Millets in India – Ideal Conditions for Millets Cultivation

Millets in India comprise cereal grains along with minute seed grasses. This category is significant of coarse grains i.e. grains having a rough and gritty texture having a high nutritional value and many health benefits.

These are usually cultivated in semi-dry tropical regions of Asia and Africa and act as essential contributors to both – the human diet and animal fodder in developing countries. Their chief features include:

• Climate required for Cultivation of Millets.
• Areas and Regions of Millet Cultivation in India.
• Areas and statistics of Millet Consumption in India.
• Export and Import of Millets in India.
• Types of Millets in India.
• Benefits of Millet cultivation in India.
• Problems With Millet Cultivation In India.
• Government measures to boost Millet cultivation.

Climate Required For Cultivation Of Millets in India

Different climatic conditions are required for different types of millets, however, the climatic condition outline remains roughly the same for all:

• A warm, temperate climate is essential for the sprouting and germination of the millet seeds to keep the soil temperature cozy since they are susceptible to damage by cold weather and frosts.
• The sustainable temperature for millet growth is 20-30 degrees Celsius.
• Most millets have a short growing season and can be grown well in areas where other crops fail to grow. For example, Sorghum can be cultivated even in drought conditions, unlike any other plant because of its excellent water holding capacity due to the presence of waxy coatings on its stems and leaves.
• Most millets can do with little moisture since they have efficient water utilization abilities.
• In India, about 8 millet types are cultivated under rain-fed conditions which require little or no irrigation, as they do not require high amounts of moisture -. For example, Jowar is a rain-fed crop (30-100cm, annually ) grown in the areas which barely need irrigation.
• Usually, minor millets require below 35cm of rainfall, while a few other major millets require at least 40cm of rainfall for a good harvest.
• Most millets such as Jowar, Ragi, Bajra, Sorghum, etc. are grown as Kharif crops i.e. as monsoon or autumn crops cultivated between June to November, as their moisture and rainfall requirements are such.
• Moreover, coarse grains are more adaptable and tolerable towards climate shocks when compared to other crops.

Areas And Regions Of Millet Cultivation In India

• In India, millets are majorly grown in 21 states depending on the soil type required by each millet to cultivate in abundance. Some of the major states include:

1. Punjab
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Andhra Pradesh
4. Himachal Pradesh
5. Sikkim
6. Chhattisgarh
7. Tamil Nadu
8. Karnataka
9. Kerala
10. Haryana
11. Uttarakhand
12. Telangana
13. Jharkhand
14. Rajasthan
15. Maharashtra
16. Gujarat

• The usual soil type in which millets grow in include well-drained, loamy soils with balanced moisture content.
• Millets are the staple food in the regions of Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, due to which their production is being encouraged there.
• As per the ‘Directorate of Economics and Statistics’, as per 2015- India, millets were cultivated in an area of 15.48 million hectares producing 17.2 million tones with a yield of 1111 kg per hectare.
• According to the ‘Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare’ in 2016-17, the area under millet cultivation declined to 14.72 million hectares.
• Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka are the top 3 millet producing states in the country.
• Small millets can yield well from the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh to moderately high altitudes for example,- the hilly regions of Uttarakhand and North-Eastern states.
• Bajra cultivates well on sandy soils and shallow, black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer of Bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Haryana.
• Ragi grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy, and shallow black soils. Karnataka is the largest producer of Ragi followed by Tamil Nadu.
• Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Areas And Statistics Of Millet Consumption In India

• The average annual growth of millet consumption in India from 1999 to 2016 was only 4.56 %.
• Assam (18.82 kg/m) and Bihar (18.69 kg/m) have depicted the highest consumption of small millets found in all India and rural areas.
• According to ‘NSSO’, the annual per capita intake of Sorghum decreased drastically from 8.5 kg to 1.58 kg in urban areas and by 19.2 kg to 2.424 kg in rural areas between 1972-73 and 2011-12
• The Pearl millet intake also declined rapidly from 11.5 to 0.97 kg in rural areas and from 4 kg to 2.82 kg in urban areas.
• The highest rise in domestic millet consumption in India was noticed in the years 2002-2003, in which the growth rate reported was about 115.15%.
• Year by year, the growth rate of millet consumption is declining by the country to an extremely low growth rate of 8.33% in the years 2019-2020.

