Dr. Banarsi Lal
Millets are great ancestral crops with high nutritional value. They are dual-purpose crops and can be cultivated both as food & fodder, thus can provide food/livelihood security to thousands of farmers of Union Territory of J&K. It has been observed that area under millets reduced gradually over the years. Union Territory of J&K has varied climate and the millets such as Pearl Millet, Sorghum, Buckwheat, Fox Tail, Proso Millet, Finger Millet, Kodo, Barnyard etc. can be grown in J&K. Millets are said to be forgotten crops whereas in some districts of J&K millets cultivation is still in practice. Few plants of amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) are still grown in almost every kitchen garden in Kashmir and even in some areas of Jammu region. The crop is however not cultivated commercially neither in Kashmir nor in Jammu Division. The cultivation of all these crops has been abandoned some decades ago throughout Jammu & Kashmir except in few remote hilly areas. Millets are generally grown by the small & marginal farmers on marginal lands. Most of the farmers use their own farm saved seeds with traditional practices. There is need to expand millets in traditional & non-traditional areas of J&K by the introduction of new farm practices. There is need to follow cluster based approach to grow millets. They should be promoted as the climate resilient crops. They should be promoted in rainfed/kandi belt of J&K and farmers should be encouraged for their cultivation by providing them the quality seed and technical guidelines. There is need to revive the millets in millet growing areas of J&K. They should be promoted in drought prone areas as they are irrigation dry and climate resilient crops.They are considered as the future food.Millets production in J&K can provide special identity to different areas of J&K. Additional area should be covered by millets.Area under millets can be increased by utilizing the fallow lands. They can also sown in mixed cropping & inter-cropping in crops/ orchids.They can be promoted in monkey affected areas of J&K. Existing area can be strengthened by the supply of critical inputs such as quality seed, organic inputs etc. There is need of more and more awareness and training programmes on millets for the farmers of J&K.
Climate change is impacting the crop yield and quality of many crops. Millets possess several morphological, physiological & biological characters- thus are adaptable to dry regions. Millets have the capacity for early maturity (65-85 days); high drought (150- 500 mm rainfall) and salinity tolerance; high heat tolerance (>42o C of air temperature) .They can be adapted to adverse, marginal & changing environments. They can mitigate the nutrition and health needs globally. They are high in Iron, Zinc, Folate and Calcium. They contain low Glycemic Index (GI) and thus can manage diabetes.They are high in protein, dietary fiber and antioxidants. They are gluten free. They provide a viable option for the small and marginal farmers & sustainable production system. Millets can be grown with minimal fertilizers pesticides. They can survive with less water and be grown faster with less stress on the environment. They can be used as the food, feed/ fodder, biofuels etc. They can be eaten in many forms. There is need to introduce the improved varieties of millets in J&K. Production technologies for millets need to be standardized. Seed hubs should be established. Millets Seed Village Programmes should be conducted and special market linkage should be established for millets. There production should be scaled up. Processing units for millets should be established and new start-up of millets should be initiated. Millet based “Prasad” can be promoted in the religious spots such as Maa Vaishno Devi Shrine. Millets restaurants should be established to promote millets. J&K Govt. Is spearheading efforts to produce and promote millets as a means to produce nutritious food and support the farmers in cultivating these crops.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets with the support from more than 70 countries across the world. The celebration of International Year of Millets is a matter of pride for India and in particular for the farming community. It will help in creating awareness across the globe about the important role of millets and their benefits as the smart super food. India is the largest producer of millets in the world and can be considered as the hub of millets with the production of more than 170 lakh tonnes which is about 20 per cent of global production and 80 per cent Asia’s production. India’s average yield of millets (1239 kg/ha) is also higher than global yield of 1229 kg/ha. Millets are grown in about 131 countries across the globe. Millets are the traditional food for about 60 Crore people in Asia and Africa. The International Year of Millets stands to provide a unique opportunity to increase global production, consumption, efficient processing etc. There is need to highlight the benefits of promoting the sustainable cultivation and consumption of millets. Food is still a concern for the planet. Climate change can also impact food availability. At such a time, global movement related to millets is an important step as they are very easy to grow, drought and climate resistant. They are good for the producers, consumers and environment. They are good source of balanced nutrition. They need less water and compatible with the natural ways of farming. They can be grown in arid conditions with the minimal inputs and maintenance. They are disease and insect-pest resistant. They are resistant to climate shocks than other cereals. Major millets grown in India are-Pearl millet (Bajra)-61 %, Sorghum (Jowar)-27 % and Finger Millet(Mandua/Ragi)-10 %. Millets are the part of our traditions and cultures and their relevance are cited in the Vedas and Puranas. There is need of new innovations, research and start-ups in millets.
Millets are the group of small-seeded annual grasses that are grown as grain crops primarily on marginal land in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions. They are one of the ancient foods dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization around 3000BC.Millets are categorised in three categories 1.Major millets: Sorghum(Jowar),Pearl Millet(Bajra),Finger Millet(Ragi/Mandua),2.Minor Millets: Foxtail Millet(Kangani/Kakun),Kodo Millet, Proso Millet(Cheena),Barnyard Millet(Sawa/Sanwa/Jhangora) and Little Millet(Kutki),3.Pseaudo Millets: Buckwheat(Kuttu) and Amarnthus(Chaulai).Top millets producing states in India are Rajasthan, Karnatka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Millets have been the part of the Indian diet for many years. Prior to Green Revolution they have been used as the staple diet in most of the households. After the announcement of International Year of Millets 2023 many people are coming forward to join the millets movement. To strengthen this movement production of millets also needs to be increased. Presently we have limited production of millets because they are grown in certain pockets of the country. Value addition in millets is also very limited which also needs to be increased. The supply of minor millets is erratic thereby discouraging in value addition and consumption. Production and processing of millets need to be encouraged in different states and Union Territories of the country. This will help to keep balance between production and consumption of millets. This will also help to check the prices of millets. The health-packed millets hold special significance in today’s times when people are gravitating to healthier options. Millets growers should be encouraged by linking them to the markets. Through the revival of traditional methods and increased facilities for the post-post harvesting, we can increase the millets production.
Millets will now re-enter the food platters both nationally and internationally. But behavioural change requires time. It has taken many years to forget eating millets so it will take some time to bring back the habit of eating the millets. For that purpose concerted and sincere efforts are needed by all the concerned actors in the system. Creating awareness among the producers and consumers and enabling environment for the millets industry and start-ups are the key to the future of millets. Already number of steps are taken by the government in this direction. There is need to establish Centres of Excellence on millets across the nation and link industries with these centres. In Angadwadi Centres also millets need to be incorporated to increase the nutritional value of food for the children. We need to grab the opportunity to increase the production, processing and promote the consumption of millets. Consistent research and development programmes for enhancing the production and processing of millets are needed. Millets production support can open some new income and employment opportunities in J&K.
The writer is Sr. Scientist & Head, KVK, Reasi, (SKUAST-J).