Foxtail Millets in the FieldMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Turning the tide with millets
As little as 70 years ago, millets - a group of small seed grains, were the major grain grown in India and a part of the staple diet, contributing up to 40% of total grain production. Today, their contribution to the national food grain basket is down to 6%.
Initiation of the Green Revolution by Aaryama Somyaji
This decline can be attributed to the Green Revolution in the 1960s, which pushed for the commercial cultivation of high-yield crops like rice and wheat to help India meet its demand for food. From being the preferred choice of grain, millets started being seen as the poor man’s food.
The tables have turned, however. Millets are now being recognized not just for their immense nutritional benefits but also for their climate-smart properties.
Paddy FieldsMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Challenges of traditional agricultural practices
Increased cultivation of rice and wheat, with its heavy dependence on water, pesticides and fertilizers; and rapid cultivation of successive crops, without allowing time for soil regeneration has led to a widespread loss of soil fertility and contamination of water bodies.
Harvested Pearl Millets in the FieldMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Millets for regenerative agriculture
Millets can play a crucial role in overcoming the pitfalls of the Green Revolution and regenerating the soil ecosystem. Not only do they have a substantially lower water and carbon footprint compared to other popular grains, they are also extremely effective for soil preservation.
Physiology of milletsMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Millets’ efficient fibrous root system not only captures the moisture needed even from erratic rainfall, but also helps prevent soil erosion while maintaining soil integrity.
Harvested Pearl Millets in the FieldMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Plant roots and leaves are left in the soil to decompose, and due to their high carbon content create carbon-rich soil that further helps improve soil health.
Interview with the farmerMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
The right mix for intercropping
Being short duration crops (60-120 days), millets are an ideal mix in an intercropping system for fallow periods. With a high tendency to form a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, which colonises the root system of the plants to increase water and nutrient absorption capabilities, including that of phosphorus and nitrogen, millets help revive the soil health. Traditionally, millets have been intercropped with legumes in dry arid areas with known benefits to crop productivity and enhancement of soil health.
Woman Winnowing Millet GrainsMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Millets can help bring women farmers to the forefront
As a subsistence crop that needs labour-intensive processing, women have primarily taken over millet cultivation as a means to provide added nutrition to the family at a lower cost. 80% of farmers in India are women. Instrumental in carrying forward traditional millet cultivation, women have also helped preserve the immense diversity of millets by being seed keepers.
Young Proso MilletMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Working towards a millet-forward agricultural landscape
A revived interest in millets has enabled new and emerging research on their many benefits, both nutritional and environmental. One can look forward to achieving a sustainable, climate-friendly agricultural landscape with millets that’s beneficial for the soil, the farmer, the consumer and the planet.
Text and images courtesy Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India
