#60: Millets Millets Millets, kya hai millets?🤔
Millets story: Important for #UPSC!
Millets Millets Millets. Hai kya millets?🤔
Why is media talking about them everyday?😮
What are millets?🧐
These are Small Grained Cereals! eg: Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Kuttu, Rai, Kutki etc.
History
It finds mention in:
Yajur Veda
Kalidasa’s Abhijnan Shakuntalam
Sushruta’s Samhita
Kautilya’s Arthashastra
Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari
Why so much noise about Millets in news?
⏩COVID, Conflict and Climate pose challenge to global food security
⏩Millets de-risk this challenge
⏩2023: Declared as Int'l Year of Millets on India's initiative
Points to be noted🗿
⏩Among first to be domesticated (evidence from IVC)
⏩India, W. Africa, China & Japan: Home to indigenous crop
⏩Need lesser water than rice & wheat
⏩Widely found millet globally: Jowar
Millets in India 🇮🇳
⏩Widely found millet in India: Bajra
⏩Grown as Kharif crop(s)
⏩7% gross cropped area
Nutritious value of Millets🥗
⏩Protein: 7-12%
⏩Carbs: 65-75%
⏩Fat: 2-5%
⏩Dietary fiber: 15-20%
⏩Called as 'Powerhouse of Nutrition' -OR- nutri-cereals
Benefits of Millets
⏩Eco friendly and healthier
⏩Need less water than rice and wheat
⏩Can be grown in rain-fed areas without irrigation
⏩Iron and Zinc rich thus reducing anaemia burden
⏩Best suited to deal with obesity and diabetes (have niacin)
⏩Gluten free and thus help people with irritable bowel syndrome
⏩High fibre content thus improving gut microbiota therefore keeping one fuller for longer
⏩Belonging to grass family, they are more tolerant to drought & extreme weather conditions, can grow in poor soil & hills
⏩Lower glycaemic index than rice/wheat. This helps in controlling weight and blood sugar levels and therefore reducing risk of heart diseases and even cancers (how much blood sugar level spikes after consuming any food item)
Millets under PDS & MSP
⏩Coarse grains (food grains) under section 2(5) of NFSA 2013
⏩In reality, negligible coarse grains distributed as of now
⏩Government is now pushing to include millets in PDS
⏩MSP for Jowar, Bajra and Ragi (only) as of now
State wide distribution of Millets in India
Jowar
⏩Area: 4.24mn ha 2020-21
⏩Production: 4.78mn tonne
⏩MH>KA>RJ>TN>AP>UP>TS>MP
Bajra
⏩RJ>UP>HR>GJ>MP>MH
Major consumption of which millet in which state:
⏩Gujarat: Jowar & Bajra
⏩Karnataka: Jowar & Ragi
⏩Maharashtra: Jowar & Bajra
⏩Rajasthan & UK: Ragi
Politics on Millets
⏩Food basked of ~60 cr people globally
⏩Mostly grown in Low Income Countries (LIC) of Asia-Africa
⏩India pitched the idea of 2023 as IYM pitching itself as leader of LIC group
⏩Activities around Millets u/ IYM 2023 will be seen as ways of Political Parties to reach out to farming communities in upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Rajasthan & Karnataka.
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