Context: In an effort to promote cultivation and consumption of millets on a larger scale, the Union government has launched the International Year of Millets (IYM) on January 01,2023.

Key highlights

• The Government of India sponsored the proposal for International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 which was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 

• The declaration has been instrumental for the Government of India to be at the forefront in celebrating the IYM. 

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also shared his vision to make IYM 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’ alongside positioning India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’.

Multi-stakeholder engagement approach:

• The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has taken a proactive approach engaging all the central government ministries, states/UTs, farmers, start-ups, exporters, retail businesses, hotels, Indian Embassies etc. to achieve the aim of IYM 2023 and taking Indian millets globally. 

• Ministries, states and Indian embassies have been allocated focussed months in 2023 to carry out various activities for promotion of IYM and increase awareness about benefits of millets for the Consumer, Cultivator and Climate.

• In January, the Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, and the Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Rajasthan governments will conduct IYM events and activities.

• Millets are also an integral part of the G-20 meetings and delegates will be given a true millet experience through tasting, meeting farmers and interactive sessions with start-ups and FPOs.

About Millets crop

• The word millets is used to describe small-grained cereals like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (kangni/ Italian millet), little millet (kutki), kodo millet, finger millet (ragi/ mandua), proso millet (cheena/ common millet), barnyard millet (sawa/ sanwa/ jhangora), and brown top millet (korale).

• Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated.

• There is evidence for consumption of millets by the Indus valley people (3,000 BC), and several varieties that are now grown around the world were first cultivated in India.

• West Africa, China, and Japan are home to indigenous varieties of the crop.

• They require much less water than rice and wheat, and are mainly grown in rainfed areas.

• Globally, sorghum (jowar) is the biggest millet crop.

• The major producers of jowar are the United States, China, Australia, India, Argentina, Nigeria, and Sudan. Bajra is another major millet crop; India and some African countries are major producers.

• In India, millets are mainly a kharif crop. During 2018-19, three millet crops — bajra (3.67%), jowar (2.13%), and ragi (0.48%) — accounted for about 7 per cent of the gross cropped area in the country, Agriculture Ministry data show.

What are the benefits of millets?

• Millets are more nutritious than rice and wheat. However, their protein quality is poorer than that of rice.

• The rotis from bajra makes one feel fuller for longer as they take more time to digest and do not raise blood sugar levels too fast. However, there are also challenges associated with millets.

What are the challenges with millets?

• Unassured irrigation: Farmers get assured irrigation for rice, wheat, sugarcane, or cotton. Therefore, they would switch towards these corps.

• Lack of MSP: Pusa – 1201, a hybrid bajra has been developed to raise the yields and withstand fungal diseases. However, the absence of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) by the government would make farmers hesitant to grow this variety.

What steps can be taken by the government to promote millet?

• First, the two schemes of the government – Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman and Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 can be leveraged making them more millets-focused.

• Second, MSP procurement of millets should be part of a decentralized nutritional programme.

• Third, millets could be served in the form of ready-to-eat foods.

• Fourth, the Centre could fund states willing to procure millets, specific to their region and exclusively for distribution through schools and anganwadis.