Why Sitharaman called millets 'Shree Anna' - the mother of all grains

Rendered 'orphan crops' post the Green Revolution, these healthy grains have got renewed push

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described millets as ‘Shree Anna’ – the mother of all grains – during her Budget speech. She also announced that the Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad would be converted into a centre of excellence, which would allow it to share best practices, research and technologies at the international level.

But, apart from that there has not been any corresponding financial allocation to go with the proposals. The roadmap to boost production, procurement and productivity of millets is also lacking in the Budget, critics said. 

Millets have an average yield of around 1240 kgs per hectare while that of wheat is around 3500 kgs and rice 2900 kgs in India.  

The price realised is also much less for an average farmer in the absence of assured procurement and steady prices.

The United Nations, meanwhile, has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

So, what explains this new interest in millets and the concerted effort to make them part of people’s food consumption habits?

Well, millets aren’t new to the Indian palate. In fact, they find mention in prehistoric texts as well.

However, due to the push given to food security through the Green Revolution in the 1960s, millets were rendered as ‘orphan crops’ – less consumed and almost forgotten.

Before the Green Revolution, millets made up around 40 per cent of all cultivated grains. This has dropped to around 20 per cent over the years.

Not only has the consumption of millets declined, but the area under production has also been replaced with commercial crops, oilseeds, pulses and maize.

These commercial crops are profitable, and their production is supported by several policies through subsidised inputs, incentivised procurement and inclusion in the public distribution system (PDS).

Drawing attention to millets in her Budget speech, Sitharaman said: "We are the largest producer and second-largest exporter of ‘Shree Anna’ in the world. We grow several types of 'Shree Anna' such as jowar, ragi, bajra, kuttu, ramdana, kangni, kutki, kodo, cheena, and sama. These have a number of health benefits, and have been an integral part of our food for centuries. I acknowledge with pride the huge service done by small farmers in contributing to the health of fellow citizens by growing these ‘Shree Anna."

The goal is straightforward: to make millets mainstream.

Millets are staple crops that are adapted to dry land and the agro-ecologies of arid and semi-arid tropics.

In India, millets are produced in most of the states characterised by low to moderate precipitation (200–800 mm rainfall). The major ones are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. These 10 states together account for almost 100 per cent of the country’s millet production.

India produces more than 17 million tonnes of millet. That’s 80 per cent of Asia’s and 20 per cent of global production.

While the global average yield of millet is 1,229 kg per hectare (ha), the yield in India is higher – 1,239 kg per ha.

India produces all the nine commonly known millets and is their largest producer and fifth-largest exporter in the world. Most of the states in India grow one or more millet crop species.

• The country recorded 27 per cent growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to the previous year, when it stood at 15.92 million tonnes.

Pearl millet (60 per cent) followed by sorghum (27 per cent), finger millet (11 per cent) and small millets (2 per cent) are the major millets produced in India (according to the 4th Advance Estimate 2021-22).

• India exported millet products worth $34.32 million during 2021-22. In 2020-21, it had exported millets worth $26.97 million against $28.5 million in 2019-20.

• According to 2020 data, India’s millets exports have continuously increased at around 3 per cent CAGR in the last five years ending 2020.

• The major countries India exports millets to are the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, UK and USA. The millet varieties exported include bajra, ragi, canary, jawar, and buckwheat. And the world’s major millet importing countries are Indonesia, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Italy, USA, the UK, Brazil and the Netherlands.

• Asia and Africa are the major production and consumption centres. And, India, Niger, Sudan and Nigeria are the major producers.

• Jawar and proso millets (common millet) are the most cultivated varieties in 112 and 35 countries, respectively. Sorghum and pearl millets cover more than 90 per cent area of production. The remaining production comes from ragi (finger millets), cheena (proso millets), foxtail millets (kangni) and other non-segregated millets.

Gains in the grain

A recent cross-country study found that millets can boost growth in children and adolescents by 26-39 per cent when they replace rice in standard meals.

The study, published in the journal Nutrients, was conducted by seven organisations in four countries. Led by S Anitha, senior scientist-Nutrition at the Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute of the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), it was a meta-analysis of eight studies published earlier.

Among the children fed with millet-based meals, a relative increase of 28.2 per cent in mean height, 26 per cent in weight, 39 per cent in the mid upper arm circumference and 37 per cent in chest circumference was noted when compared to children on regular rice-based diets.

The children studied consumed millets over three months to 4.5 years.

Infants, preschool, school-going children including adolescents were part of the review.

Five of the studies in the review used finger millet, one used sorghum and two used a mixture of millets (finger, pearl, foxtail, little and kodo millets).

Production of main millets in India (in million tonnes)
Crops	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	% Chng
Jowar	4.24	4.57	4.8	3.48	4.77	4.78	12.74
Bajra	8.07	9.73	9.21	8.66	10.36	10.86	34.57
Ragi	1.82	1.39	1.99	1.24	1.76	1.96	7.69
Small Millets	0.39	0.44	0.44	0.33	0.37	0.35	-10.26
Total	14.52	16.12	16.44	13.71	17.26	17.96	23.69

NOTE: Total Might Not Match as All Crops Have not Been Included

Source: Government of India