Lok Sabha Question No. 338 (STARRED), answered on 2025-08-12
Subject: Millet Cultivation and Production
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 338

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## MILLET CULTIVATION AND PRODUCTION

*338. DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

(a) the data on the area under millet cultivation, production and productivity along with the details of the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and agripreneurs provided support in the millet value chain under various Government schemes during the last five years, State and year-wise;

(b) the data on the export of millet-based products during the said period and the extent to which it has changed post-declaration of the International Year of Millets; (c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to incentivise food processing units, startups and exporters engaged in millet-based products; (d)  the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  millet cultivation, processing and consumption in the country; and Price enhancements or assured procurement for minor millets to incentivise farmers, if so, the

(e) whether the Government is considering to provide Minimum Support details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  338  FOR  12 TH   AUGUST,  2025  REGARDING  'MILLET CULTIVATION AND PRODUCTION'

(a):    India is the world's largest producer of millets with a share of 38.4% of world's production (FAO, 2023). The  country has achieved the total  millet  production  of  180.15  lakh  tonnes during 2024-25 (as per 3 rd  Advance Estimate) which is higher by 4.43 lakh tonnes from the previous  year's  production.  The  data  on  the  area  under  millet  cultivation,  production  and productivity during the last five years, State-wise and year-wise is provided in Annexure I .

Out of the 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), 412 FPOs are formed with millets as primary crop and 143 FPOs are formed with millets as secondary crop. The statewise no. of FPOs with primary and secondary crop millets is given in Annexure II.

The Government is implementing 'Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development' programme  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PM-RKVY)  in  which  5 Knowledge  Partners  and  24  RKVY  Agribusiness  Incubators  (R-ABIs)  provide  training  & incubate startups for implementation of this programme, which includes one of the R-ABI i.e. ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad, Telangana to promote millet based startups. Till date, financial assistance of Rs. 146.38 crore have been released to 1943 agri startups including 151 millet based startups . The details of these 151 millet based startups is at Annexure III.

(b): During 2024-25, India has exported 121.37 thousand metric tonnes of millets. The details of crop-wise exports under millets during the last five years is at Annexure IV.

(c) & (d): To promote millet cultivation and consumption  across the country, and to incentivize food processing units, start-ups, and exporters engaged in millet-based products, the Government of India has undertaken a series of targeted interventions across the value chain.

A key initiative in this regard is the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP), launched for the period from FY 2022-2023 to FY 2026-2027 with a financial outlay of ₹800 crore. The scheme aims to promote the use of millets in food products and encourage value addition by providing incentives for the manufacturing of selected milletbased products and supporting their sale in both domestic and export markets.

To  facilitate  the  export  of  millets  and  millet-based  products,  the  Agricultural  and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has undertaken several initiatives, including capacity-building programmes,  virtual buyer-seller meets, global marketing  campaigns,  and  the  development  of  a  dedicated  millet  web  portal  and  ecatalogues.  It  has  also  established  an  Export  Promotion  Forum  (EPF)  and  is  actively collaborating with start-ups, research institutions, and international agencies to strengthen the export ecosystem for millets.

In  addition,  assistance  is  being  extended  to  start-ups  engaged  in  the  development  of value-added millet products, particularly in the Ready-to-Cook (RTC) and Ready-to-Eat (RTE) segments.  Start-ups  in  the  food  sector  are  being  mobilized  to  drive  innovation  and commercialisation in this area. To  further facilitate trade and  traceability, separate Harmonized  System  (HS)  codes  have  been  introduced  for  millets  and  their  value-added products.

Under  the  'Innovation  and  Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development'  programme,  financial support upto Rs. 5 lakhs are provided at the idea/pre seed stage and upto Rs. 25 lakhs at the seed  stage  to entrepreneurs/ startups in agriculture &  allied sector  based  on  the recommendation  given  by  the  Selection  and  Investment  Committee  (SIC).  Trainings, Technical and financial assistance is provided to startups to launch their products, services, business  platforms,  etc.  in  the  market  and  facilitate  them  to  scale  up  their  products  and operations to attain business viability.

