Rajasthan Govt Plans to Encourage Millet Consumption to Raise Nutrition Level

Rajasthan is at the forefront of millet cultivation in India, accounting for approximately 41% of the country's yield. The State Congress government is considering including millet in the mid-day meal programme for schools and Anganwadi centres. A major international event highlighting value addition and entrepreneurship development for coarse grains is also planned for September-end this year.

Dinesh Kumar, Principal Agriculture Secretary, stated here that the state has a favourable climate for the cultivation of jowar and bajra millets, as these crops require less water and are less affected by pest and disease outbreaks. Following the announcement of the Rajasthan Millets Mission in the 2022-23 State Budget, Kumar stated at a meeting held at the State Secretariat for the review of events and resources during the year that 8.32 lakh mini kits of millet seeds were distributed free of cost to farmers during the Kharif crop cycle of 2022.

"A provision of 40 crore has been made for the establishment of 100 primary millet processing units, and a 5 crore centre of excellence for millets is being established in Jodhpur," Kumar said. Local millets such as sawan, kangni, kodon, and kutki were being grown in the tribal-dominated region of southern Rajasthan, he said, adding that the state ranked third in jowar production.

B. Dayakar Rao, a seasoned agricultural researcher and principal scientist at the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad, has been named as the patron of the Magic Millets-2023 international festival, which will be held here from September 25 to October 2. Dr. Rao has established a successful millet value chain ecosystem in Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh to generate demand for the grains.

Lok Samvad Sansthan, an advocacy group, will organise the week-long event, which will be supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). According to the festival's secretary-general, Kalyan Singh Kothari, the participants' focus will be on reintroducing millets into people's lives for health, nutrition, and food security.

A large number of progressive farmers, Anganwadi workers, self-help group (SHG) representatives, and dietary experts from various countries are expected to attend the festival. B. D. Kalla, Minister of Education and Art & Culture, unveiled the festival's poster here last week, saying the event would draw the attention of the country and the world to Rajasthan. Rajasthan has the most pearl millet land and the highest production in the country.

"The desert state covers approximately 46 lakh hectares, with an average production of approximately 28 lakh tonnes and productivity of 400 kg per hectare. In the summer, millet is intercropped with legumes or sesame and grown as irrigated green fodder. A provision of 40 crore has been made for the establishment of 100 primary millet processing units, and a 5 crore centre of excellence for millets is being established in Jodhpur," as per Dinesh Kumar.