Southern States Emerging As ‘Hubs Of Millet Cultivation’ In India: MSSRF Study

The study says that the region adopted modern technology in Millet cultivation to improve seeding, mechanisation, and marketing strategies.

Hyderabad:Southern Indian states, including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala, have become hubs of millet production and cultivation in the country, according to a recent study conducted by the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).

The study says that the region adopted modern technology in millet cultivation to improve seeding, mechanisation, and marketing strategies. This also helped in the expansion of the millet crops by infrastructure development, it adds.

The report “Strengthening the Small Grains Economy: Lessons from the South Indian Study” was authored by botanist Aliworking, economist Madhura Swaminathan, scientist from MSSRF P. Yuvaraj, and nutritionist DJ Nithila, further. The study was part of the International Year of Millets 2023, which demonstrates the potential of millet in contributing to the upliftment of income and food security.

Millet Cultivation: Status and Issues

Finally, India produces more than 200 million tonnes of various food grains every year; millets contribute less than 20 million tonnes to this total. The net return from millet farming is Rs 10,000 per hectare, which is way below other staples, with a return of 224% for rice farming and 304% for wheat farming. However, they are gaining acceptance just like other stringent commercial crops to deliver the necessary food value at a lesser annual age.

Thus, as the report puts it, there is a need for the right policy interventions involving price support, marketing channels, and research investments to bring about improvement in terms of profitability for the farmer in millet farming.

Millets Health Grains

Millets are famous for their high nutritive value apart from being sources of protein, dietary fibre, micronutrients, and antioxidants. Resilient to droughts, they would grow in barren lands, withstanding all adverse conditions. Their inclusion in diets can address pressing health issues like malnutrition, anaemia, and obesity, as highlighted by the National Family Health Survey (2019-21).

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