Abdul Kareem.pdf

A STUDY ON CULTIVATION, HARVESTING PROCESSING AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILLETS A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the academic year 2017-18

BACHELOR OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY OF MYSORE

Submitted by:

ABDUL KAREEM VI Semester BTH Reg. No. : TH150001

Under the Guidance of : Professor. GEORGE JAISON HOD, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Pooja Bhagavat Memorial Mahajana PG Center (A Unit of SBRR Mahajana First Grade College) Affiliated to University of Mysore K.R.S. Road, Metagalli, Mysore – 570 016, Karnataka, India

Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management Mysore – 570 016

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation report entitled “A STUDY ON CULTIVATION,

HARVESTING

PROCESSING

AND

HEALTH

BENEFITS OF MILLET” submitted to University of Mysore by

Mr.

ABDUL KAREEM, with Reg. No. TH150001 for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management for the academic year

2017-

18. This is the original work done under the Guidance and Supervision of Prof. GEORGE JAISON, HOD, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Mysore. Place : Mysore Date :

Guide Prof. GEORGE JAISON

Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management Mysore – 570 016

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation report entitled “A STUDY ON CULTIVATION,

HARVESTING

PROCESSING

AND

HEALTH

BENEFITS OF MILLET” submitted to University of Mysore by Mr. ABDUL KAREEM, with Reg. No. TH150001 for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management for the academic year 2017-18. This is the original work done under the Guidance and Supervision of Prof. GEORGE JAISON, HOD, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Mysore. Place : Mysore Date :

HOD Prof. GEORGE JAISON

Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management Mysore – 570 016

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation report entitled “A STUDY ON CULTIVATION,

HARVESTING

PROCESSING

AND

HEALTH

BENEFITS OF MILLET” submitted to University of Mysore by

Mr.

ABDUL KAREEM, with Reg. No. TH150001 for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management for the academic year

2017-

18. This is the original work done under the Guidance and Supervision of Prof. GEORGE JAISON, HOD, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Mysore. Place : Mysore Date :

Director Prof. H.N SATISH

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project report entitled “A STUDY ON CULTIVATION,

HARVESTING

PROCESSING

AND

HEALTH

BENEFITS OF MILLET” submitted to the university of Mysore for the award of the degree in Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management is my original work done under the guidance of Prof. GEORGE JAISON, faculty for the department of BTHM in Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management and that it has not been previously submitted for the award of any degree/Diploma/other similar title any University or Institution.

Place : Mysore Date :

ABDUL KAREEM Reg. No. : TH150001

DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this research work to Allah Almighty, my Parents, Teachers and my Friends, without their support this project not have been completed. I would like to extend my heartiest thanks to all those who have inspired me, helped me to take this work a dream come true.

Thanking You …………………………….

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is a great pleasure to acknowledge the help of many individuals without whose help, this project could not have been possible.

I owe my wholehearted thanks to Prof. H.N Satish, Director of Pooja Bhagavat Memorial Mahajana PG Centre, mysore for having provided me an opportunity to carry out this work. I express my sincere gratitude to my guide Prof. George Jaison, HOD, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Mysore for his noble guidance and support throughout this work by which I was able to complete this work in a successful way. I am proud to state that my beloved Parents and My Gardian Prof. Iftekhar, Mr. Tasdeeq Nizam of CIIT, Mysore. I would like to thank all the Teaching & Non teaching staff, of Dept. BTHM, who devoted their precious time in helping me.

Abdul Kareem

SYNOPSIS Submitted by : ABDUL KAREEM TITLE OF THE PROJECT : “A STUDY ON CULTIVATION, HARVESTING PROCESSING AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILLET” INTRODUCTION Millets, which the Deccan Development Society believes as God’s Own Crops, are truly wonder grains. They can grow on the most marginalized soils— without irrigation,and with very little or sometimes no external inputs. They are veritable storehouses of health and nutrition. Millet is one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. Millet has been used in Africa and India as a staple food for thousands of years and it was grown as early as 2700 BC. In China where it was the prevalent grain before rice became the dominant staple. There is a mention in Bible that millets during those times were used to make bread. It is documented that the plant was also grown by the lake dwellers of Switzerland during the Stone Age. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY • The main objective of the study is to examine the existing market demand and potential market for Minor millets grown traditionally in India • The study will also examine willingness and ability of the farmer to adopt global stand and to meet the required quality of Millets. More specifically the Study • will aim at pursuing the following objective • To strengthen research in value addition and grain processing for expanding utility by finding alternative uses. • Review existing agricultural subsidy programs and policiesto support farmers • The Overview of the Indian scenario, including Cultivation and harvesting, processing in india • To find the importance of millets in Food and Health METHODOLOGY Importance of millets India is on the threshold of discussing the Food Security Bill which will have far reaching implications for the poor and the marginalized, in their struggle to access food and nutrition to lead a dignified and healthy life. Millet Network of India has for long, taken the stand that we as a nation, should not just be settling for food security; we should be striving for food sovereignty. This implies that we focus on giving the control over the production, distribution and consumption of food back to the people. One of the steps in doing this would beto bring millets back into the food security debate; for millions of households in the dry land and hilly regions of the country depend on these crops to meet their food needs. We have for long been arguing that the introduction of millets into the public distribution system and into

government food programmes like the mid-day meal scheme, is important to achieve the aim of food sovereignty. The recent Global Hunger Index ranks India 64 out of 81 nations. Further, India ranks second in the incidences of malnutrition among children. This is happening despite the universal public distribution system that we have been following for decades. Types of millets • Sorghum (Jowar) • Foxtail millet • Finger millet (ragi) • Pearl millet (Bajra) • Barnyard millet • Kodo millet • Little Millet • Proso Millet Health benefits of millet • Millets help to fight Type-2 Diabetes • Millets are as nutritious as Fruits and Vegetables • Millets fight Heart Diseases • Millets help to prevent Gallstones • Millets role in childhood asthma Food Preparation using Millets • Millet instead of rice • Millets in khichdi or Pongal • Millet for upma • Millets incorporated in the wheat flour • Chocolate sauce