Export And Import Of Millets In India

• India exported about 15.4% of the world’s Bajra to roughly 60 countries from 2013 to 2018.
• Export of Bajra witnessed an increasing trend from 2013 to 2015 then started to decline.
• Major millet exports were made in the year 2016 some of which are:

1. 48,000 Kgs of green millet were sent to Tunisia.
2. 96,000 Kgs of Bajra were sent to Tunisia.
3. 66,000 Kgs of yellow millet were sent to Japan.
4. 23,920 Kgs of Indian yellow panicum millet were sent to Spain.
5. 21,000 Kgs of red millet were sent to Sri Lanka.
6. 600 Kgs of Manna Kodo millet were sent to Canada.

These along with many more exports were made.

• Major millet imports were also made in the year 2016 some of which are:

1. 472 NOS of Bajra was received from Zimbabwe.
2. 189 NOS of Finger millets were received from Zimbabwe.
3. 2 NOS of Bajra was received from Kenya.

These along with many more imports were made.

• Millet India importers include:

1. Septodont Healthcare India Private
2. Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd
3. Khalsa Gymnastic Works
4. Personal Goods Individual
5. Jayaco
6. Millet India exporters include:
7. Ms Exports Chennai
8. Conscious Food A Divn of Tulsi Agriculture
9. Pa Sea Impex
10. Lakshmi Export Coimbatore
11. Sakilan Imports Exports Namakkal.

Types Of Millets In India

There are around 500 different types of millets in India. Some of the major millets included are:

1. Sorghum millet/Jowar:
Grows in warm, arid climates receiving around 45-100 cms of rainfall annually. Temperature requirements are around 20-35 degrees Celsius in Kharif season and around 15 degrees Celsius in Rabi season.

Grows well in sandy loamy soils having good drainage and humus with a pH range from 6-7.5. Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar in India.

2. Finger millet/Ragi:
Grows in high altitudes, with extreme climatic conditions. Requires dry spell at the time of grain ripening and receives around 70-120cms of rainfall annually.

Temperature requirements are around 25-30 degrees Celsius. Grows well in red, black, sandy, loamy, and lateritic soils with pH of about 4.5-8. Karnataka is the largest producer of Ragi in India.

3. Pearl millet/Bajra:
Grows in moist weather conditions as Kharif crops needing irrigation. Requires 40-50cms of annual rainfall. Temperature requirements are from 20-30 degrees Celsius.

Grows well in black cotton soil, sandy loamy soil, or upland gravelly soil having good drainage having a low pH value. Rajasthan is the largest producer of Bajra in India.

4. Foxtail millet/Kangni:
Grows in warm, arid, semi-arid and tropical regions, and can survive poor water assets. Requires 50-75cms of rainfall annually. Temperature requirements are from 15-30 degrees Celsius. Grows well in sandy to loamy soils with a pH of 5.5-7. Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of Foxtail millet in India.

5. Barnyard millet/Sanwa:
Grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions with an altitude up to 2100m. Requires 60-80cms of rainfall annually. Temperature requirements are from 18-27 degrees Celsius.

Grows well in sandy loam to loamy soil having a sufficient amount of organic matter having pH from 5.5-7.5. The Himalayan hills are the largest producer of Barnyard millet in India.

6. Kodo millet/Kodon:
Grows in a warm and dry climate and is extremely drought- tolerant. Requires 50-60cms of rainfall annually. Temperature requirements are from 26-29 degrees Celsius.

Grows well in gravelly and stony soil such as in the hilly region having pH from 5.5-7.5. Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of Kodo millet in India.

7. Proso millet/Chena:
Grown in warm, arid, non-irrigated regions of the world, it is drought-resistant and can tolerate scanty rainfall. Requires 20-50cms of rainfall annually. Temperature requirements are from 10-45 degrees Celsius.