On  the  production  side,  to  increase  the  cultivation  and  productivity  of  millets  (Shree Anna), the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing a Sub-Mission on Nutri-Cereals  under  the  National  Food  Security  &  Nutrition  Mission  (NFSNM)  in  all districts of 28 States & 2 Union Territories viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Millets have also been integrated in major national nutrition and welfare programmes. Under the Poshan Abhiyan of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, millets are being promoted for their nutritional benefits. Furthermore, the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution has revised its procurement guidelines to ensure greater inclusion of millets under schemes  such  as  the  Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS),  Integrated  Child Development  Services  (ICDS),  and  the  Mid-Day  Meal  scheme,  thereby  increasing  millet consumption among vulnerable populations.

Following a proposal  by India,  backed  by  more  than  70  countries,  the  United Nations  General  Assembly,  at  its  75th  session  in  March  2021,  declared  2023  as  the International Year of Millets. The year-long celebration successfully raised awareness about the  nutritional  and  health  benefits  of  millet  consumption,  the  suitability  of  millets  for cultivation  under  adverse  and  changing  climatic  conditions,  and  the  benefits  of  creating sustainable market opportunities for producers and consumers

During its Presidency, India organised the two-day Global Millets Conference in March 2023 in New Delhi bringing together participants from more than 102 countries. The global  conference,  dedicated  to  the  IYM  2023,  facilitated  discourse  on  important  issues related to millets which included its production and consumption, nutritional benefits, value chain development, market linkages, and research and development.

In  addition,  a  series  of  'Millet  Mahotsav'  were  organised  in  30  districts  of  various States/UTs as a part of International Year of Millet (IYOM 2023) to provide support for micro food  processing  entrepreneurs,  particularly  those  engaged  in  the  processing  of  millet products. It aimed to foster start-ups, entrepreneurs and boost the micro sector of the food industry.

(e): To incentivise farmers, the Government allows the procurement of Minor Millet such as  Foxtail  Millet  (Kangani/Kakun),  Proso  Millet  (Cheena),  Kodo  Millet  (Kodo),  little  millet (Kutki) and Pseudo Millets such as Buck-wheat (kuttu) and Ameranthus (Chaulai) for 3 years (from 2023) at cost based on the MSP of Ragi, which has increased from Rs. 3846 per quintal in 2023-24 to Rs. 4290 per quintal in 2024-25 and Rs. 4886 per quintal in    2025-26.

