Lok Sabha Question No. 3060 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-22
Subject: Millets as Superfood
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3060

## TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22 ND  MARCH, 2022

## MILLETS AS SUPERFOOD

3060. SHRI LAVU SRI KRISHNA DEVARAYALU:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कल् याण मंी be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is true that Millets are considered as super foods world over and if so, is it also true that our country is the land of Millets including organic Millets;

(b) whether it is also true that there is lack of incentives on Millet exports and if so, whether we can be a world leader in organic products if handholding is given to organic producers;

(c) whether it is true that production of millets has dropped drastically from 2020 to 2021 and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government is helping farmers with post harvest management of millets and  despite  the  high  nutritional  and  health  value  of  millets  it's  primary  usageis  being diverted from consumption to other aspects; and

(e)  if  so,  whether  the  Government  is  doing  anything  to  prevent  this  and  is  there  any proposal for adding millets to the midday meal programme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ ष एवं कसान कल् याण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) & (b): Millets  are  food  grains  having  high  nutritional  features  and  health  benefits and are cultivated with minimal water & inputs.  They are cultivated across the country in various agro-ecological regions, having less infestation of pest and diseases and thus can be grown easily as organic crops.  Consequent to the initiative of the Government of India, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM). This will create both domestic and global demand and enhance exports from India.  To give impetus to the export of potential products as well as to remove the bottlenecks in the supply chain of nutri cereals, the Government, through Agricultural and Processed Food Products  Export  Development  Authority  (APEDA)  has  created  Nutri  Cereals  Export Promotion Forum.

(c) to (e): The  production  of  millets  has  increased  from  17.26  million  tonne  during 2019-20 to 18.02 million tonne in 2020-21. Under National Food Security Mission (NFMS) programme, the NFSM-Nutri Cereals is being implemented in 212 districts of 14 states. Under NFSM, assistance is given through state governments to farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system,  distribution  of  seeds  of  High  Yielding  Varieties  (HYVs)/hybrids,  improved  farm machineries/resource  conservation  machineries/tools,  efficient  water  application  tools, plant  protection  measures,  nutrient  management/soil  ameliorants,  processing  &  postharvest equipments, cropping system based trainings to the farmers etc.

The mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural research (ICAR) & State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for technology back stopping  and  transfer  of  technology  to  the  farmer  under  supervision  of  Subject  Matter Specialists/Scientists. The research organizations are supported for undertaking research projects  that  can  help  enhancing  production  and  productivity  of  food  crops.  The  State Governments can also promote cultivation of millets under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture & Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY- RAFTAAR) with the approval of the State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) constituted under the chairmanship of the chief secretary of the State.

To improve acreage, production and productivity of millets across the country, the ICAR through its  nodal  research  institute  on  millets,  Indian  Institute  of  Millets  Research (IIMR),  Hyderabad  is  giving  emphasis  on  development  of  high  yielding  climate  resilient new  varieties/hybrids  which  are  tolerant  to  biotic  and  abiotic  stresses  with  enhanced quality.  The  Government  is  popularizing  nutri-cereals  through  Research  &Development support and has established 3 Centres of Excellence (CoE). Support is also given to startups  and  entrepreneurs  for  developing  recipes  &  value  added  products  that  promotes consumption of millets.

In  order  to  facilitate  the  movement  of  the  millets,  Government  has  revised  the guidelines for movement of the surplus production of millets to other States. The provision of  inter-state  transportation  of  surplus  millets  through  Food  Corporation  of India  (FCI)  is incorporated to cater for advance demand placed by consuming state before the start of procurement.

The  Government  is  implementing  Pradhan  Mantri  Poshan  Shakti  Nirman  (PM POSHAN),  earlier  known  as  'National  Programme  on  Mid-Day  Meal  in  Schools'  for providing one hot cooked meal in Government and Government-aided schools from 202122 to 2025-26, wherein millets can be used by States/UTs under the scheme.

*****