It is well adapted to many soil types which have a pH of around 5.5-6.5. Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of Proso millet in India.

Benefits Of Millet Cultivation In India

• Millets are considered an adaptable smart climate crop by the farmers of India. Its yield success rates are much higher when compared to other crops since it is a very low maintenance crop. It requires little irrigation and no fertilizers at all are disease resistant and have good market demand.
• Millet has a Short growing season of about 65 days which allows it to be a part of multiple cropping systems in both rain-fed and irrigated areas.
• It acts as both – food and fodder.
• Millets are a good source of protein, fiber, and essential fats. Moreover, they are gluten-free due to which they prove beneficial for Diabetic patients, people having Cancer, Oxidative stress, obesity, Celiac diseases, Gastro-intestinal disorders, and also for patients with heart ailments.
• It is a rich source of minerals like iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Millets help in reducing the atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and thus contribute to lowering climate change.
• They are able to form quick packaged yet nutritious food, which urges more customers to buy them, thus increasing their demand.
• They provides employment to many people due to the traditional methods of farming involved in their cultivation.
• The export and import of millets add to the overall economic growth of the country and also helps boost the GDP of the nation.

Problems With Millet Cultivation In India

• No market to sell millet crops: In certain village areas such as that of North Karnataka, farmers are not getting the market to sell their crops. To sell crops in bulk they have to locate certain small shops since there is no profitable market or demand nearby. This also makes the distribution of crops difficult.
• Low bulk prices of Millets in India and high MRP: Farmers get a low pay for millets which urges them to lower millet production and grow other crops instead to earn a better income. However, since the MRP for millets is high, the public usually prefers buying other cheaper grains instead.
• Government schemes and efforts are unable to reach the farmers: All schemes and plan benefits are limited to the big cities, due to which farmers are not at all aware of the programs.
• Low crop productivity and high labor intensity: Cultivating millets requires strong manual labor and is difficult for a single person to do. Added to this is the fact that certain millets turn out to be low in productivity.
• Difficult post-harvest operations add to these problems.
• Easy availability of other grains: such as rice due to a good network of Public Distribution System gives tough competition for the demand of millets in India. This causes grains such as rice to be established as the staple food in a region.
• Lack of know-how on ways to use small millets in the daily diet/staple diet across the country is widespread.
• Lack of investment in millet product development and promotion/ advertisements.
• Improper suitable processing units close to millet fields: causes local producers to take their produce to distant places. For example, raw grains of Kodo millets produced in Tamil Nadu, need to be transported to Maharashtra for processing.

Government Measures To Boost Millet Cultivation

• Intensive Millets Promotion(INSIMP): Launched in 2012 as a part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana(RKVY), wherein Rs.300 crores has been allocated to advancing equipment and technology related to millet harvest and increasing productivity of inefficient areas.
• Rainfed Area Development Programme: Developing and identifying new areas receiving adequate rainfall for millet farming as a part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana(RKVY).
• The Indian Institute of Millet Research, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and the government of Karnataka are going to collaborate along with more partners to promote millets in India.
• The government of Karnataka is encouraging the drought-struck farmers to shift from water-intensive crops to harvesting millets.
• The government of Tamil Nadu is converting fallow and wastelands into millet farms.
• Government of Maharashtra has announced subsidies for millets.
• The government of Orissa is trying to increase the land area for millet production.
• Millets are being purchased at the support price and are also being included in the mid-day meal scheme and public distribution system, for encouraging its consumption.
• The government also initiated the ‘Integrated Cereals Development Programmes in Coarse Cereals’ under Macro Management of Agriculture.
• Millets are being promoted under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) to help provide good nutrition to those who are unable to afford it.
• The Government of India labeled the year-2018 as ‘The National Year of Millets’ to encourage the increase in production of the millets along with the industries involved in its production. The increase in the production of Millets will help cure hunger and will also lower climate change effects.

Conclusion

The millet agriculture industry is a big boon to India in terms of health and employment. Though the industry is declining, the government schemes seem to encourage the millet culture. Hopefully, it will take on a rise in the coming future.