Chapter: 2 - Millets: Ancient grains for the healthy future

Millets have a long history of use in India,Several pieces of literature and documents have suggested that millets were a crucial component of our dietary practises, culinary traditions, ceremonies, and society at large.

Historical perspective

• Dhanya varga, khudhanya varga, and samidhanya varga are Sushruta's classifications of cereals in his Samhita, where khudhanya varga includes a variety of millets.
• By the metaphorical work "Rarnacilaanya Charitre," which demonstrated ragi's fight with the "mighty" rice and conveyed a strong social message, Kanakdasa, a Kannada poet, personified ragi as the weaker segments of society.
• Several millets and their unique qualities when soaked or cooked are mentioned in Kautilya's Arthashastra.
• In his "Abhijnana Shakuntalam," Kalidasa depicts the sage Kanva spilling foxtail millet as he bids Shakuntala farewell at Dushyant's palace, demonstrating the auspicious qualities associated with this millet.

Decline in the consumption of millets

• Millets have been a staple of Indian cuisine for centuries. Our food systems, culture, and traditions all include strong ties to them.
• Prior to the Green Revolution, millets were a staple in the majority of homes on the Indian subcontinent.
• But over time, a number of circumstances led to a considerable decrease in their prominence on our plates.
• Due to socioeconomic factors brought on by the crop's hardiness, they were condemned to becoming the poor people's food.
• People shifted easily to wheat and rice because of their increased popularity and accessibility due to a desire for upward mobility.
• Kotki Hatao Soyabean Lagao (Remove Kodo and Small millet and cultivate Soybean) was a well-known catchphrase in the united Madhya Pradesh up until the early 2000s, urging millet farmers to switch to oilseeds.

Increasing Interest in Millets

• Millets are becoming increasingly well-liked as there has been a return in interest in eating healthfully after the Covid Epidemic. For the past two years, there has been a rise in conversation and interest about millets.
• The potential for food security, climatic resilience, and health advantages of millet have lately been emphasised by the Prime Minister of India.
• Despite this, there is still a lot of effort to be done to increase awareness of and use of millets, as there are still many myths and misconceptions about them.
• According to a study examining millets and sorghum consumption behaviour in urban India in 2021, the respondents' main reasons for not eating more millets were that they were not eaten at home (40%), followed by feelings like they didn't like the flavour (22%).
• In rural India, the socioeconomic perspective on eating millets, which hinders widespread usage, continues to be a problem.
• The prevalence of celiac disease (CD) and gluten sensitivity is rising in both the European and American markets.
• Millets are a great substitute because they are inherently gluten-free and healthy, and their availability is gradually growing.

Millets' Manufacturing and Supplies Are Unreliable

• Due to millets' restricted geographic distribution, output is currently constrained. In addition to this, there aren't many processing facilities, and those that are there are mostly in the south of the nation.
• Little millets like Foxtail millet and little millet need to be de-hulled before eating, although large millets like Finger millet, Pearl millet, and sorghum are still readily available due to the ease of post-harvest processing.
• Due to logistical and transportation challenges to the rest of the country, the costs of these millets increase.
• These factors contribute to the unpredictable supply of millets, particularly the small millets, which discourages further value addition and consumption.
• In order to remedy this, production and processing must be supported and promoted across the board in order to evenly expand supplies to meet demand and control pricing.
• It will be challenging to raise the mass consumption of millets without decreasing the cost of production and processing.

Way forward

• We can boost the production and supply of millets in all areas of the nation by reviving traditional methods, expanding the post-harvest processing facilities that are available, and developing primary processing clusters at the farm level.
• Millet-based value-added products free of gluten can be created and sold abroad.
• Studies conducted over the past few years have also supported assertions made about millets' therapeutic properties. We can raise awareness of these among medical professionals, nutritionists, and the medical community.