Why in news?

Millet conclave was held at Raichur and was inaugurated by chief minister.

Highlights:

• Chief Minister has suggested that the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, publish a book, Raichur Millet Declaration, with all the discussions carried out in the millet conclave 2022, and the State government would provide funds to encourage millet growing.
• the international millet fair will be held in Bengaluru in January, 2023.
• The programme was jointly organised by UAS Raichur and NABARD.

Measures taken by Union government:

• India has now become the fifth largest country in the world with regards to export of millets.
• The Union government has been focusing on encouraging farmers to grow the millets by giving them ₹10,000 as incentive
• the Union government has declared that no tax would be charged for those who establish food processing units under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat scheme, ensuring encouragement to millet production.
• Kalyana Karnataka will soon get a millet production unit to create jobs especially for women, and those who will establish such units will get complete income tax exemption for years.
• a prize of ₹1 crore would be given to each of the three startups, which have encouraged and marketed millets, and also a grant of ₹25 crore will be released under NABARD to the University of Agriculture Sciences, Raichur, to establish processing units and encourage growing millets.

Millets:

• Millets are one of the oldest foods, these are the small-seeded hardy crops which can grow well in dry zones or rain-fed areas under marginal conditions of soil fertility and moisture. Millets are cultivated in low-fertile land, tribal and rain-fed and mountainous areas. These areas include Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
• Millets can not only grow in poor climatic or soil conditions and provide nutritious grain as well as fodder, but these can also very well fit into multiple cropping systems under irrigation as well as dryland farming due to their short growing season.
• The prolonged and easy storability of millets under ordinary conditions has given them the status of Famine Reserves and this feature is of great importance for India, as the agriculture of our country suffers from unexpected changes in monsoon.

Types of Millets in India

• The millets commonly grown in India include Jowar (sorghum), Bajra (pearl millet), ragi (finger millet), Jhangora (barnyard millet), Barri (Proso or common millet), Kangni (foxtail/ Italian millet),  Kodra (Kodo millet) etc.

Importance of Millets

• Most of the millets are non-acid forming, non-glutinous, highly nutritious, and easily digestible foods. Due to low glycaemic index (GI) being gluten-free, it helps in a slower release of glucose over a longer period of time thus reducing the risk of diabetes mellitus. Individuals suffering from celiac disease can easily incorporate various millets in their diets.
• Millets are rich sources of minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. It also contains appreciable amounts of dietary fibre and vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B6, β- Carotene, and niacin. The availability of high amounts of lecithin is useful for strengthening the nervous system. Therefore, regular consumption of millets can help to overcome malnutrition.
• Although Millets are rich in phytochemicals like tannins, phytosterols, polyphenols and antioxidants, they do contain some anti-nutritional factors which can be reduced by certain processing treatments.

• Millets have a wide capacity for adaptation because they can grow from coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh to moderately high altitudes of North-eastern states and hilly regions of Uttarakhand. Millets can withstand variations in moisture, temperature and the type of soils ranging from heavy to sandy infertile lands.