Significance of Millet Farming

Why in news?

The United Nations General Assembly recently adopted a resolution declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets, as proposed by India to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

What are millets?

India is the largest global producerof millets, with a 41% market share. A compound annual growth rate of 4.5% is projected for the global millet market in the coming decade.

• Millets - Sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet and several small millets (kodo, little, foxtail, proso and barnyard).
• All millets, maize, and barley together are called coarse cereals.
• Millets were one of the oldest foods known to humans. But they were discarded in favour of wheat and rice with urbanization and industrialization.

How significant are millets?

• Provide food, nutrition, fodder and livelihood security.
• Help mitigate the effects of climate change with low carbon footprint of 3,218-Kg equivalent of CO₂ per hectare. [Wheat - 3,968 kg; Rice - 3,401kg]

What are the favourable factors?

• Drought resistant
• Suitable for harsh, hot and dry environments.
• Can grow in arid regions, requiring only 350-400 mm of annual rainfall.
• Some varieties of pearl millet survive at temperatures up to 46°C.
• Require minimal inputs for growth.
• Being hardy crops, they can withstand extreme temperatures, floods and droughts.

What are the concerns with millets faming?

• Market and economic barriers.
• Low demand, especially in urban markets.
• Unjust pricing and value wringing by intermediaries.
• Low remuneration leading to farmer distress.
• Lack of input subsidies and price incentives.
• Subsidised supply of fine cereals through the PDS and change in consumer preferences leading led to a shift from the production of millets (jowar in particular) to soybean, maize, cotton, sugarcane and sunflower.

What are the government’s initiatives so far?

• Millet Mission in 2018 as part of the National Food Security Mission - Promotion of technological interventions, improvement in seed quality and MSP for bajra and jowar.
• Millet Network of India and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation - Collective formation efforts to boost the domestic growth of millets.
• Setting up farmer organizations to help small and marginal farmers overcome hindrances in millet production and marketing.
• Odisha Millet Mission:
  1. 7.2 million women emerged as ‘agri-preneurs’
  2. about 70,000 farmers in the state took up millet farming

What are the other measures needed?

Market dynamics

• Incentivizing the adoption of inter-cropping involving millets.
• Providing crop insurance and support for storage facilities.
• Broadening the millet marketing policies.
• Generation of demand for millets-based products.
  1. 2018 ‘#LetsMilletCampaign’ in Bengaluru promoted the use of millets in dishes such as risotto and pizza by restaurateurs.
  2. Food delivery startups such as FreshMenu rolled out millet-intensive menus

Cultural connection

• Harnessing the knowledge of the value of little millets among traditional communities.
• Re-introduction of cultural associations and festivals thathelp promote the growth of millets. E.g.,
  1. North-East Network in Nagaland organized in 2020
  2. Mandukiya in Vishakhapatnam celebrated annually in June/July
  3. Women’s collectives in Telanganapromoting millets through a culture-centric approach

Ecosystems and sustainability

• The value of millets is evident in their relevance to the sustainable development goals of food security, nutrition and poverty eradication.
• In line with goals of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-30), local practices can support rural economies.
  1. Drought-tolerant cropslike millets with low dependence on chemical inputs.
  2. Inter-cropping of millets with other crops. [Fibrous roots of millet plants help in improving soil quality, keep water run-off in check and aid soil conservation.]

Biofuel and climate resilience

In India, 2025 is set as the deadline for achieving 20% ethanol blending with petrol. Most bio-ethanol in India is produced using sugar molasses and maize.

• Creating bio-ethanol using sorghum (jowar) and pearl millet (bajra), thus bringing down carbon emissions by about half.
• Millets can deliver greater returns than maize, while using 40% less energy in processing, and are cost advantageous as a feedstock for bio-ethanol production.
• All the above priorities need to bebacked by government policies that promote millets production, incentivize farmers and strengthen market linkages.

Source: Livemint