Millets National Media Portal
Millets National Media Portal
Millets in Telangana: A Promise Undermined by Economic Realities
Once hailed as a stronghold of millet cultivation, Telangana now finds its farmers caught in a troubling paradox: while consumer prices for millets continue to climb, the actual earnings for those who grow them remain unacceptably low. This disconnect threatens the future of a crop praised for both its climate resilience and nutritional value.
Millets—often called “nutri-cereals”—have long been recognized for their health benefits and ability to thrive in arid conditions. In a bid to promote their cultivation, the Indian government designated 2023 as the International Year of Millets, aiming to reinvigorate production and raise awareness among consumers.
Yet the numbers tell a sobering story. The total area under millet cultivation in India has shrunk from more than 20 million hectares to just 12 million. Despite government efforts, millets have become economically unviable when compared to more profitable staples like rice and maize. Experts, including those at ICRISAT, link this decline to the crop’s diminishing returns for farmers.
These concerns were front and center at the Millets Summit 2025 in Hyderabad. Vijay Paul Sharma, chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, emphasized that income from millet farming is at least 50% lower than from rice or maize. This significant earnings gap discourages farmers from continuing millet cultivation, even as market demand and consumer prices rise.
To make millet cultivation more financially attractive, researchers and policymakers are exploring an innovative solution—carbon credits. By adopting regenerative farming techniques that enhance soil carbon sequestration, millet growers could generate additional income by selling verified carbon credits on global markets. Though still in its early stages, this approach offers a promising avenue for integrating sustainability with profitability in agriculture.
Revitalizing millet farming will require a comprehensive and multi-pronged strategy. This includes:
With global environmental regulations like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the horizon, embedding sustainability into India’s agricultural landscape is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Millets hold immense promise as a sustainable and nutritious staple for the future. However, that promise can only be realized if farmers—who are the backbone of this vision—receive the economic support they need. By aligning environmental goals with farmer-centric policies, India has a unique opportunity to lead the way toward an equitable, resilient, and climate-smart agricultural future.
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