CONTENTS Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Title Introduction History Background Importance of millets Methodology Types of millets Importance of different types of millets Nutrient content of millets Difference between cereals and millets Cultivation and harvesting Sowing and transplanting Growing millet at home Threats on millets cultivation The responsible factors limiting productivity of millets Suggestions to improving the millets cultivation Advantages of millets Health benefits of millet Food Preparation using Millets: Millet based food products Millet side effects Usage of millets Production Reasons for losing the millet diversity Government policy Limitations Summary Conclusion Bibliography

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

INTRODUCTION Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world ascerealcrops or grains for fodder and human food. Millets are important crops in the semiaridtropics of Asia and Africa (especially in India, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger), with 97% of milletproduction in developing countries. The crop is favored due to its productivity and short growingseason under dry, high-temperature conditions.

Millets are indigenous to many parts of the world. The most widely grown millet is pearl millet,which is an important crop in India and parts of Africa.Finger millet, proso millet, and foxtailmillet are also important crop species.Millets have been important food staples in humanhistory, particularly in Asia and Africa. They have been in cultivation in East Asia for the last 10,000 years Millets are one of the oldest foods known to humans & possibly the firstcereal grain to be used for domestic purposes ”.Millets are small-seeded grasses that are hardyand grow well in dry zones as rain-fed crops, under marginal conditions of soil fertility andmoisture. Millets are also unique due to their short growing season. They can develop fromplanted seeds to mature, ready to harvest plants in as little as 65 days. This is important inheavily populated areas. When properly stored, whole millets will keep for two or more years.

Millets need very little water for their production. Compared to irrigated commodity cropscurrentlypromoted by policy measures, millets and require just around 25% of the rainfallregime demanded by crops such as sugarcane and banana. Thus, they do not burden the statewithdemands for irrigation or power.Millets are often growing on skeletal soils thatare less than 15 cm deep. It does not demand rich soils for their survival and growth. Hence, for thevast dryland area, they are a boon.Millet production is not dependent on the use of syntheticfertilizers. Most millet farmers therefore usefarmyard manures and in recent times, householdproduced biofertilisers. Therefore, they cansignificantly reduce the huge burden of fertilizersubsidy borne by the government.Grown under traditional methods, no millet attracts any pest.They can be termed as crops.A majority of them are not affected by storage pests either.Therefore, their need for pesticides isclose to nil. Thus, they are a great boon to the agricultural environment.Millets are amazing in their nutrition content. Each of the millets is three to fivetimes nutritionallysuperior to the widely promoted rice and wheat in terms of proteins, minerals and vitamins.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

HISTORY Foxtail Millet is known to have been the first domesticated millet. Chinese legends attribute the domestication of millet to Shennong, the legendary Emperor of China. Similarly, millets have been mentioned in some of the oldest extant Yajurveda texts, identifying foxtail millet (priyangava), Barnyard millet (aanava) and black finger millet (shyaamaka), indicating that millet consumption was very common, pre-dating to 4500 BC, during the Indian Bronze Age. Specialized archaeologists called palaeoethnobotanists, relying on data such as the relative abundance of charred grains found in archaeological sites, hypothesize that the cultivation of millets was of greater prevalence in prehistory than rice, especially in northern China and Korea. Millets also formed important parts of the prehistoric diet in Indian, Chinese Neolithic and Korean Mumun societies. Broomcorn (Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail millet were important crops beginning in the Early Neolithic of China. For example, some of the earliest evidence of millet cultivation in China was found at Cishan (north). Cishan dates for common millet husk phytoliths and biomolecular components have been identified around 8300–6700 BC in storage pits along with remains of pit-houses, pottery, and stone tools related to millet cultivation. Evidence at Cishan for foxtail millet dates back to around 6500 BC. A 4,000-year-old well-preserved bowl containing well-preserved noodles made from foxtail millet and broomcorn millet was found at the Lajia archaeological site in China.

Palaeoethnobotanists have found evidence of the cultivation of millet in the Korean Peninsula dating to the Middle Jeulmun pottery period (around 3500–2000 BC). Millet continued to be an important element in the intensive, multicropping agriculture of the Mumun pottery period (about 1500–300 BC) in Korea. Millets and their wild ancestors, such as barnyard grass and panic grass, were also cultivated in Japan during the Jōmon period some time after 4000 BC.Asian varieties of millet made their way from China to the Black Sea region of Europe by 5000 BC. The cultivation of common millet as the earliest dry crop in East Asia has been attributed to its resistance to drought, and this has been suggested to have aided its spread.

