Millets, christened as ‘Shree Anna’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are back in focus, thanks to the government’s policy push. Not only is 2023 the ‘Year of Millets’, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly upon India’s proposal, the Parliament canteen, too, has gotten a new menu that includes traditional yet increasingly disappearing dishes like jowar vegetable upma, bajra khichdi, ragi ladoo, and bajre ka choorma.

The Union Budget, too, held provisions for millet outreach, like anointing Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) as a Centre of Excellence (CoE), for sharing best practices, technologies and research regarding millets. “In the past, millets suffered primarily due to lack of policy support vis-a-vis other crops like rice and wheat,” says IIMR principal scientist Dayakar Rao B. The hospitality sector as well as FMCG brands, too, have jumped on the bandwagon, offering millet buffets and millet cookies, noodles and pasta.

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All positive steps, yet ironic at the same time. Long before rice and wheat took over our plates and fad foods like quinoa made their way into the Indian diet via Instagram feeds, millets featured prominently on plates across states. From bajra khichdi and choorma in Rajasthan, and jolada rotti (sorghum bread) in Karnataka, to mandia (finger millet) roti of Odisha and zan (finger millet porridge) of Arunachal Pradesh, millets have remained an intrinsic part of Indians’ diet, probably since the Indus Valley Civilisation in 3000 BC where the earliest traces of these were found.

India continues to be the biggest producer of millets. However, while it comprised 20% of India’s food grain basket up to 1965-70, it has come down to 6% with the increased dominance of rice and wheat. The consumption has dipped too. Take the case of rural regions, where the per capita consumption of millets declined by 38.6% from 1972-73 to 1987-88, and that of rice and wheat increased 6.8% and 27.3%, respectively, as per reports. Evidently, the Green Revolution (1965) to ensure food security played a role here.

Diet preference

“After the Green Revolution, rice and wheat got a lot of policy push in terms of input subsidies and output incentives, such as fertiliser, irrigation, and electricity subsidies, which were all for irrigated ecosystems. On the other hand, the dryland ecosystem was deprived of it, hence the millets were deprived,” Dr Rao explains. Data suggests, while the production of millets did not come down much, the area under cultivation reduced considerably, from 35-million-hectare (mha) pre-Green Revolution period to 14 mha.

Speaking on the reasons behind the preference, the scientist says, “Rice and wheat are called fine cereals. There is a lot of convenience in them. What is easier to make—a jowar chapati or a wheat chapati? The former is inconvenient to make as there is no gluten in it. So, it was better to give people what was convenient. Also, rice and wheat have been thoroughly researched by the whole world and their processing was well-determined,” he says.

As a result, rice and wheat took over the millet eaters’ plates despite the latter being healthier in multiple aspects, such as they are recommended for those with diabetes. “Millets are known to have a low glycaemic index, which means they cause a slower rise in blood sugar levels compared to rice and wheat. This is because millets are high in fibre and complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest and absorb. Therefore, it is recommended for people with diabetes to include millets as a part of their balanced diet,” says Dr Eileen Canday, head of department, nutrition and dietetics, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre. This aspect is crucial as India has the second-highest number of diabetics, following China.

“These are gluten free and good for those who have celiac disease or gluten allergy or gluten intolerance,” says Prachi Jain, HOD, nutrition and dietetics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.

Not only diabetes, but anaemia, too, is a major health concern with over half of all women and children in India being anaemic. “Millets are a good source of iron, and their consumption can help prevent iron deficiency anaemia,” says Dr Canday. “Among the different types of millets, the ones that are particularly good sources of iron include: pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), foxtail millet (kangni), sorghum (jowar),” the expert recommends.

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“Increasing millet intake can also help in combating the rise of lifestyle diseases. Incorporating them in the diet can help reduce the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases,” Dr Canday adds.

Along with health, climate benefits feature prominently in the government’s pitch for ‘Shree Anna’. At the ‘Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference’, Modi highlighted the climate resilience of millets, as these can grow in adverse climates, requiring little water, often not requiring chemicals. “This means millets protect the health of humans and the land,” the PM had said.

Dr CV Ratnavathi, principal scientist, IIMR, says, “In the case of millets, there are no major diseases or pests; hence, no pesticides are used. They are naturally organic and require very few inputs.” However, considering all this, is it enough to encourage farmers to grow more millets? Also, is the push enough for consumers to make the major change in their diet?

Farmers’ position

The Centre announces MSP (minimum support price) for some millets like jowar, bajra and ragi, along with wheat and rice. “While they procure wheat and rice in case the market price falls, where is the procurement for millets? If you ask the Centre, they say procurement is a state subject,” says Dr Rao, adding that some states have started procuring them.

As per a report published in The Indian Express in March, the Centre had till then procured just 17% of the approved quantity of millets and coarse grains.

Apart from output incentives, input incentives, too, play a role. While the Centre’s bid largely focuses on the demand, various state governments have rolled out policies to support the millet farmers.

“Around 2012, the Centre tried to incentivise farmers through some incentives like free inputs. But that was not taken up by the state governments,” Dr Rao says. However, that served as a learning and now many state governments are coming with provisions, he adds. For example, in Chhattisgarh, millet farmers are provided input subsidy of Rs 9,000 and millets like kodo and kutki-ragi are procured at support price. Similarly, the Odisha government under its Millet Mission provides incentives to farmers of up to Rs 9,500 per hectare (ha) over a three-year period to shift to millet cultivation. Other states, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Assam, have also launched similar millet missions.

