The government is promoting cultivation of millets like ragi and jowar on a mission mode to achieve nutritional security, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.
Millets, also called 'nutri cereals' are being procured at the support price and also being included under Midday Meal scheme and public distribution system (PDS), he said.
Addressing MPs in a consultative committee meeting here, Singh said the government has also decided to declare 2018 as 'National Year of Millets.'
Efforts are being made to promote cultivation of millets to achieve nutritional security because acreage has declined to 14.72 million hectare in 2016-17 crop year from 36.90 million hectare in 1965-66, he said.
Millet cultivation has declined due to change in consumption pattern, dietary habits, unavailability of millets, low yield, less demand and conversion of irrigated area for growing rice and wheat, he added.
"As a result of this, level of nutrients like protein, Vitamin-A, iron and iodine fell in women and children."
This has led to a special focus on millets, which are being promoted under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) following recommendations by a committee headed by Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand.
The push for nutri cereals will promote cultivation of jowar, bajra, ragi and little millets like kutki, kodo, sawa and kangni and cheena. Under NFSM, maize and jau are also promoted separately.
"The joint efforts of central and state governments and the hard work of farmers will not only increase the production of millets but also help prevent disability caused due to lack of nutritious elements in diet," Singh said.
Production of millets will definitely help in providing nutritional value, especially to the poor, he said.
Millets are tolerant to drought, are photo insensitive and resistant to climate change. Their cultivation requires less water in comparison to rice and wheat.
They are cultivated on low-fertile land, mountainous, tribal and rain-fed areas in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
A meeting of Consultative Committees of Parliament lets MPs have some glimpse into the working of various ministries. Such meetings help in reducing the number of questions asked by members in Parliament.
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