Pearl Millet was domesticated in the Sahel region of West Africa, where its wild ancestors are found. Evidence for the cultivation of Pearl Millet in Mali dates back to 2500 BC, and Pearl Millet is found in South Asia by 2300 BC. Finger Millet is originally native to the highlands of East Africa, and was domesticated before the third millennium BC. It's cultivation had spread to South India by 1800 BC

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Background Millets, which the Deccan Development Society believes as God’s Own Crops, are truly wonder grains. They can grow on the most marginalized soils— without irrigation,and with very little or sometimes no external inputs. They are veritable storehouses of health and nutrition. Besides, millets are also the pivot around which a vibrantagrobiodiversity survives, wherever it is allowed to survive.But unfortunately over the decades, the state policies have progressively eroded both themillets as well as all the brilliant farming systems they have represented. Consequently,hundreds of thousands of hectares dedicated to growing millets have degenerated intocultivable fallows, and their size currently stands at a massive 30 million hectares. Themillet acreage over the last couple of decades has shrunk from 18 million hectares to 9 million hectares, thus depriving the poor of their nutritional food, livelihood, security andcontrol over their farming.

On the other hand, the recent trend has seen the millets moving away from the poor andfalling into the hands of the rich to serve their elite needs. ITC has already engaged farmersin AP and Maharashtra in a contract farming arrangement for millet production. It is eyeing50,000 villages in the country over the next few years for this initiative, ironically fundedby none other than the World Bank.This move, on the one hand, might be good for millet production. But on the other, it doessomething grave: it shifts the control from farmers and the poor to the huge corporates,and destroys the seed diversity by replacing the local landraces with High Yielding Varieties(HYVs) and hybrids. It will institutionalize monocultures on lands which always had richbiodiversity and destroy the last niches of ecological dryland farming, and usher in chemical,irrigated production of millets. Therefore for us in the civil society, restoring millets totheir past glory and making them the food sovereignty farming of the people of the countybecomes an urgent need. It is against this background that the initiative, ‘MINI, Millet Network of India’ undertakenby the Deccan Development Society in October 2007 assumes a great significance. TheDeccan Development Society has been working with millets for the last two decades;pioneering an Alternative Public Distribution System (APDS) based on millets; creating overa 100 millet dominant community seed banks; rejuvenating a food culture through foodfestivals and an all millet restaurant called Café Ethnic; and continuously putting pressureon the policy makers to realize the inevitability of falling back on millets.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

The present consultation was envisaged towards building a larger network of people steadfastlyworking with millets or thinking about them, undeterred by their historical neglect. Thebroad idea was to put strengths together, to brainstorm and to set an agenda for collectiveaction. It was also envisioned to look at the culture, cultivation and cuisine of millets and findout how their profile could be built, to be able to advance the policy framework aroundmillets.

The workshop had an interesting range of polarized, and yet converging views on the agendaof millets as well as the strategies to promote them. It also gave the participants a first handflavour of millets through the option of millet based drink instead of tea and coffee and a fullbreakfast and lunch menu cooked with various millets.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

IMPORTANCE OF MILLETS The rice eater is weightless like a bird; the one who eats Jowar is strong like a wolf:one who eats Raagi remains ‘nirogi’ [ illness free ] throughout his life - An old Kannadasaying . India is on the threshold of discussing the Food Security Bill which will have farreaching implications for the poor and the marginalised, in their struggle to access food andnutrition to lead a dignified and healthy life. Millet Network of India has for long, taken thestand that we as a nation, should not just be settling for food security; we should be striving forfood sovereignty. This implies that we focus on giving the control over the production,distribution and consumption of food back to the people. One of the steps in doing this would beto bring millets back into the food security debate; for millions of households in the dryland andhilly regions of the country depend on these crops to meet their food needs. We have for longbeen arguing that the introduction of millets into the public distribution system and intogovernment food programmes like the mid-day meal scheme, is important to achieve the aim offood sovereignty. The recent Global Hunger Index ranks India 64 out of 81 nations. Further,India ranks second in the incidences of malnutrition among children. This is happening despitethe universal public distribution system that we have been following for decades. The PDS islaudable in its intention, and no one can dispute the great service that it has been rendering inhelping the poor and the marginalized households in meeting their food and nutrition needs.However, the focus that it has laid over these decades, on rice and wheat at the expense of milletshas been a telling factor behind these statistics. In the four decades since 1961, the area undermillets declined by nearly 50% from about 18 million hectares to about 9 million hectares. During this time, production of millets declined from about 8.8 million tons to about 7.2 milliontons; a decline of 18%. These statistics indicate that millions of households are unable to accessaffordable nutritious food anymore.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

TYPES OF MILLETS Millets in India enjoy prime importance that is because India is one of the biggest producers clocking 8 million tonnes every year followed by Africa and China. So let us know a bit more about the types of millets grown in India and millet nutrition that will convince you to stock them. 1. Sorghum (Jowar)

Sorghum or jowar is one of the most popular millets for weight lossThe very mention of millets and you would have picturized jowar or jowar rotis in your mind. Well, it is one of the most popular, much-researched millet for weight loss.Due to jowar roti benefits, many grandmas prefer it over regular wheat rotis. Compared to rice and wheat, jowar has a high proportion of calcium. It also packs in a neat iron, protein, and fibre punch. Researchers have found that a typical sorghum wax is rich in policosanols which helps in reducing the levels of cholesterol. Being a gluten-free grain, it is also much preferred by those who can’t tolerate wheat-based products. 2. Foxtail millet

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Foxtail millet can be cooked just like rice. Millet recipes are easy to make. Here foxtail millet is pictured with huskFoxtail millets are available in the form of rice, semolina (like rava) or as flour. As with other millets, foxtail millet is rich in smart carbohydrates, the kind which doesn’t increase the blood sugar levels immediately.It is rich in dietary fibre, and minerals like iron and copper. Due to this, it helps to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol and keeps the immune system strong. 3. Finger millet (ragi)

