With reference to the production of millets in India consider the following statements 1 They h...........

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With reference to the production of millets in India, consider the following statements:

1. They have low per-hectare yields at the national level compared to wheat and paddy.

2. Their production has decreased in India during the last two decades.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Recent Context: The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
• Millet is a collective term referring to a number of small-seeded annual grasses that are cultivated as grain crops, primarily on marginal lands in dry areas in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. Some of the common millets available in India are Ragi (Finger millet), Jowar (Sorghum), Sama (Little millet), Bajra (Pearl millet), and Variga (Proso millet).
• India is the largest producer of millet in the world accounting for 20% of global production and 80% of Asia’s production.
• In India, the national average per-hectare yield is roughly 1 tonne for jowar, 1.5 tonnes for bajra and 1.7 tonnes for ragi, as against 3.5 tonnes for wheat and 4 tonnes for paddy. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Between 2003-04 and 2021-22, India’s millet output has actually fallen from 21.32 million tonnes (mt) to 15.92 mt. Hence, statement 2 is correct.