Government Measures to Increase Millet Production

Following India’s petition to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, approved at the 160th session of the FAO Council in December 2018, the year 2023 will be the International Year of Millets. Despite the Green Revolution’s preference for rice and wheat, the country has had a long and fruitful relationship with millets. Due to cultural traditions, millet was able to persist, although they were referred to as “coarse grains.”

As a result of national and state-level measures, millet is making a comeback on farms and fields. Millets, sometimes known as nutri-cereals, are becoming increasingly popular among farmers due to their ability to grow in places with limited rainfall and inhospitable soil.

Government Measures to Increase Millet Production

Integrated Cereals Development Programmes

• An integrated wheat development programme is being implemented by the Central government. Agricultural production and productivity in the country are to be improved as part of a government-sponsored programme called “Revised Macro Management of Agriculture” under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. 

In order for States to define and implement the programme based on their regional objectives, the plan gives considerable freedom. The States have been given the option of deciding how much money they provide to each sector based on their own development priorities.

INSIMP

• “Nutri-cereals” were promoted as part of the government’s Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millet Promotion (INSIMP) in 2011. The plan’s goal is to encourage the growth of the nation’s millet output. It is hoped that this will improve the nutritional security of India.
• According to the proposed plan, millet would be grown on 0.5 million hectares (ha). This is commendable on its face. The area under millets in India has decreased by 60% since the 1960s. Nearly half of the country’s entire cereal production has been eliminated from the agricultural landscape. 

Because of government food restrictions, many people are turning away from millets despite the fact that it is more nutrient-dense than both rice and wheat. Any effort to increase millet production and consumption is, therefore, much appreciated.

• With INSIMP, farmers receive urea and pesticide kits; and seed kits, which include hybrid seeds that cost between Rs 2,000-3,000. Nodal agencies in a state provide these kits, which are then purchased from a variety of suppliers. The post-harvest handling of millets, which includes the creation of units for processing and value-addition, is another important part of the plan.

Rainfed Area Development Programme

• “Rainfed Area Development Program (RADP)” is a sub-scheme of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) implemented by the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare in the year 2011-12. (RKVY). There are many benefits to be gained by farmers, especially those who are small and marginal, by providing them with an appropriate package of activities to maximise farm returns. When it comes to increasing productivity while also reducing the impact of climate variability, the RADP programme emphasises the implementation of an Integrated Farming System (IFS).

Rainfed Area Development Program aims to accomplish the following:

• The adoption of appropriate farming systems based approaches can help boost the agricultural productivity of rainfed areas in a sustainable manner.
• Reduce the negative impact of crop failure due to flooding, drought, or uneven rainfall distribution via diversifying and composite farming methods.
• Rainfed agriculture’s long-term viability will be restored through improved farm technologies and agricultural practices.
• To increase farmers’ earnings and provide them with a better standard of living in rainfed areas.

APEDA Action Plan

• An APEDA strategy is being developed with the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), as well as other stakeholders like the National Institute Nutrition (NIN), CFTRI, and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) for a five-year plan for promotion of Millets and Millet products in light of the increasing export potential of Millets and Millet products.
• An action plan for expanding exports of millet and millet products from 2021 to 2026 is being prepared by APEDA to enable all stakeholders to take the necessary steps in a time-bound manner to meet the aim.
• Millet cluster identification, the construction of a platform to bring together farmers and other stakeholders, and the discovery of new prospective international markets for the promotion of Indian millets are all part of the plan to promote Indian millets.
• Pearl Millet, Sorghum, Ragi, Foxtail Millet, Small Millet, Proso Millet, Kodo Millet, Barnyard Millet, and other millets are all commonly referred to as millets. Small-seeded cereal crops, such as millets, are well-known for their high nutritional content. Millet consumption is on the rise in many nations throughout the world, boosting the product’s growth potential both domestically and internationally.

Conclusion

Millets have been acknowledged as an important part of the food chain by the government. Millets make up 8% of the additional 25 million tonnes of food grain production that the National Food Security Mission – NFSM has set as a preliminary goal for improving food grain production.

Efforts are being made to obtain convenient and value-added processed goods from millets, which have recently received attention. It has been proposed to expand the basket of food and include millets like bajra, jowar, ragi, etc., in the Public Distribution System because many households in dry land and hilly regions rely on millets to meet their food demands.