High in calcium, ragi or finger millet is worth including in the dietOne of the most popular and commonly consumed millet there could be. Due to ragi’s nutrition, it can be considered as a good replacement for rice and wheat.The most notable nutritional feature is that it is a rich source of calcium and other minerals. It is a storehouse of protein and amino acids that make it a good inclusion in porridges and even wheat flour. This ragi benefit can be derived from patients with diabetes. 4. Pearl millet (Bajra)

Bajra or pearl millet flour can be mixed with wheat atta for weight loss Pearl millet or bajra is said to be a miracle millet with iron content 8 times higher than that present in rice. Other

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

facts about pearl millet nutrition are that it is also rich in protein, fibre, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Consumption of pearl millet will help ease constipation issues and any problems with the digestion as well. Because of the nutritional line-up, it can also make for a good lactagogue. So I hope all these bajra benefits will make it a staple in your kitchen. 5. Barnyard millet

Barnyard millet belongs to our tables and not in the barn Barnyard millet, with its nutritional profile, should belong on our tables already. It has 6 times more of fibre than wheat making it an ideal weight loss millet. The fibre will help maintain satiety. Apart from this, millet is rich sources of bone-building minerals calcium and phosphorus. The good antioxidant profile makes it an ideal replacement to rice in dosa/idli/dhokla batters. 6. Kodo millet

The millet which closely resembles rice is kodo millet, use it for weight lossIf you are looking for a millet that closely resembles rice, then it is the Kodo millet. It is easy to digest and is rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, all of which helps prevent the occurrence of major lifestyle diseases. Weight loss enthusiasts, this is the millet you have to watch out for. Cook it like rice once in a while but without the guilt accompanied by it. Kodo millet has shown to reduce knee and joint pain, helps regularize menstruation in women among others.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

7. Little Millet

Little millet but mighty in nutrition The little millet may be called little but in no means its nutritional content is little. It is a rich source of B-vitamins, minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, potassium among others. It also provides essential fats to the body, the kind that helps in weight loss. Its high fibre content is yet another positive making it an ideal part of pongal or even kheer instead of rice. 8. Proso Millet

Proso millet is cultivated in developed countries Like it’s millet cousins, proso millet is rich in protein and low glycemic index carbs. The developed world cultivates this millet to use it as bird feed. It is yet to be consumed as a mainstream millet.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Importance of different types of millets According to Rohit Jain, Co-founder of Banyan Roots, an organic store selling products at reasonable and sustainable price points, “There are two broad categories of millets, namely major and minor millets. While pearl millet, sorghum, finger millet and foxtail millets come in the category of being the major millets, others such as sama, qodo, chinna etc., are considered minor millets. Many of the minor millets are endangered, as they are getting depleted, and some of them have even totally been eliminated.” Each millet has an importance of its own. While some millets, such as finger millet, are full of calcium, some like jowar have potassium and phosphorus, and foxtail is fibrous while qodo is rich in iron. Therefore, it is advisable to keep rotating the kind of millets we are eating. We should also remember that we should not mix millets and should only eat one grain in a meal as each grain has its own requirement as the medium for digestion and mixing them can create imbalances in body.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

NUTRIENT CONTENT OF MILLETS By any nutritional parameter, millets aremiles ahead of rice and wheat In terms oftheir mineral content, compared to rice andwheat. Each one of the millets has morefibre than rice and wheat. Some as muchas fifty times that of rice. Finger millet hasthirty times more Calcium than rice whileevery other millet has at least twice theamount of Calcium compared to rice. Intheir Iron content, foxtail and little millet areso rich that rice is nowhere in the race.While most of us seek a micronutrient suchas Beta Carotene in pharmaceutical pillsand capsules, millets offer it in abundantquantities. The much privileged rice,ironically, has zero quantity of this preciousmicronutrient.In this fashion, nutrient to nutrient, everysingle millet is extraordinarily superior torice and wheat and therefore is the solution for the malnutrition that affects a vast majority of theIndian population

Comparison with other major staple foods The following table shows the nutrient content of millet compared to major staple foods in a raw form. Raw forms, however, are not edible and cannot be fully digested. These must be prepared and cooked as appropriate for human consumption. In processed and cooked form, the relative nutritional and antinutritional contents of each of these grains is remarkably different from that of raw forms reported in this table. The nutritional value in the cooked form depends on the cooking method.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Difference between Cereals and Millets Difference

Cereals

Millets

Origin of

From greek Goddess Ceres, whom Term is applied to several species of

word/Meaning

Romans worshipped as giver of

cereals which produce small grains

grain.

compared to maize.

Cereals are the grasses that belong Millet is a small grained annual to the ‘Graminaceae family’.

cereal and forage grass that is widely

They generally require more

grown in dry regions.

rainfall than millets Total Number

Main cereals: Barley, Maize, Oats, Main Millets are: Pearl Millet, Pros Rice, Rye, wheat, Sorghum etc.

MIllet, Foxtail MIllet, Jowar and Ragi (aka Finger Millet)

Nutritional Value Rich in Carbohydrates (60-70%).

