grass. Millets are the 6th most widely grown cereal grain globally, and they are still a staple diet in many parts of the globe.
Apart from major millets, minor millets are grown by the tribal farmers their chief source of food and sustaining livelihood. Reports say that farmers cultivating millets, mostly prefer Finger Millet, Sorghum, and Pearl Millet in their regular diet because these 3 millets are easy to process as compared to other minor millets.
Millet procurement and marketing happen both in the public and private domain in different states. Odisha procures Ragi under Odisha Millet Mission from the farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and in Chhattisgarh Little Millet and Ragi are procured from the farmers by the Forest Development Corporation.
Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the ‘Global Millets (Shri Anna) Conference’, The Honorable Prime Minister said it is a matter of great honor for the country that after India’s proposal and efforts, the ‘. Modi said India is continuously working to promote millets or Shri Anna as a global movement.
Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi said, “Millets are the Pearls of India; I think the International Year of the Millets (Shree Anna) 2023 campaign is a great step towards making a sustainable Indian product as a lifestyle product on a global platform.”
Health benefits:
In last few years we have seen that lifestyle changes have happened in Indian population and fast food chains have brewed up and junk foods are highly consumable. But the side effects are many and research shows that the number of patients undergoing lifestyle diseases like diabetes and obesity, with their accompanying complications, has reached almost epidemic levels.
In addition, these diseases have also become the leading cause of death in some high-income countries. Our bodies require nutrients that are available in whole grains, essentially unpolished grains without depleted nutrient qualities. These can be easily available in low cost and full of health benefits and fulfilling to stomach. These whole grains are a rich source of several essential nutrients and offer a distinct advantage in the fight against nutrient deficiency in third-world nations.
Improving the Millet Value Chain for Economic Benefit
India produces more than 170 lakh tonn of millet, which is 80% of Asia’s and 20% of global production. While the global average yield of millet is 1,229 kg/hectare, the yield in India is 1,239 kg/ha. And improving the Millet value chain thereby remains one of the critical functions both for government and stakeholders.
- Millets have improved varieties, better shelf life, efficient processing and access to markets are all vital to strengthen the millet value chain said a Senior Agriculture Ministry official s
- Government is stressing on R&D in all areas of value chain and cover all activities like they are under production, processing, marketing, and consumption. Each activity needs to be analyzed considering the parameters set by the government. Hence the propagation of millets cultivation and increasing demand is one of the core functions.
- Employment is set to increase; more women laborers and skilled training will be provided to get engaged in the cultivation of millets.
- Improving value chain is essential activity as this include collecting statistics regarding under production on the types of millets grown in different states of India. The farming land devoted for growing millets cultivation, suitability of climate.
- The package of practices followed by the millet farmers including organic and natural farming, availability and source of seeds.
- The cost involved in producing millets at farm level and the returns farmers get and finally the constraints faced by the farmers.
- The marketing segment will touch base on analyzing the parameters like the available value-added products in the shelf of super markets, pricing of the products, profit margins, and channels used for the distribution and promotion.
- Proper storage of Millets is an essential part of the millet value chain as it plays a critical role in maintaining the quality of millets and preventing post-harvest losses. Millet are stored in a clean, dry, and well-ventilated area to prevent moisture accumulation. There are several methods followed for millets storage from direct sunlight and rain. The maximum moisture level should be 10-12% to avoid damage. The cleaning of the millet can be done with cleaner-cum-grader machines. As per the size of the millet grains, the sieves of the machines need to be changed to get quality grains.
- Millets can be stored in a variety of containers such as bags, drums, or bins. The containers should be made of materials that are resistant to moisture and pests. The storage duration of millet depends on the storage conditions and the initial quality of Generally, millet can be stored for up to one year if stored under appropriate conditions. Proper storage of millets can help maintain their quality and reduce post-harvest losses. This can help farmers get better prices for their produce and increase their income.
- Finally technologies involved for millet processing and production which comes under processing and the machines available in India are to be taken into account and investments for upgraded machines and technology for farm processing to be included.
- The millets produced is taken into account as stakeholders are also involved in procurement in different states. It’s important to check the standard to value added products as this remains the final touch point from where it will go to the kitchen of householders.
Relevant quotes on the occasion of world Millet Day
“We must carry out R&D in all areas of the value chain of millets and bring together the knowledge of production, processing and storage and make it available to the consumer”, said Dr Vijaya Lakshmi Nadendla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Ms Vishalakshi Vuyyala, Director, Minkan Agro Industries, said that the revival of millet food and crop cultures within the farming communities is of utmost importance to achieve the International Year of Millets campaign objectives and make it more sustainable.
The proposed govt. program on 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations (FPO) where the government is exclusively promoting 100% Women FPOs” and issued a guideline for the inclusion of “one woman on the Board of Directors of each FPO”.
During the session, Dr Shilpa Vora, Chief Research & Development Officer, Marico, noted that millets are one of the ways to ensure nutritional security, adding, “it is not a new grain; however, ensuring sustainable quality and availability is needed”.
Further, she underlined that millet, traditional nutricereals, need continuous investment into the entire supply chain, creating value-added products and sensitizing nutritional awareness.
Ms Akshi Jindal, CEO, Barmalt Malting India, highlighted that millets are easy to work with and offer endless possibilities. Ms Lovneet Batra, Nutritionist – Millets, added that “our traditional staple can be the food for the future, a sustainable solution for the double burden of malnutrition and obesity simultaneously”.
She said that millets are essential for all life stages— from infant to young and old; however, awareness is an issue. Ms Ruchika Bhuwalka, Founder of Milletamma, also alluded to the need for broad basing awareness, stating, “we started WhatsApp groups and YouTube videos and visited farmers’ markets to tackle that”.
On occasion, Ms Sushila Watti, Board Member, Narmada FPC Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, said that their farmer producer company is set to establish its first millet processing plant.
(Image courtesy: www.ptinews.com)