UP Govt Plans to Double Millet Area to 2.5 mn Hectares

The Uttar Pradesh government is aiming to double the planted area of indigenous foodgrains, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi christened millets as ‘Sri Anna’.

The state wants to expand the area planted with millets from roughly 1.1 million hectares to more than 2.5 million hectares. With jowar, bajra, kodo, ragi, kottu, and sanwa in its basket, UP is one of the top millet-producing regions in India.

In addition, the state will open exclusive millet stores and incorporate self-help groups (SHG) and rural women's businesses into its value chain.

The present cultivated areas of jowar and bajra in UP are more than 170,000 hectares and 900,000 hectares, respectively, according to the agriculture department.

To urge farmers to adopt its cultivation, the state is also taking measures to increase institutional procurement of "Sri Anna," according to a senior official. This is in addition to increasing the acreage of millets.

A variety of low-risk, climate change-resistant products are available in millets. As a result, the state has chosen to encourage the growth of these nutrient-dense grains in rain-fed regions.

The government has developed a multifaceted plan to encourage the intake of millet and spread the popularity of dishes made with these grains. The concerned departments, such as tourism, food & civil supplies, rural development, etc., received a circular in this respect from UP Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra.

The tourism department will host cooking contests for hotels and restaurants that will emphasise millet while the state plans to add them to the mid-day meal programme. Restaurants, hotels, and fast-food chains have been urged to show millet-based menus prominently.

Bajra cultivation will be promoted in the districts of Agra and Kanpur under the one district, one product (ODOP) template, while Mirzapur and Sonbhadra will be tasked with promoting kodo and sanwa.