They are easy to digest and also

Also have Proteins, Fats and

contain a high percentage of minerals

Vitamins

like magnesium, phosphorous and potassium apart from other nutrion like protein, fat and vitamins

Extra info:

cereals are composed of

Drought resistance, grown almost for

endosperm, germ and bran.

local human consumption though in

1. Endosperm: a food storage

India we are trying to grow them at

tissue present in the seed. It is the

larger scale specially Jowar and Ragi.

starchy part of the grain that

Also used in Poultry

remains after the refining of

Short growing season and High

cereals; generally obtained by

product

removal of germ and bran. 2. Germ: it is the reproductive part of the cereal that germinates and later grows into a plant. 3.Bran: the outer covering of a cereal grain is known as bran. It is used as a source of dietary fibre.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Nature’s Nutraceuticals Millets are highly nutritious, non-glutinous and not acid forming foods. Hence they aresoothing and easy to digest. They are considered to be the least allergenic and most digestible grains available. Compared to Paddy rice, especially polished Paddy rice, millets release lesserpercentage of glucose and over a longer period of time. This lowers the risk of diabetes...Morehere. Millets are particularly high in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.Finger millet (Ragi) is the richest in calcium content, about 10 times that of Paddy rice or wheat.Unlike Paddy rice and wheat that require many inputs in terms of soil fertility and water, milletsgrow well in dry regions as rain-fed crops. By eating millets, we will be encouraging farmers indry land areas to grow crops that are best suited for those regions. This is a step towardssustainable cropping practices where by introducing diversity in our diets, we respect thebiodiversity in nature rather than forcefully changing cropping patterns to grow wheat and Paddyrice everywhere. India is the largest producer of Many kinds of millets, which are often referred ascoarse cereals. However, realizing the nutrient richness of these grains they are now consideredas” nutria-cereals. Small millets, as a group includes several grain crops namely finger millet(rage), kodo millet (varagu), and little (panivaragu). Though they occupy relatively a lowerposition among feed crops in Indian agriculture, they are quite important from the point of foodsecurity at regional and farm level. India is the largest producer of Many kinds of millets, whichare often referred as coarse cereals. However, realizing the nutrient richness of these grains theyare now considered as” nutria-cereals. Small millets, as a group includes several grain cropsnamely finger millet (rage), kodo millet (varagu), and little (panivaragu). Though they occupyrelatively a lower position among feed crops in Indian agriculture, they are quite important fromthe point of food security at regional and farm level.

Small millets can be grown even in poor soil and climatic conditions. They have short growingseason and can be very well fitted into multiple cropping systems both under irrigated as well asdry farming conditions. They can provide nutritious grain and fodder in a short span of time.Their long storability under ordinary conditions has made them "famine reserves". This aspect isvery important as Indian agriculture suffers from vagaries of the monsoon. Minor millets orsmall millets as opposed to major millets (Maize, Jowar & Bajra) may be defined as milletscultivated for their small grains which are borne on short, slender grassy plants. In other wordsthey refer to a group of small seeded cereal crops. The most

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

important minor millets cultivated inIndia are: finger millet (ragi), proso millet, barnyard millet, italian millet, kodo millet, littlemillet, job's tears and, teff. of the total area of 23 million ha under millets ,small millets alone account for about 3.5million ha; their cultivation extending from sea level in coastal Andhra Pradesh upto an altitudeof 8000 feet above sea level in hills of Uttarranchel and North-Eastern states. Small millets havea capacity for wide adaptation. They can withstand a certain degree of soil acidity and alkalinity,stress due to moisture and temperature and variation in soils from heavy to sandy infertile. Theyare grown from the extreme southern tip of India at sea level to the temperate north Himalayanareas up to an altitude of 3000 metres with consequent variation in photoperiod from short tolong days. That is why , it is important enhance production and productivity of these crops toensure food and nutritional security. An attempt was made in this research paper for examinethe actual cultivating areas and the importance of millet crops are analyzed from the data of ministry of agriculture, government of India and some other reliable sources. Nutritional Value of Millets The pearled grains soaked in water for 1-2 days, wet ground and the mash cooked,extruded and dried. It makes an excellent crispy product when deep fried. These products can beeconomically produced as a cottage industry, as it needs simple equipment and it requires low capital investment. Para boiling improves the quality and is also used to prepare expanded grains.Research work in this direction is extremely fruitful. Popping process is explained in the postharvest technology. The volume of popped millets ranges from 8-10 ml/gm and the expandedvolumes of each millet during cropping is as follows: Proso millet -12 ml/gm; Kodo millet -11ml/gm; Foxtail millet- 7 ml/gm; Little millet -7 ml/gm; Barnyard millet-7 ml/gm. Small milletsare rarely used to produce starch for industrial uses. Their starches generally exhibit higher gelatinisation temperature, higher water binding capacity and slow in enzymatic hydrolysis thanwheat and rice. Millets may also find use for formulating high fibre and diabetic foods.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING The millets are considered to have been cultivated in India from pre-historic times. Their importance as an article of human food can be realized from the fact that about 30 million acres in India fall under millets. Millets are generally grown as mixed crops in regions of low rainfall, the other crop grown with them being usually one of the legumes. Most of the millets grown in our country are of short duration, taking, three to four months from sowing to harvesting. Some of India are sorghum pearl millet and finger millet.

Harvesting and Storage of Pearl millet Pearl millet should be harvested as early as possible to minimize losses due to birds, and bad weather.Mature grain pearl millet in the field contains about 30% moisture. At moisture levels higher than 25%, the seeds are too soft to withstand the threshing action. The ideal moisture content for harvesting grain pearl millet is about 20%.

Tying of plants Thin stems, heavy panicles , and profuse tillering may result in lodging of the plants.The seeds in the panicles of lodged plants germinate in the moist field and thus affect grain yield and quality. Hence, the plants are tied together to prevent lodging of plants.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Pearl millet standability Most standability concerns develop when growers leave pearl millet in the field until grain moisture is below 14%. Harvesting at 20% moisture or less prevents a significant amount of standability problems. The best stage to harvest pearl millet is when the plants reach the physiological maturity. Physiological maturity can be determined by the black (dark) spot at the bottom of the grain.When the crop matures the leaves turn yellow and present a dried up appearance. The grains are hard and firm.The usual practice of harvesting pearl millet is cutting the ear-heads first and the stalks later.The stalks (straw) are cut after a week, allowed to dry and then stacked.

