Page 14 - The Indian EYE 031723

OP-ED MARCH 17, 2023 | The Indian Eye 14

How the millets acquired

an important place on the table

Millets are cultivated in nearly 130 countries and form the staple diet for nearly half a billion
people in Asia and Africa. They are deeply rooted in culture and traditions and help guarantee

food security in areas where they are culturally relevant

training for millet cultivation. On a
proposal sponsored by India, the UN
has declared 2023 as the Internation-
al Year of Millets. The humble millet
has now reached the international
arena!
The focus on millets would help
on improving the seeds, create cop
diversification in favor of millets,
generate awareness about the health
benefits of consuming millets, recipe
development and generate a lot of
ideas and approaches towards main-
SADHNA SHANKER streaming millets. Millets are an in-
tegral part of the G-20 meetings and
delegates will be given a true millet
n my husband’s village in Maha- experience through tasting, meeting
rashtra, the meal almost always farmers and interactive sessions with
Iconsists of ‘Bhakri’. It is a roti start-ups.
made of jowar, and not wheat as is
usually the case. Millets have been The $470-million (in 2021)
a part of the dietary landscape of
India from ancient times. We have global millets market is pro-
all heard of different such grains jected to register a CAGR of
depending on the state you are in,
including jowar, bajra, ragi, kangini, 4.5 per cent during the 2021-
kodo, jau and now called a pseudo 2026 period. The International
millet kuttu!
Millets were one of the first Year of Millets will hopefully in-
plants domesticated for food, and crease consumption of millets
their cultivation has been found in
the Indus Valley in 3000 BC. As per in India, and the world.
the Food and Agricultural Organi-
zation ‘Millets are a collective group Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of This demand would have poten-
of small seeded annual grasses that Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar during a lunch Programme, at the tial to generate livelihoods, increase
are grown as grain crops, primar- celebration of ‘International Year of Millets 2023’ in New Delhi (ANI) farmers’ income and ensure sfood and
ily on marginal land in dry areas of nutritional security, not only in India
temperate, sub-tropical and tropical but also in other parts of the world.
regions.’ Asia’s and 20% of the global millet them very important in combating The parliament of India can-
Millets are cultivated in nearly production. climate change, and transforming
130 countries and form the staple The humble millet has now ac- agrifood systems. In sum total, mil- teens have already introduced a var-
ied millet menu, including bhakri,
diet for nearly half a billion people quired an important place on the lets are now being recognized for the bajra khichdi and jowar upma! Let
in Asia and Africa. They are deeply table. They have high nutrient val- important role they can play in glob- us hope that soon the bhakri and its
rooted in culture and traditions and ue being rich in fiber, proteins and al food security. cousins would find pride of place in
help guarantee food security in areas vitamins. They are gluten free, and In 2018, which was observed menus of high-end restaurants and
where they are culturally relevant. they can be cultivated in areas of low as the National Year of Millets, the bakeries, all over the globe!
In India, the main millet producing rainfall and poor soil. They are an government declared millets to be
states are Rajasthan, Karnataka, important source of income for small ‘nutri-cereals’. Start-ups in the culti- Sadhna Shanker is a writer based in
Maharashtra, UP and Haryana. In- farmers. Millets preserve bio-diver- vation of this sector began to be sup- New Delhi, India.
dia currently produces nearly 80% of sity and are climate resilient, making ported, the effort being to focus on Email: [email protected]

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