Uttar Pradesh govt looks to boost production of millets and oilseeds

The Uttar Pradesh government is looking to boost the production of millets and oilseeds by increasing the area under cultivation.

The state is planning to replace more than 15 per cent of the paddy acreage with millet and oilseed crops in the coming years. Since Uttar Pradesh is the second largest paddy producer in India, the reorientation of the sowing pattern would alter the agricultural landscape and provide farmers with a lucrative farm value chain.

Recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed that the farmers’ earnings would not increase merely by sowing wheat and paddy, but the agricultural sector needs to integrate with the food processing, packaging, and export value chains to exponentially augment rural income.

In UP, the paddy acreage stands at about 6 million hectares (mh) with annual production of 15 million tonnes (MT) of the cash crop. The paddy acreage could come down to 5 MH when the millet and oilseed roadmap is implemented in entirety.

While India is among the leading oilseeds importers, higher oilseeds production will provide ready domestic and global markets for the state’s farmers and traders. In 2021, India imported oilseeds worth $2.39 billion, followed by China and Turkey at $1.34 billion and $1.27 billion respectively.

Interestingly, India is also among the top five oilseeds producers with 20 per cent of the global oilseeds acreage under cultivation, yet high domestic demand necessitates net imports. India produces groundnut, soybean, sunflower, mustard, safflower, etc. The country also exports oilseeds.

In UP, the oilseeds area is estimated at 1.3 mh with annual production pegged at 1.15 MT. The major oilseeds grown in UP include groundnut, mustard, sesame, linseed etc. Moreover, the emphasis on millets, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has renamed as Sri Anna (divine food grain), and the growing popularity of millet-based processed and cooked food, offers a large potential for millets.

UP millet area is pegged at 1.1 mh with the production of almost 5 mt, which roughly corresponds to 20 per cent of India’s annual output. Major millet crops include jowar, bajra, kodo, ragi, kottu, and sanwa.

Now, the state is looking to increase millets acreage to 2.5 mh and launch exclusive millet outlets and engage women rural entrepreneurs and self-help groups in its value chain.

“The state agricultural road map is aimed at doubling the farm income and contributing to the larger $trillion economy target of UP,” a senior government official noted.

The millets offer a spectrum of low risk crops, which are resilient to climate change. As such, the state is promoting the cultivation of such nutritious cereals in rainfed areas. UP is even planning to introduce millets in the midday meal scheme.