“The area under cultivation of various millets in India has been declining and the underlying reasons behind it could be attributed to the promotion of rice and wheat vis-a-vis millet production and lack of suitable initiatives towards millets,” a Niti Aayog report said.
The government think tank NITI Aayog released a report on April 26 titled Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States, UTs of India. Millets which were once an integral part of the Indian diet have been almost forgotten due to various demand and supply challenges.
India produces all the nine commonly known traditional millets viz. Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Finger Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Little Millet, Barnyard Millet, Brown top Millet and Kodo Millet. Millets are also the most secure crops for small farmers as they are resilient and climate-adaptable in both hot and drought environments.
