How can India boost millets cultivation?

The United Nations has, at India’s initiative, declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

India’s own production of these “nutri cereals” — jowar, bajra and ragi and minor millets such as kodo, kutki, kakun, sanwa, cheena and kuttu has fallen from 23-24 million to 19-20 million tonnes over the last 4-5 decades.

Millets aren’t the first choice either of consumers or producers.
Kneading dough and rolling rotis is much easier with wheat than with millet flour.
Wheat has gluten proteins that make the dough more cohesive and elastic.
The resultant breads come out soft, unlike with millets that are gluten-free.
The public distribution system (PDS) has made rice and wheat accessible even to the rural poor, for whom these were previous aspirational cereals.
For farmers, too, millets are orphan crops. With access to irrigation, they will immediately switch to growing wheat and rice that yield 3-4 times more than jowar or bajra.

Millets have nutritional superiority over wheat and rice whether in terms of amino acid profile or vitamins, minerals and crude fiber content.
They are also hardier and drought-resistant crops, which has to do with their short growing season (70-100 days, as against 120-150 days for paddy and wheat) and lower water requirement (350-500 mm versus 600-1,200 mm).

Promote their cultivation in rain-fed semi-arid and hilly terrain areas where they have been well-adapted.
Incentivise farmers in western Rajasthan, southern Karnataka or eastern Madhya Pradesh who are already cultivating bajra, ragi and minor millets to not shift to rice and wheat.
Develop these districts/regions as clusters for particular millets like Dindori in MP for kodo and kutki.

A region-specific strategy and their introduction in mid-day meals in schools and anganwadis could boost millet consumption.
The schools and anganwadis can serve khichdi, dosas, energy bars and puddings made from locally-sourced millets, along with a daily glass of milk and egg for every child.
The need for wholesome nutrition would also be more for children in the very regions that are suited for millet cultivation.

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Today Current Affairs Upsc Exam Syllabus & Previous Yearpaper.