Millets - For Consumer, Cultivator and Climate
The curtains came down for the yearlong International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023, sponsored by the Government of India, on December 15, 2023. India has been at the forefront in celebrating the IYM 2023, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The FAO kick started the IYM 2023 at Rome, Italy on December 6, 2022 and had taken the lead in celebrating IYM 2023 in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders.
Fenton Beed, Senior Agricultural Officer, Rural and Urban Crop Systems, FAO noted that the IYM 2023 was an opportunity to highlight the benefits of millets for Better production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life, leaving no one behind. The FAO also hopes to contribute towards documenting available genetic resources and biodiversity in millet-based production systems and preserve traditions and cultures surrounding millets, worldwide.
It may be noted that IYM 2023 was spearheaded by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, whose vision it was to make IYM 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’ alongside positioning India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’.
Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated in India (with total production during 2022-23 is 17.32 million tonnes) with several evidence of its consumption during the Indus Valley civilisation. Grown in more than 130 countries, millets are considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa. Millets are important by virtue of its mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income and ensure food and nutritional security all over the world.
Recognising the enormous potential of millets, which also aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), the Government of India has prioritised millets. In April 2018, millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals”, followed by the year 2018 being declared as the National Year of Millets, aiming at larger promotion and demand generation.
Hence, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has taken a multi-stakeholder engagement approach (engaging all ministries of central and state/ut governments, over 140 Indian embassies globally, startups, hotels, exporters etc.) to achieve the aim of promoting Indian millets globally and increasing awareness about the benefits of millets to the Consumer, Cultivator and Climate.
As part of its efforts, agro and food processing industry has come up with innovative ways to integrate millets in the daily food basket, ranging from traditional foods like foxtail millet, pearl millet and sorghum flour to processed foods like ragi (finger millet) biscuits and bread and millet-based beers. Major FMCG companies like Patanjali, ITC and Tata Group as well as small micro-breweries and farms are finding unique ways to innovate with millets.
Startups in various maturity stages like Slurrp Farm and Millet Amma established by women entrepreneurs are focused on integrating millets into food products such as noodles, dosas and pizza bases to change dietary habits and make millets delicious and interesting. Over 500+ millet-based startups and MSMES are working in close collaboration with farmers as the millets market is still quite fragmented.
Currently, the world millet market is worth $13.5 billion and India grows about 39 per cent of the world's millets and over 80 per cent of Asia’s millet supply. India is among the top 5 exporters of millets in the world. World export of millet has increased from $400 million in 2020 to $470 million in 2021 (ITC trade map) India exported millets worth $75.46 million in the year 2022-23, against $62.95 million in 2021-22. Share of millet-based value-added products is negligible.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has set a target of exporting $100 million worth of millet-based food exports by 2024 and to organise 16 international trade expos for millet exporters, farmers and traders as well as Buyer Seller Meets.
Using the success of IYM 2023 India with a unique opportunity of being one of the leading producers and millet exporters can boost its popularity and generate demand, bringing much needed capital into the sector, allowing startups to scale up their operations and promote rural development.