## STATE-WISE AREA, PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MILLETS

| State             | Area (Thousand Hectare)   | Area (Thousand Hectare)   | Area (Thousand Hectare)   | Area (Thousand Hectare)   | Area (Thousand Hectare)   | Production (Thousand Tonnes)   | Production (Thousand Tonnes)   | Production (Thousand Tonnes)   | Production (Thousand Tonnes)   | Production (Thousand Tonnes)   | Productivity (Kg./Hect.)   | Productivity (Kg./Hect.)   | Productivity (Kg./Hect.)   | Productivity (Kg./Hect.)   | Productivity (Kg./Hect.)   |
|-------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| State             | 2020-21                   | 2021-22                   | 2022-23                   | 2023-24                   | 2024-25                   | 2020-21                        | 2021-22                        | 2022-23                        | 2023-24                        | 2024-25                        | 2020- 21                   | 2021- 22                   | 2022- 23                   | 2023- 24                   | 2024- 25                   |
| Andhra Pradesh    | 206.00                    | 152.00                    | 133.00                    | 168.54                    | 165.00                    | 540.61                         | 359.15                         | 375.92                         | 428.59                         | 417.89                         | 2624                       | 2363                       | 2826                       | 2543                       | 2533                       |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 26.82                     | 27.12                     | 27.46                     | 27.76                     | #                         | 27.62                          | 28.01                          | 28.45                          | 28.79                          | #                              | 1030                       | 1033                       | 1036                       | 1037                       | #                          |
| Assam             | 4.97                      | 4.82                      | 6.00                      | 8.73                      | 7.00                      | 3.26                           | 3.20                           | 4.79                           | 6.76                           | 5.15                           | 656                        | 664                        | 799                        | 775                        | 735                        |
| Bihar             | 10.38                     | 8.48                      | 7.16                      | 7.28                      | 9.01                      | 10.31                          | 8.51                           | 7.18                           | 7.01                           | 8.78                           | 993                        | 1004                       | 1003                       | 962                        | 974                        |
| Chhattisgarh      | 92.20                     | 56.88                     | 47.52                     | 44.62                     | 40.85                     | 26.24                          | 28.18                          | 23.54                          | 25.94                          | 19.34                          | 285                        | 495                        | 495                        | 581                        | 473                        |
| Gujarat           | 520.26                    | 510.48                    | 551.56                    | 584.65                    | 543.19                    | 1091.97                        | 1179.08                        | 1364.09                        | 1408.90                        | 1348.09                        | 2099                       | 2310                       | 2473                       | 2410                       | 2482                       |
| Haryana           | 600.48                    | 506.49                    | 553.09                    | 546.96                    | 592.31                    | 1366.56                        | 1132.15                        | 1213.97                        | 1171.12                        | 1261.72                        | 2276                       | 2235                       | 2195                       | 2141                       | 2130                       |
| Himachal Pradesh  | 3.53                      | 3.38                      | 3.27                      | 3.00                      | 3.04                      | 3.13                           | 2.49                           | 2.33                           | 2.08                           | 2.24                           | 886                        | 737                        | 712                        | 691                        | 739                        |
| Jharkhand         | 20.77                     | 20.73                     | 17.44                     | 32.92                     | 42.86                     | 17.72                          | 18.07                          | 13.62                          | 31.95                          | 48.11                          | 853                        | 872                        | 781                        | 970                        | 1123                       |
| Karnataka         | 1783.00                   | 1638.00                   | 1527.00                   | 1792.00                   | 1692.00                   | 2569.08                        | 2053.60                        | 2032.60                        | 2161.54                        | 2278.59                        | 1441                       | 1254                       | 1331                       | 1206                       | 1347                       |
| Madhya Pradesh    | 517.00                    | 555.00                    | 605.00                    | 615.00                    | 483.00                    | 1024.13                        | 1181.40                        | 1253.55                        | 1302.01                        | 1145.56                        | 1981                       | 2129                       | 2072                       | 2117                       | 2372                       |
| Maharashtra       | 2885.00                   | 2456.90                   | 2034.50                   | 2271.60                   | 2250.47                   | 2513.82                        | 2305.38                        | 1898.58                        | 2163.74                        | 2558.03                        | 871                        | 938                        | 933                        | 953                        | 1137                       |
| Nagaland          | 10.17                     | 8.67                      | 12.52                     | 18.04                     | #                         | 11.31                          | 8.22                           | 14.00                          | 19.82                          | #                              | 1112                       | 948                        | 1118                       | 1099                       | #                          |
| Odisha            | 83.33                     | 101.05                    | 93.05                     | 115.73                    | 71.98                     | 55.16                          | 68.08                          | 76.34                          | 94.83                          | 58.90                          | 662                        | 674                        | 820                        | 819                        | 818                        |
| Rajasthan         | 4914.58                   | 4362.79                   | 5212.45                   | 4801.07                   | 4997.47                   | 5155.67                        | 4279.74                        | 5673.60                        | 4885.68                        | 5395.64                        | 1049                       | 981                        | 1088                       | 1018                       | 1080                       |
| Tamil Nadu        | 580.22                    | 554.61                    | 489.74                    | 495.75                    | 474.71                    | 905.26                         | 765.48                         | 630.22                         | 676.37                         | 766.00                         | 1560                       | 1380                       | 1287                       | 1364                       | 1614                       |
| Telangana         | 102.00                    | 74.00                     | 73.00                     | 114.00                    | 171.56                    | 166.33                         | 122.76                         | 132.40                         | 255.58                         | 305.84                         | 1631                       | 1659                       | 1814                       | 2242                       | 1783                       |
| Uttar Pradesh     | 1093.00                   | 1083.00                   | 1155.00                   | 1348.00                   | 1129.12                   | 2298.20                        | 2225.65                        | 2368.58                        | 2699.53                        | 2158.10                        | 2103                       | 2055                       | 2051                       | 2003                       | 1911                       |
| Uttarakhand       | 138.00                    | 133.00                    | 115.00                    | 109.26                    | 106.00                    | 200.85                         | 200.38                         | 175.77                         | 167.57                         | 154.99                         | 1455                       | 1507                       | 1528                       | 1534                       | 1462                       |
| West Bengal       | 7.05                      | 6.87                      | 5.56                      | 7.21                      | 6.31                      | 6.98                           | 7.74                           | 6.19                           | 6.61                           | 6.05                           | 991                        | 1126                       | 1114                       | 917                        | 959                        |
| Others            | 34.66                     | 24.69                     | 29.16                     | 33.04                     | 78.14                     | 26.34                          | 22.49                          | 25.50                          | 27.20                          | 75.61                          | 760                        | 911                        | 874                        | 823                        | 966                        |
| All India         | 13633.42                  | 12288.96                  | 12698.48                  | 13145.16                  | 12864.02                  | 18020.55                       | 15999.76                       | 17321.22                       | 17571.62                       | 18014.63                       | 1322                       | 1302                       | 1364                       | 1337                       | 1400                       |

