Putting millets on food tables

India's push for the global promotion of millets led to the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The focus on the expansion of millet cultivation has helped the return of many centuries-old varieties of millets to the fields and dining tables. The country has much to cheer from the rise in production over the past decade, but it is yet to touch the 2011-12 level. Achieving the targets ahead of the global celebration on March 5 will require more efforts by the states over the next few months. Official data show that production increased from 164 lakh tonnes in 2017-18 to 179 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 against 186 lakh tonnes in 2011-12. The Central Government has set the target of 205 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 and also announced a significant increase in the Minimum Support Price for millets to ensure remunerative prices to the growers and to take the cultivation of the Nutri cereals for crop diversification. India accounts for 80% of Asia's millet production and about 20% of global production of these ancient food grains obtained from the first plants domesticated by mankind. Currently grown in 131 countries millets are included in the traditional food system of 59 crore people in Asia and Africa. Till 1965-70, millets constituted about 20% of total food grain production but rice and wheat became major crops during Green Revolution in the country, and their share declined to about 6%. With people becoming health and environment conscious, millets regaining popularity can be attributed to their nutrition and health benefits and sustainability as climate resilient. The rise in production and productivity was driven by the declaration of the National Year for Millets in 2018 and the promotion of the Nutri cereals- sorghum, pearl millets, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso, kodo, barnyard millet and other traditional varieties. The Central Government declared these millets as "Nutri Cereals" for production, consumption and trade point of view. The official notification issued in 2018 states that millets hold great potential in contributing substantially to the food and nutritional security of the country and thus they are not only a powerhouse of nutrients but also are climate resilient crops and possess unique nutritional characteristics. Research findings also show that millets contain anti-diabetic properties and millet-based food has a low GI and reduces the postprandial blood glucose level and glycosylated haemoglobin, it adds. A Committee constituted by the Central Government to the examination of inclusion of millets in the Public Distribution System (PDS) for improving nutritional support recommended for inclusion of millets in PDS across the country. Karnataka is the first state in the country to include millets in PDS but distribution nationally will require boosting production by states and massive procurement by the government of millets grown by farmers at MSP. The inclusion of a millet-based menu for children under the PM POSHAN Scheme by states as requested by the Central Government will go a long way in improving nutrition supply. The successful implementation of the distribution of millets for mid-day meals on the day of the launch of the International Year of Millet Distribution of millets through Anganwadi Centres in January will require meticulous planning for procurement and distribution. A decentralized approach and allowing the school authorities and Angwanwadi Centres to locally procure can help spread the campaign and create demand locally to motivate farmers to grow millets. Other proposed activities include each state adopting a focus on millet to showcase and involving panchayats or urban local bodies with events in millet-producing districts. In Assam, foxtail millet locally known as Konidhan makes a delicious traditional recipe for pudding and deserts. Ensuring an assured market at a remunerative price can boost its production and help local entrepreneurs to explore the export market. The total value of export of millet from India increased to 26 million dollars in 2020 from 24 million dollars in 2017 which is good news for millet growers. Indian Institute of Millets Research undertaking extensive research on indigenous millets varieties of the Northeast region can go a long way in informing the farmers about the potential of commercial cultivation of millets and the scope to unlocking it. The institute's vision of transforming millets cultivation from subsistence farming to globally competitive through cost-effective and environment-friendly production, processing and value addition technologies and supply chain networks has special relevance to millet growers in the northeast region as states are seeking to align agriculture and horticulture production with tapping export potential under the Act East and Neighbourhood First policies of India. The poor experience of farmers when it comes to getting remunerative prices and very low procurement of food grain by the Food Corporation of India and by state agencies make them wary of experimenting with alternative crops on a commercial scale. Mass awareness among people about the importance of including millets in daily diet is crucial to building the required ecosystem and tapping traditional knowledge of growing millets in the region.