A New Era for Millets: How Government Programs Are Making a Difference

 

Millets have many benefits, but they are mainly consumed by traditional groups, such as tribal communities. One reason for this is the lack of ready-to-eat millet products available in the market.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in millet, and efforts are being made to develop convenient processed millet products. Many families in dry and hilly areas rely on millets for their food, leading to proposals to include millets like jowar, bajra, and ragi in the Public Distribution System.

The government understands how important millets are for food security. As part of the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), which aims to increase overall food grain production by 25 million tonnes, millets have been allocated 2 million tonnes—8% of the total increase.

 

Indian policymakers are now focusing on supporting millet farming. Some of the current government programs to enhance millet production include:

• Integrated Cereals Development Programmes for Coarse Cereals (ICDP-CC): This program is part of the Macro Management of Agriculture (MMA) strategy.
• Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millet Promotion (INSIMP): This initiative is a key component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and aims to support millet production.
• Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP): Another part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), which focuses on improving millet production in areas that depend on rainfall.

These initiatives are crucial for increasing millet production and making these nutritious grains more accessible to a wider population.