Winnowing of Pearl millet Winnowing of Pearl millet The harvested ear heads are dried before threshing.The grain is separated from the ear heads by using a mechanical thresher or by drawing a stone roller over the ear-heads or trampling under the feet of cattle.The separated grain is then cleaned by winnowing and dried. Conventional grain dryers or use of natural-air drying are options for drying the grain.Grain at or below 14% moisture is considered dry.For long-term storage (more than 6 months), grain moisture content should be a maximum of 13.5%.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Mud bin to store pearl millet Pearl millet grain is stored traditionally in mud bins or straw bins or bamboo bins or in metal bins.

Bamboo bin to store pearl millet The storage structures in rural areas are not ideal from scientific-storage point of view, as substantial losses occur during storage of grain from insect pests, moulds, rodents, etc.

Metal bin to store pearl millet Keeping the requirements of the farmers in view, the Indian Grain Storage Institute (IGSI), Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, with its branches at Ludhiana and Hyderabad, India have developed several metal bins of different capacities for scientific storage of grain in rural areas.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Ragi Cultivation Soil •

Ragi is cultivated on a variety of soils ranging from rich loam to poor shallow upland soils.

•

It prefers porous and well drained loam to light red loam and sandy loam soils of good fertility but reasonable water holding capacity.

•

It can tolerate some water logging. Black soils with sufficient drainage capacity also support to cultivate Ragi crop.

•

In southern India, it predominates on marginal soil conditions, provided by lateritic and red sandy loams.

•

It withstands and thrives well on slightly alkaline soils too. It seems to have ability to utilize rock phosphate than other cereals do.

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The soil should be rich in organic matter. Deep vertisols and rocky soils are not suitable for this crop owing to poor drainage and low fertility.

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It can be grown in soils with pH of 4.5-7.5.

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Tank silt is applied to the soil just before the rain begins and soon after the land is ploughed thrice to incorporate weeds in the soil.

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Heavy clay soils with poor drainage is less suitable

Land Preparation The land is prepared separately for irrigated and rainfed conditions. In areas with a rainfall of 60 to 75 cm, ragi is cultivated as a rainfed crop. So the field should be deeply ploughed for moisture conservation. But in irrigated crop, plough the field immediately at the arrival of monsoon until gets fine tilth.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Preparation of Main field i. Tillage Irrigated

Rainfed

•

•

Plough the field twice with iron mould board plough

or

thrice

with

wooden

plough,

immediately after the harvest of the previous crop •

Fall ploughing is advantageous for moisture conservation.

•

In the month of April or May, one deep

or at the arrival of pre-monsoon rain

ploughing

Levelling and clod breaking is achieved by using

followed by ploughing with wooden plough

a plank harrow or sometimes with wooden mallets

twice is necessary. •

with

mould

board

plough

•

Later a tined harrow smoothens the soil surface

•

Plough the field until gets fine tilth with disc

cultivar and multiple tooth hoe to prepare

harrow

smooth seed bed is necessary.

Before

sowing

secondary

tillage

ii Application of FYM or Compost Irrigated •

Spread 12.5 t/ha of FYM or compost coir pith (Kerala – 5 t/ha of FYM or Compost) evenly on the unploughed field and then plough and incorporate in the soil. (Do not spread and leave the manure uncovered in the field as nutrients will be lost). (or)

•

Soil treatment with biofertilizers: Azospirillum (2 kg/ha) and Phosphobacteria (2 kg/ha) of the recommended biofertilizers are mixed with in 20 to 25kg of compost and kept overnight. This mixture is incorporate in the soil at the time of sowing or planting.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

iii. Application of fertilizers Irrigated

Rainfed

•

•

For Tamil Nadu: Apply NPK 30:30:30 Kg/ha at the time of sowing

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For Karnataka: Apply NPK 50:50:50 Kg/ha at

at the time of sowing •

the time of sowing •

•

Apply 10 packets /ha (2kg) of Azospirillum

For Tamil Nadu: Apply NPK 20:20:20 Kg/ha

For Karnataka: Apply NP 30:37 Kg/ha at the time of sowing

•

Apply 10 packets /ha (2kg) of Azospirillum

inoculant after mixing with 25 kg of soil and 25

inoculant after mixing with 25 kg of soil and 25

kg of farmyard manure before transplanting.

kg of farmyard manure before transplanting.

Another method: Application of 2 tonnes of

•

Another method: Application of 2 tonnes of

enriched farmyard manure per hectare with

enriched farmyard manure per hectare with

100% P and K fertilizer gave higher yield of

100% P and K fertilizer gave higher yield of

Ragi in Coimbatore.

Ragi in Coimbatore.

iv. Forming beds and channels •

Form beds of size 10m2 to 20m2 according to topography of the field.

v. Application of micronutrient mixture •

Mix 12.5 kg/ha of micronutrient mixture formulated by the Agriculture Department with enough sand to make a total quality of 50 kg/ha.

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Apply the mixture evenly on the beds.

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Do not incorporate the mixture in the soil.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Sowing and Transplanting A plant population of 4 to 5 lakhs per ha is optimum for getting higher yields and higher or lower population than the optimum will reduce the yield. There are various methods practiced for ragi cultivation. •

In rainfed ragi, ragi is grown as intercrop or mixed crop with non cereal crops.

