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WHY IN NEWS?
Recently, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared 2023 to be the ‘International Year of Millets’ under Theme: “Harnessing the Untapped Potential of Millets for Food Security, Nutrition, and Sustainable Agriculture”.

WHAT IS MILLETS?
• Millets are Fundamentally Grasses.
• They are cultivated Worldwide, but especially in the Tropical parts of Africa and Asia, as cereal crops.
• A Grass cultivated for its small shiny whitish seeds as Human and Bird Food and sometimes grown for Hay.
• Millets are coarse grains and can be grown on less Fertile and Sandy soils.
• They are Drought Tolerant, adapted to growing in warm weather, and require low moisture.
• India is the World’s largest Producer of Millets.

TYPES OF MILLETS:
Large (Major) Millets: Jowar (Sorghum), Bajra (Pearl Millet), Finger Millet (Ragi). Foxtail Millet (Kagni), and Proso (Cheena) Millet.
Small (Minor) Millet: Kodo Millet (Kodra), Barnyard Millet (Sama), Browntop Millet (Hari Kagni), Little Millet (Kutki).

WHERE ARE THE NUTRIENTS STORED?
• Millet Kernel consists of three major parts, called Pericarp, Endosperm, and Germ.
• Endosperm is the largest part of the kernel and its ‘storage’ centre.
• It has a Protein covering called the Aleurone.

SIGNIFICANCE OF MILLETS:
• Climate Resilient: Millets are the backbone for Dry Land Agriculture. They are hardy, resilient crops that can withstand high temperatures and grow on poor soils.
• Ecologically Sustainable: These crops do not attract pests, and most of the millets are not affected by storage pests. Thus, the use of Pesticides is also not mandated.
• Rich in Nutrition: Millet grains are rich sources of nutrients like Carbohydrate, Protein, Dietary Fibre, and Good-Quality Fat.
• Rich in Minerals: Millets contain higher amounts of Minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and B complex vitamins, etc.
• High Bioactive Phytochemicals: Millets also contain several Bioactive Phytochemicals including Feraxans, Lignans, β-Glucan, Inulin, Resistant Starch, Sterols and Phenolic compounds (e.g., Ferulic acid, Caffeic acid and Quercetin).
• Anti-oxidant: Studies have supported the role of Polyphenols in Antioxidant, Anti-carcinogenic, Anti-inflammatory, Antiviral and Neuro protective activities which is beneficial against diseases like Cancer and Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Inflammatory Diseases, Metabolic Syndrome, etc.
• Diet food: A very high proportion of Dietary Fibre and Non-Starch Polysaccharides which help in weight regulation.
• Good for digestion: Millets are an excellent source of slow digestive starch and fibres which are good for the Gut cohabited with trillions of bacteria, namely Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Rhamnosus, Actinobacteria and Bifido species.

Millets in India:
• India produces all the nine commonly known millets and is the largest producer and fifth-largest exporter of millets in the world.
• Most of the states in India grow one or more millet crop species.
• India recorded 27 percent growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to millet production in the previous year was 15.92 MMT.
• Pearl millet (60%) followed by Sorghum (27%), Finger millet (11%) and Small millets (2%) are the major millets produced in India (as per the 4th Advance estimate 2021-22).
• The major Millets producing states in India are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

CHALLENGES IN MILLETS:
• Farmer’s do not get fair prices for millets that they grow.
• The government efforts are not reaching to the grass root level farmers.
• Processing of Millets face several hurdles owing to variation in size of various millet types.
• Millets have poor shelf life once processed due to its intrinsic enzyme activity.
• Millet supply chain suffers from inconsistent supply and demand that prevents its commercial viability.
• Limited distribution and lack of market knowledge have resulted in sub – optimal reach, lower price realization and wastage.

WAYFORWARD:
Expand the cultivation area: Expansion of millets cultivation across the country including in non-traditional areas and enhancing their yield levels.
Research and development: Strengthening Research and development for an advanced primary processing machinery, enhancing shelf-life from current levels.
Stakeholder’s involvement: Involving various stakeholders such as Research and Development institutes, farmers, FPOs, private food processors, state and central government departments to enhance millet production and consumption.
Domestic market: Development of the value chain on millets can bring all the stakeholders on board in delivering the outputs that are needed for envisioned millets promotion in the domestic market.