Health Benefits of Millets: The United Nations has declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millet” at the initiative of the Government of India. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare wants to promote large scale production and consumption of millet and spread it all over the world. Millet is a very important part of Indian agriculture and is one of the oldest crops known to mankind. One of the first crops to be sown was millet. According to studies, millets were consumed during the Indus-Saraswati Civilization (3,300 to 1300 BCE).
Millet is a traditional grain consumed by half of the population of Asia and Africa. There are about 6,000 varieties of millet around the world. Some of them are Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi or Nachni), Brown Top (Sama), Kodu (Arka), Proso (Chenna/Barr), Barnyard (Sanwa), and Foxtail Millet ( blank). Millet is most beneficial for health as it is gluten free and good for digestive system and it also protects us from heart diseases. Compared to other cereals, millets are easy to grow and do not require much soil or rain. Millets do not require as much time and pampering as rice and wheat.
Millets are an ideal crop for areas where water management is a concern because they are hardy grains that thrive in semi-arid climates. Most varieties have a higher iron content than both rice and wheat and provide more protein than rice. Despite a long tradition of millet consumption in India, between 1972–1973 and 2004–2005, pearl millet or bajra consumption fell by 67 percent in urban areas and 59 percent in rural areas. Another study found that jowar, bajra, maize and ragi provided 23 percent of India’s grain needs in 1983, but only 6 percent in 2011.
To reverse the trend of declining consumption of millets, India designated 2018 as the National Year of Millets to encourage production and consumption of bajra or the nutritious grain. The production of Bajra increased from 14.52 million tonnes in 2015-2016 to 17.96 million tonnes in 2020-21. Three millets, jowar, bajra and ragi, are known to be neutral, and brown top, kodu, proso, barnyard and foxtail are positive millets. These five millets are becoming more and more popular for being incredibly beneficial for the digestive system and can heal chronic conditions like diabetes. Some of the reasons for the high popularity of millets are as follows:
Millet: Health Benefits
Millet is high in protein, fiber, essential vitamins and minerals. They are renowned as a nutritional powerhouse. It aids in immunity, weight loss and overall health. Being high in nutrients like dietary fiber, carbs, protein and healthy fats as well as minerals like calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, potassium and magnesium. Millets also aid in the maintenance of fitness and energy levels as they provide low calorie content. Millets have also been shown to ease asthma, ease migraines and flush out toxins from our bodies, allowing our organs to function optimally.
Government policies to promote millet consumption
On April 10, 2008, millets were rebranded as “nutri-cereals” and 2018 was designated as the National Year of Millets. The worldwide millet market is expected to have a CAGR of 4.5 percent between 2021 and 2016. The nodal agriculture ministry said in a statement that a dedicated month has been allotted to central ministries, state governments and Indian embassies to undertake various tasks in 2023. An initiative to promote IYM and raise awareness about the benefits of Millets. The government has scheduled several millet-centric promotional programs across the country as the International Year of Millets (IYM) begins, while also underlining that millets are an important component of the G-20 summits.
Bajra plays an important role in empowering farmers
Millet is one of the easiest crops to cultivate in the field. Because it is a rainfed crop, it does not require as much fertilizer or attention as wheat and rice. Millet was one of the earliest crops to be cultivated for nutrition. Coarse grains are easy to grow and care for because they require little time to grow, are suitable for a wide range of cropping systems, and have excellent adaptations to changing climatic and environmental conditions.
future of millet
Millet is the future of agriculture. Its properties are good for health, good for farming and beneficial for farmers, making it a potential cultivated crop for agriculture. India’s groundwater has declined by 61 percent between 2007 and 2017. Thus, its low water footprint and suitable climatic requirements make it an ideal crop to grow millet. Their potential to be a cash crop and the benefits it provides could give millets the title of being the world’s future food security.
Since millet is making a comeback due to its unique properties for the body as well as for cultivation, it is now becoming known among the local people as well. It has always been superior in nutrients and protein and initiatives have been taken by government mandate to make millet a mainstream crop again. A balanced life can be achieved if crops are included in our daily consumption.