The return of the millets

The research and development initiatives on millets received the much-needed impetus after 2018, which was observed as the National Year of Millets

Millets, the staple grains of the past, are re-emerging as nutri-cereals or smart foods today, thanks to their therapeutic traits and nutritional superiority compared to rice, wheat and corn. These small-seeded cereals, included in the category of coarse grains, are loaded with valuable nutrients that are vital to fight the lifestyle diseases of today. Besides, these are easy to grow and hardy crops with low requirement of water and other inputs and high resilience against pests, diseases and climate change-induced stresses. These are, therefore, ideally suited for cultivation by the resource-constrained small landholders in arid, semi-arid and drought-prone areas.

The major