MISSION MILLET

                                     MILLETS :                          Marvel grain of future: A matter of great pride that on the behest of Government of India under the Prime Ministership of Mr. Narendra Modi Ji and support of 72 countries at 75th session of United Nations General Assembly, year 2023 is declared as International Year of millets.

World is celebrating the millets on their plate and palates and we Indians are witnessing the millets comeback again as we had been already associated with the millets long ago. As per our Sanatan Dharma literature, millets contain 50%, 30%, 20% of the Sattva, Rajasic and tamasic characteristics which shows its connect with spirituality as well. Our rituals and the diets that has been consumed on the fasting days includes millets like kuttu (Buckwheat) and Amaranthus also establishes our strong connect with millets.Our Indian food related to our culture.

Across the globe we are entering into a new paradigm shift associated with our diet patterns, climate change as well as in the terms of new trading trends of millets. We are celebrating Year 2023 as the comeback of millets again to our farm and plates with the aim to create awareness, increase production & consumption of millets. Raising awareness to create ‘Millet Mindfulness’ is an essence of this celebration.

Millet is a crop of family Graminae (Poeceae) that can survive in semi arid zones and require less water for irrigation which will also help us in water management. Three well-known recognized crops for its resiliency to extreme weather conditions are Quinoa, Millet and Sorghum.

Major millets-

 Major Millets

Sorghum (Jowar)

Pearl Millet (Bajra)

Finger Millet (Ragi)

Minor Millets

Foxtail millet (Kakum)

Kodo millets (Kodon)

Barnyard millet (Sanwa)

Little millet (Kutki/Shavan)

Proso millet (Chenna/Barri)

Pseudo Millets

Amaranth (Ramdana/ Rajgira)

Buckwheat (Kuttu)

Health Benefits of millets

Millets are also known as nutri-cereal as they are very high in their nutrition content. Compared to rice, they have 30 to 300% more nutritional elements such as Calcium, Minerals, Iron, Fibre, Beta Carotine and many other micronutrients. Millets are rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, they are gluten-free and has low-GI (Glycemic index) thus millets are suitable for people allergies/intolerance of wheat. Diabetic persons and people suffering from weight gain can also opt for millets.

Millets are resilient to environmental stress, pests, and illnesses, making them a sustainable food supply to fight hunger in a changing world. Millets are also a long-term alternative for halting climate change and creating climate-resilient agri-food systems because they don’t need a lot of water or other resources.

Iron, folate, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, vitamins, and antioxidants are all concentrated in nutri-cereals. Dietary fibre is abundant in millets. Along with being essential for children’s proper growth and development, they have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes in adults. Millets are good for diabetics because they don’t contain gluten and have a low glycemic index. They can also help prevent cardiovascular disease and nutritional deficiencies.

Milltes Scenario in India

India produces >170 lakh ton ( 80% of Asia’s & 20% of global production). India is among the top 5 exporters of millets in world. World export of millet has increased from $400 million in 2020 to $470 million in 2021 (ITC trade map). India exported millets worth $64.28 million in the year 2021-22, against $59.75 million in 2020-21. Share of Millet based value added products is negligible.