Consumers’ case

Since the Green Revolution, while the millet yield has increased, the area under cultivation has come down from more than 35 million ha to less than 15 million ha. As per Dr Rao, the lack of demand is to blame here rather than the supply. “While technology is available to sustain the supply, the area came down in the absence of demand,” he comments.

With India featuring at 107 out of 121 countries in the 2022 Global Hunger Index, many have made the case for including ‘Shree Anna’ in the public distribution system (PDS). Speaking at the National Nutri-Cereal Convention 4.0 in Hyderabad last year, Telangana agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy urged the Centre to include millets in the PDS so as to push their demand. He further highlighted that the state government was already promoting the same by including it in the diet offered through ICDS programmes.

In states like Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, millets will also be a part of mid-day meals provided to school children.

“Nutritionally, they are sound. There is no doubt about it,” says Dr Ratnavathi on whether inclusion of millets in PDS and mid-day meals can be the way forward. “It can be done stepwise, starting with millet-consuming states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat,” she adds.

Dr Rao points out that although supplementing millets into the diet can be a good way forward, focus should also be on bringing convenient products to not add to the drudgery of ground workers, making their jobs tougher. “Some form of packaged products can be supplied,” he says, adding: “Regarding mid-day meals, taste should be factored in as kids need that.”

Top FMCG companies like Britannia, HUL, Nestle and ITC have recently accelerated their millet-based offerings, not to mention companies like Tata Soulfull and Slurpp Farms, whose portfolio is centred on the nutri-cereals. Many of these have collaborated with IIMR for technology and research. “Soulfull was launched over 10 years ago with the purpose of bringing back ancient millets in modern formats,” says MD and CEO Prashant Parameswaran. The company, which offers products like Ragi Bites, Millet Muesli and Masala Oats, has been seeing strong growth across segments over the years, which was accelerated over the last year with increased consumer awareness of millets during the International Year of Millets 2023, Parameswaran adds.

Britannia, too, has incorporated millets in its product basket through its flagship brand NutriChoice. “Our portfolio includes DFE, Ragi, Oats, 5 Grains, and other variants that are specifically designed to address nutritional and taste palates for varied occasions and conditions,” says Sudhir Nema, chief development and quality officer, Britannia Industries. “The response has been very good, and we are seeing an increasing demand for our millet-based products. With growing health awareness, consumers are now seeking nutritious and wholesome options,” he adds.

Similarly, post a successful pilot in Tamil Nadu, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), introduced Millet Horlicks in chocolate flavour across south Indian states. “Millets have been an integral part of south Indian households and we are happy to introduce the staple food in a multi millet offering for children in our health-food drinks category,” says Krishnan Sundaram, vice president and business head, nutrition, HUL, commenting on the launch.

However, there is always a question mark over the nutritional profile of packaged items. While Dr Rao opines that millets are better than other baseline food bases like maida (refined flour) and polished rice, Sreemathy Venkatraman, chief dietitian at Trustwell hospitals and founder of Mitha Aahara–Eat to Live, recommends to always “go through the nutritional label to not be fooled in the name of millets. The product which has the highest composition is always placed at the top”.

Not only FMCG companies but hotels, too, are increasingly incorporating millets into their menu. “We have been giving millet-based dishes in our breakfast buffet since last year,” says chef Vikash Anand, The Ashoka Hotel. Although the demand currently is paltry, some customers are demanding with the rise in awareness, he says. The Delhi-based hotel, owned by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), held a Millet Festival in March, where the response was “satisfactory”, according to the chef.

Naren Thimmaiah, executive chef at Vivanta, Bengaluru, says, “We have millet dishes, such as ragi dosa and upma, in our daily breakfast buffet.” Speaking on whether customers are asking for them or are they consciously introducing such dishes in the menu, the chef says, “It is both ways. There is now awareness. So, we are also more confident now to put these kinds of dishes on our menu.”

JW Marriott Mussoorie, too, has exclusive millet-based dishes in its Mediterranean outlet Wisteria Deck. “Millet has also made its way into our Indian kitchen with the most loved Tandoori millet roti that is made of finger millet,” says associate F&B director Rajeev Kathait. The hotel sources the produce locally. “Garhwal is blessed with local millets like barnyard millet (jhangora), finger millet (manduwa). We majorly source millets from local suppliers of Uttarakhand and the most used millet is finger millet,” he adds.

Stressing on the need to increase productivity, Dr Rao says: “Again, my worry is, the produce is limited, and the industry will be fighting for this share. Then the government will pull up to get it. So, what is the way out? Productivity has to increase,” he says.

Apart from input and output subsidies, more areas should be brought under millet cultivation. “In coastal Andhra Pradesh, many rice-growing farmers took it as a second crop and saw good yields. While the average tonnage in the country is one tonne per ha, it is 8 tonne per ha there,” he says.

The Year of Millets only lasts this year. Then what? A sustained effort by the Centre and state governments along with the industry can keep the interest high, both in terms of demand and supply.