Data for the year 2024-25 is as per 3rd Advance Estimate.                                                                                                                                                                                           Source: DA&FW

#- Included in Others

## Annexure I

State-wise FPOs having millets as primary / secondary crops (as per MIS 05.08.2025)

| State Name        |   # FPOs with Millets as Primary Crop | # FPOs with Millets as Secondary Crop   |
|-------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh    |                                    26 | 7                                       |
| Arunachal Pradesh |                                     6 |                                         |
| Assam             |                                     2 |                                         |
| Bihar             |                                     4 | 1                                       |
| Chhattisgarh      |                                    22 | 3                                       |
| Gujarat           |                                    20 | 10                                      |
| Haryana           |                                    23 | 15                                      |
| Himachal Pradesh  |                                     1 |                                         |
| Jammu and Kashmir |                                     1 | 1                                       |
| Jharkhand         |                                     2 | 2                                       |
| Karnataka         |                                    82 | 23                                      |
| Kerala            |                                     1 |                                         |
| Madhya Pradesh    |                                    22 | 6                                       |
| Maharashtra       |                                    31 | 8                                       |
| Odisha            |                                    11 | 5                                       |
| Rajasthan         |                                    67 | 22                                      |
| Tamil Nadu        |                                    32 | 3                                       |
| Telangana         |                                     9 | 3                                       |
| Tripura           |                                     1 |                                         |
| Uttar Pradesh     |                                    38 | 25                                      |
| Uttarakhand       |                                    11 | 9                                       |
| Total             |                                   412 | 143                                     |

Source: SFAC

State-wise list of millet based agri-Startups

| State            |   No. of Agri Startups |
|------------------|------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh   |                      9 |
| ASSAM            |                      1 |
| Bihar            |                      4 |
| Chhattisgarh     |                      3 |
| Delhi            |                      1 |
| Goa              |                      1 |
| Gujarat          |                      5 |
| Haryana          |                      5 |
| Himachal Pradesh |                      3 |
| Jharkhand        |                      1 |
| Karnataka        |                     16 |
| Madhya Pradesh   |                      3 |
| Maharashtra      |                     18 |
| New Delhi        |                      1 |
| Odisha           |                      5 |
| Puducherry       |                      1 |
| Punjab           |                      2 |
| Rajasthan        |                      5 |
| Tamil Nadu       |                     15 |
| Telangana        |                     43 |
| Uttar Pradesh    |                      6 |
| Uttarakhand      |                      3 |
| Total            |                    151 |

Source:DA&FW

## EXPORT OF MILLETS FROM INDIA

******

## Annexure IV

(Qty in Thousand MT and Value in Rs. Crore)

| Crop          |   2020-21 Qty |   2020-21 Value(INR) |   2021-22 Qty |   2021-22 Value(INR) |   2022-23 Qty |   2022-23 Value(INR) |   2023-24 Qty |   2023-24 Value(INR) |   2024-25 Qty |   2024-25 Value(INR) |
|---------------|---------------|----------------------|---------------|----------------------|---------------|----------------------|---------------|----------------------|---------------|----------------------|
| Jowar         |         42.34 |               130.82 |         50.47 |               150.51 |         47.25 |               184.5  |         37.05 |               153.25 |         37.93 |               155.07 |
| Bajra         |         58.44 |               131.29 |         64.47 |               149.11 |         81.71 |               246.68 |         73.31 |               229.08 |         56    |               192.71 |
| Ragi          |         25.41 |                56.97 |         23.26 |                52.01 |         21.44 |                51.99 |         18.86 |                64.07 |         18.56 |                65.45 |
| Small Millets |          1.61 |                 6.92 |          0.71 |                 3.53 |          1.1  |                 5.7  |          3.77 |                42.13 |          8.88 |                89.12 |
| Total         |        127.8  |               326    |        138.91 |               355.17 |        151.49 |               488.88 |        132.99 |               488.53 |        121.37 |               502.35 |

Source: DGCIS