Lok Sabha Question No. 1543 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-12
Subject: Promoting the Production of Millets
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: P. Velusamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1543

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12 th  DECEMBER, 2023

## PROMOTING THE PRODUCTION OF MILLETS

1543. SHRI VELUSAMY P.:

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

- (a)    the status of production of Millets (Shree Anna) in the country;
- (b) the  objective  behind  the  continuous  promotion  of  production  of  Millets  by  the Government,
- (c) the manner in which Shree Anna is beneficial to health; and
- (d)  the objectives of research on 'super food' being conducted by the Central Technology Research Institute?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी

(SHRI ARJUN MUNDA)

- (a):        As  per  the  latest  data  available  for  an  complete  agricultural  year  (July-June) including kharif, rabi and summer season, the all-India production of millets (Shree Anna) during 2022- 23 was 173.20 lakh tonnes comprising of 38.14 lakh tonnes of Jowar, 114.31 lakh tonnes of Bajra, 16.91 lakh tonnes of Ragi and 3.84 lakh tonnes of small millets. The details of millets production during 2021-22 and 2022-23 is as under:

| S.No.   | Nutri-Cereals (Shree Anna)   | Production (in Lakh Tonnes)   | Production (in Lakh Tonnes)   |
|---------|------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| S.No.   | Nutri-Cereals (Shree Anna)   | 2021-22                       | 2022-23                       |
| 1       | Bajra                        | 97.81                         | 114.31                        |
| 2       | Jowar                        | 41.51                         | 38.14                         |
| 3       | Ragi                         | 17.01                         | 16.91                         |
| 4       | Small Millets                | 3.67                          | 3.84                          |
|         | Total                        | 160.00                        | 173.20                        |

(b) & (c):      To create domestic and global demand and to provide nutritional food to the people,  Government  of  India  had  proposed  to  United  Nations  for  declaring  2023  as International Year of Millets (IYM). The proposal of India was supported by 72 countries and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as International Year of Millets  during  March,  2021.  The  Government  of  India  has  taken  a  proactive  multistakeholder engagement approach (engaging various central government Ministries/Departments,  States/UTs,  farmers,  start-ups,  exporters,  retail  businesses, hotels, Indian Embassies etc.) to achieve the objectives of IYM 2023 and taking Indian millets globally.

The action  plan  of IYM-2023 focuses on  strategies to enhance  production  and productivity, consumption, export, strengthening value chain, branding, creating awareness for health benefits etc. The Government of India is celebrating the year 2023 as 'International Year of Millets' to make it peoples' movement so that the Indian millets, recipes, value added products be promoted globally. Millets were promoted during G20 presidency in India, Millet Culinary carnival, International Trade Events, Chef's Conference, exhibition of Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs), road shows, kisan melas, Chef's training for paramilitary forces, ASEAN India Millet Festival at Indonesia etc.

A key event organized towards International Year of Millets was the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference, held from 18th - 19th March 2023 at IARI Pusa campus, New Delhi which was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister. To make India a global hub for  'Shree Anna', the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad has been declared as the  Global Centre of Excellence for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the national and international level.

The Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), Hyderabad is also providing training to  the  farmers,  women  farmers, home  makers, students and  young entrepreneurs on manufacturing  of  value-added  millet  food  products,  daily  recipes  etc.,  and  supporting them  to establish self-enterprise.  The  institute  has  also  developed  value-added technologies include 'Ready to Eat' and 'Ready to Cook' for millet foods, branding of millet  foods  under  'Eatrite'  tag,  organized  awareness  programmes,  agri-business incubator, technology business incubators etc.

During 2014 to 2023, a total of 229 Millets varieties comprising 67 of Sorghum, 68 of Pearl millet; 19 of Little millet; 7 of Proso millet; 11 of Kodo millet; 40 of Finger millet; 10 of Foxtail millet, 1 of Brown top millet and 6 of Barnyard millet have been released by Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC) for cultivation in different agro-ecologies of country. The  new  Regional  Research  Centre  for  Bajra  at  Gudamalani,  near  Barmer, Rajasthan has been inaugurated on 27th September, 2023.  To strengthen the research collaboration and public awareness of millets globally, a new initiative viz., 'Millets and OtHer Ancient GRains International ReSearcH Initiative (MAHARISHI) has been adopted during the G20 Presidency. Millets are considered to be the next super foods or Nutri-cereals as they are gluten free,  non-  allergenic  and  good  sources  of  proteins,  carbohydrates,  dietary  fibre  and essential  amino  acids.  Most  of  the  millets  are  non-acid  forming,  non-glutinous,  highly nutritious, and easily digestible foods. Millets are rich sources of minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. It also contains appreciable amounts of  dietary  fibre  and  vitamins  such  as  folic  acid,  vitamin  B6,  β-  Carotene,  and  niacin. Therefore, regular consumption of millets can help to overcome malnutrition Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  has  approved  the  Production Linked  Incentive  Scheme  for  Food  Processing  Industry  for  Millet-based  products (PLISMBP) for  implementation  during  2022-23  to  2026-27  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  800 crores. Millets are also included under the Poshan Abhiyan of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.  Further, the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution has revised its guidelines to increase the procurement of millets under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meal. Under the Eat Right campaign, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is creating awareness to promote the use of millets as part of a healthy and varied  diet.  In  continuation  to  the  efforts  towards  mainstreaming  millets,  a  'Millets Experience Centre (MEC)' has been opened at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi with an aim to raise awareness on Millets and encourage its adoption among general public.

To  encourage  consumption  of  Shree  Anna  among  government  employees,  all Government offices have been advised to include Shree Anna snacks in departmental trainings/meetings and Shree Anna based food items in departmental canteens. In  order  to  increase  the  production  &  productivity  of  millets  (Shree  Anna),  the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing a Sub-Mission on Nutri-Cereals (Millets) under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in all districts of 28 States & 2 Union Territories viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The Nutri-Cereals (millets)  such  as  Sorghum  (Jowar),  Pearl  Millet  (Bajra),  Finger  Millet  (Ragi/Mandua), Minor  Millets  i.e.,  Foxtail  Millet  (Kangani/Kakun),  Proso  Millet  (Cheena),  Kodo  Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet  (Sawa/Sanwa/ Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki) and two  Pseudo Millets  Buck-wheat  (Kuttu)  and  Amaranthus  (Chaulai)  are  covered  under  NFSM programme. The Government of India also provides flexibility to the states for state specific needs/priorities under Rashtirya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The states can promote Millets (Shree Anna) under RKVY with approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) headed by Chief Secretary of the State. In addition, states such as Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Odisha,  Rajasthan,  Tamil Nadu,  Uttarakhand  and  Uttar  Pradesh  have  initiated  Millet  Missions  in  the  States  to promote millets.

(d):    The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Food Technological Research  Institute  (CFTRI),  Mysore  has  been  carrying  out  research  work  on  millets, covering  both  basic  and  applied  research  since  1950.  The  institute  is  carrying  out extensive  research  work  on  millets  under  different  verticals  such  as  establishing  the health benefits, processing of millets for value addition, developing different products and technologies on millets including machinery development. CSIR-CFTRI has published more than 250 research papers, developed 53 technologies, 16 patents and 19 Ph. D. thesis  exclusively  on  millets.  The  research  work  of  CSIR-CFTRI  include  nutritional profiling of millets, promotion of region- specific millet products, shelf-life enhancement of the millets products, global awareness of health and nutritional attributes of millets etc.

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