•

In irrigated ragi, ragi is grown as sole crop.

Direct Sowing Direct sowing is the practice of sowing seeds directly in the main field, eliminating the process of seedling raising and transplanting. The seeds are sown in the prepared land before or with the onset of monsoon. The following three methods used for sowing ragi seeds. i. Broadcasting •

It is a common method practiced in farmers fields

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Seed rate – 10 to 15Kg/ha

•

The seeds are directly sown in the main field by broadcasting

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Sow the seed ensuring full coverage of the site. Mixing the seed with an inert material may help you broadcast the seed by hand

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Seeds should have moisture within 24 hours of sowing.

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Each handful weighs about 10-20 grams so you should cover 7-15 metres per handful

ii. Line Sowing •

It is a better method than broadcasting.

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Seeds are sown in the main field in lines.

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The spacing is 22.5 to 30 cm between lines and 8 to 10cm within a line.

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The seed should not be sown less than 3-4 cm deep.

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Line sowing ensures better germination, reduces seed requirement and facilitates intercultural operation as compared to broadcast method of sowing.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

iii. Drilling in rows •

Ragi seeds are very small (400 seeds/ g) and the recommended seed rate of 10 to 15 kg per hectare will contain about 4 million seeds. Therefore, even when seed drill is used thinning the row leaving a spacing 7.5 to 10 cm between plants, must be followed.

•

Sowing by seed-cum-fertilizer drill is advantageous for line sowing besides efficient utilization of applied nutrients.

•

Drilling in rows with a seed drill drawn by a pair of bullocks by using more labours

Transplanting Transplanting is the practice of raising the seedlings in nursery and transplant. a. Transplanting the seedlings •

Irrigate the beds during transplanting and level the bed if it is not levelled

•

3 to 4 weeks seedlings should be transplanted in the field

•

Transplant 2 to 3 seedlings per hill in normal planting and 4 to 6 seedlings in delayed planting.

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For early kharif and Rabi season, plant 21 – 25 days old seedlings at a spacing of 25 cm x 10 cm

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For Late Kharif season, plant 25-28 days old seedlings at a spacing of 30 x 10 cm

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Plant the seedlings at a depth of 2 to 3 cm. Deeper planting delays tillering and root regeneration, increases duration and flowering at different times

•

Transplant in lines at proper spacing to maintain the correct level of panicles per metre. This also eases subsequent operations. Random planting leads to uneven growth of tillers and reduce panicles per metre.

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Prepare slurry with 5 packets (1000g) per hectare of Azospirillum inoculant in 40 litres of water and dip the root portion of the seedlings in the solution for 15 to 30 minutes and transplant.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets •

Dip the leafy portion of the seedlings in 0.1% carbendazim solution before planting to arrest the transfer of blast to main field.

•

The beds should be irrigated on the third day after transplantation

•

Replace the dead hills with new seedlings from the same nursery within one week

b. Management of aged seedlings •

When planting ragiseedlings beyond 21 days, increase the number of seedlings to 3/hill and increase N level by 25% to minimize yield loss.

•

Maintenance of optimum plant population is an important prerequisite for getting higher yield under rainfed conditions. Poor germination, often, is the result of inadequate moisture after sowing in low rainfall areas. Under these conditions, the adoption of a simple technique like seed hardening will not only improve germination and subsequent plant stand but also impact early seedling vigour and tolerance to drought.

Cropping System The cropping system is an important component of any farming system. It is the proportion of area under various crops at a point of time. It is designed to mimic nature and bring diversity into the farming system. Commonly practiced cropping systems are:

Pearl millet 1. Pearl Millet • Botanical Name : Pennisetum glaucum • Family : Gramineae • Origin : Western Africa • Distribution : Pearl millet is cultivated mostly in Africa (about 14 million ha) and Asia (about 12 million ha). 2. Pearl millet Area in India • India is the largest producer of pearl millet. • Area (9–10 million ha) • Production (8-9 million t) • Average productivity of 780 kg/ha. • It is grown as irrigated crop during the summer season in GJ, MH, AP, KN and TN. • Summer pearl millet is popular in Gujarat with very high yield exceeding 4–5 t/ha with excellent grain quality. 3.

As compared to the early 1980s, Pearl millet area in India declined by 26% during 2000–04, but production increased by 19% owing to 44% increase in productivity.

