Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India

India is one of the world's top producers of millet and nutri-coarse grains, accounting for around 41% of total global production. In 2022, India produced over 17.60 million metric tonnes (MMT), accounting for around 80% of Asia's production. India is one of the top five millet exporters in the world, with exports increasing at a 3% CAGR over the last five years. Millet exports have climbed from US$ 400 million in 2020 to US$ 470 million in 2021. India is the world's second-largest exporter of "Shree Anna," i.e., millets. Millet exports from India have climbed at a CAGR of 12% over the last three years. By 2025, the millets market is anticipated to significantly increase from its present market size of over US$ 9 billion to over US$ 12 billion.

Millets are the most secure crops for small farmers since they are the hardiest, most resilient, and climate-adaptable crops in tough, hot (up to 50 degrees Celsius), and drought scenarios. The Government of India recognised millets as Nutri-Cereals by a gazette notice dated April 10, 2018 and celebrated the National Year of Millets in 2018. India has taken the lead in revitalising millets around the world. The Government of India's proposal for an International Year of Millets (IYoM) 2023 was supported by FAO Governing Bodies and was subsequently adopted by the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in March 2021. The International Year of Millets will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to raise awareness of millet cultivation, contribute to food security and nutrition, boost farmer incomes and livelihoods, and eradicate poverty, particularly in drought-prone or climate-change-affected areas. The government's production promotion efforts could result in a 0.56 MMT millet export surplus by 2030.  Diverting 0.56 million MT of millets towards the export of grains and millets-based value-added goods will result in a US$ 2 billion export opportunity for India by 2030.

Overview
Millets, also known as super grain, superfood, and wonder-grain, are among the oldest foods known to humans and were most likely the first grain used for household purposes. Millet is an important staple cereal crop for millions of smallholder dryland farmers. It is classified as Nutri-cereals or Dryland cereals because of its high nutritional value, and Smart Food since it is healthy for consumers, the environment, and farmers. Millets can help solve poor diet, environmental challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and rural poverty. They have a low carbon footprint and can grow and develop in warm environments with little water. They are climate-smart and hence provide a strong risk management method for farmers as compared to rice and wheat crops, which require more water and fertiliser. Pearl millet, Sorghum, Finger millet, small millets (Foxtail, Barnyard, Kodo, Proso, Little millet), and Pseudo millets (Buckwheat and Amaranth) are the main millets produced in India. There is a strong push in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat.

In 2022, the global consumption of millets was estimated to be 90.43 million metric tonnes (MT). In 2022, India had the highest consumption of millets (17.75 Million MT), followed by China (13.70 Million MT). and Nigeria (8.80 Million MT). Global millet consumption was 25.66 million MT as feed and 64.76 million MT as FSI (Food, seed, and industrial usage). Animal feed accounted for almost 40% of total global sorghum consumption.

Note: The values of 2022-23 is provisional.

Source: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

Timeline

Source: NITI Aayog

Types of Millets

Benefits

Millets are very adaptable to a wide range of ecological circumstances and grow in rain-fed, desert climates with minimum water, fertiliser, and pesticide requirements.

• Healthy, nutrient-rich crop: They offer a superior nutritional profile and bioactive flavonoids when compared to other cereals.
• Millets have a low Glycaemic Index (GI) and are associated with lowering the risk of developing diabetes.
• They are a good source of calcium, zinc, and minerals like iron.
• Millets are gluten-free and can be taken by celiac disease patients.
• Millet has been shown to help manage and prevent hyperlipidaemia and the risk of CVD.
• Millets have been shown to help with weight loss, BMI reduction, and blood pressure control.
• Millet is commonly consumed with legumes in India, resulting in mutual protein supplementation, increased amino acid content, and improved total protein digestibility.
• Millet-based value-added goods in the ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat category are easily accessible and convenient for the urban population.
•  Millets are used for food and fodder, making farming more efficient. Millet cultivation helps to lessen the carbon footprint.

Nutritional Composition of Millets
Indian millets are a nutritiously dense, drought-tolerant crop that is mostly grown in India's arid and semi-arid regions. They are small-seeded grasses. They are a key source of food and fodder for poor farmers in India and play a crucial part in the country's ecological and economic security. Given their high protein, vitamin, and mineral content, Indian millets are nutritionally superior to wheat and rice. They're also gluten-free and have a low glycemic index, making them suitable for celiac disease or diabetes sufferers.

Studies have demonstrated the role of polyphenols in antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and neuroprotective activities, all of which have been shown to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammatory diseases, metabolic syndrome, and Parkinson's disease. The millet grain contains a very high percentage of non-starch polysaccharides and dietary fibre, both of which aid in controlling weight.

The soluble fibre and millet protein support lower cholesterol levels and better gut health. Millets are gluten-free and a good option for those who have celiac disease. Ragi is a great source of calcium and is good for bone health, blood vessels, muscles, and nerves. Kodo millet has high iron. It purifies the body's immune system, lowers blood pressure, and purifies the blood. Foxtail millet promotes the health of neurons or brain cells. Little millet is helpful for the thyroid. According to the data, replacing around one-third of the recommended daily diet of (300 grammes) of cereals for diabetics (aged 20-79) and anaemic women (aged 15-49) would result in an opportunity for 100 grammes of millet intake per capita per day.

Source: NITI Aayog

Source: State Government Schemes

Source: NITI Aayog

The Road Ahead
The Indian government has been making significant efforts to promote millets. A shift in government policy from food security to nutritional security is predicted to have a significant impact on the future of millets. Scalable models for millets missions can be found in the sub-missions for millets promoted by the Indian government and the pilot millets missions implemented by several state governments. The primary focus must continue increasing productivity to deliver cost-effective, high-quality raw materials to processors and exporters for the supply of value-added goods on a global scale. This call for intensive R&D efforts focusing on improving access to superior varieties, efficient processing technology, and increased product shelf-life, among other things. With a strong public-private collaboration and a comprehensive worldwide marketing effort, India has the potential to export US$ 2 billion in millet and millet-based products by 2030.