4. Soil and Climate • It yields best on fertile, well-drained loamy soils. • Pearl millet not grow well in waterlogged conditions. • It is grown on soils of poor fertility with low organic matter content, but it yields low. • Pearl millet can grow even under unfavorable conditions of drought stress and high temperatures. • Pearl millet is a warm-weather crop and grows best at 30–34°C air temperature. • Germination = 23 to 32°C. • The optimum rainfall requirement 600 and 800 mm. • But, pearl millet can be grown in areas which receive even less than 350 mm of seasonal rainfall.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets 5. Management Practices Field Preparation : • Timely sowing, which ensures higher yield. • Provide favorable conditions for sowing, allowing germination, emergence and good plant development. • Maintenance of fertility and productivity. • Summer plowing. • Good seedbed preparation and is essential for the successful establishment of the crop. 6. Nutrient Management • The low yields in pearl millet due to the crop being grown under poor soils, low nutrient content, erratic rainfall conditions etc. • Grain yield of pearl millet and nutrient requirement Grain yield (qt ha-1) Nutrient required (kg ha-1) N P K 10 qt 27 10 33 20 qt 53 19 65 25 qt 67 24 82 30 qt 80 28 98 7. Nitrogen nutrition : • Nitrogen plays an important role for good growth. • Nitrogen availability to plants is reflected in dark green color of stems and leaves, and vigorous growth and development of pearl millet. • Application of nitrogen is essential for acceptable yields. About 60–80 kg/ha is the optimum dose. 8. Phosphorus nutrition : • To provide energy for the growth and development of pearl millet plants. • Without phosphorus plants cannot grow even when nitrogen supply is plenty. • It takes phosphorus from seedling stage to grain- filling stage. • SSP is good source of phosphorus requirement for Pearlmillet. 9. Potassium nutrition : • Provides resistance to insect pests, diseases and water stress. • Improves the quality of the crop produce. • If a soil contains less than 150 kg ha-1 of available potassium, recommended dose of potassium application results higher yield in pearl millets. 10. Micronutrients : • Pearl millet response well to micro nutrients. • The results indicates grain yield increases with application micronutrient. • Irrigated pearl millet responds well to Zinc up to 25 kg Zn So₄ /ha. • Shekhawat et al reported that application of micronutrient increased grain yield of pearl millet over NPK. • The percentage of increase in grain yield due to application of micronutrients over NPK alone are , • Mn - 5.47 % • Zn – 16.48 % • B – 4.55 % • Mo – 7.70 % • Fe – 19.35 % 11. Other nutrients • Secondary nutrients and Micronutrients plays an important role to increase the pearl millet production. • Application of organic manures like well-decomposed FYM and Compost, Green Manuring and Green-Leaf Manuring practices provide nutrients. • These nutrients are equally essential for pearl millet plants for proper growth , development and disease resistance. • Experimental evidence indicate the applying 10-15 t /ha of bulky organic manure improving yield of pearl millet as well as improving soil productivity. 12. Cropping Systems • Commonly practiced cropping systems are: • Crop rotation practices : • It maintains soil fertility. • Check soil erosion. • Reduce the buildup of pest. • Mitigate risk of weather changes. • Increase net profits. 13. Intercropping Practices : • Intercropping refers to growing more than one crop in the same land area in rows of definite proportion and pattern. • Produce higher yields per unit area

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets through better use of natural resources. • Offer greater stability in production under adverse weather conditions , disease and insect infestation. • Meet the domestic needs of the farmer. 14. Mixed Cropping Practices : • Mixed cropping refers to simultaneously growing more than one crop in the same land without any definite pattern. • Mixed cropping of pearl millet-pigeon pea or cluster bean is most common. 15. Seeds and Sowing • Seeds and Seed Preparation : • To prevent seed borne diseases as well as pests. • Seed hardening practice for better germination. • Soaking seeds in 1% calcium chloride or in plain water for 6 hours before sowing results in increased yield under drought conditions. • Soak seeds in 10% salt solution reduce the incidence of Ergot disease. 16. Pearl millet cultivars : • Pearl millet hybrids offer several advantages over OPVs besides 25– 30% higher grain yields. • high-yielding, popular hybrids and varieties are , • HHB 67 Improved • GHB 538 • GHB 558 • ICMH 356 • GK 1004 AP HYBRID VARIETIES • PAC 903 • AIMP 92901, ASP-1, ICTP 8203, Ananth 17. System of Sowing • Flat Bed • Ridge & Furrow • Broad-Bed & Furrow 18. Seed rate : • In general 6-8 kg/ha and in black soil 3 Kg/ha under high water retentive capacity • Spacing: 30x10 cm or 60 X 10 cm • Sowing time : • Kharif : June-July • Rabi : September-October • Summer : January-February (as an irrigated crop in TN ,KN,PB,GJ, AP) 19. Transplanting of Pearl Millet • Pearl millet is also transplanted in some parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat. • This practice is common under irrigated conditions. • A nursery of 300 m² is sufficient to supply seedlings to plant one ha main field. • It saves 34 weeks if crop is responsive to transplanting. • Transplanted pearl millet gives much yield as that of direct seeded crop. • Healthy seedlings (15 to 20 days old) are transplanted in the water-soaked fields. 20. Under south Indian conditions, summer irrigated pearl millet is usually grown by transplantation. • Sow the seedlings on ridges and furrows with a spacing of 45 x 20 cm . • A plant population of 1,75,000 /ha is optimum for hybrids. • Earthing up is done around 40 DAP. • The grain yield around 4 t/ha under good management practices. 21. Weed management • Yield losses of more than 70% due to weeds have been reported from weed control experiments. • It is necessary to keep the crop weed-free during the first 30 days after sowing. • Cultural practices : • Adopting proper crop rotation practices reducing the weed competition in pearl millet crop. • Intercropping also helps in smothering the weeds with good crop cover over the land surface. • Mulching the soil surface helps to to suppress the weeds and also helps in conserving the soil moisture. 22. Chemical control : • Pre-emergence application : • It applied after sowing but before emergence of seedling. - Atrazine (0.5-1.0) - Pendimethalin (1.0-1.5) - Tebutryn (1.0-2.0) for light soils - Norea (1.0-2.0) for heavy soils • Post-emergence application : • In case of severe

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets infestation. • Low rates of 2,4-D (0.5-1.0 kg/ha) may be applied when the plants are about 10 to 30 cm tall. 23. Water Management • Pearl millet is mainly rainfed crop. • Only about 8% of pearl millet area is irrigated in India. Moisture conservation : • Soil and water conservation practices significance to increase pearl millet production. • Antitranspirants and reflectants may minimize the water loss due to transpiration. • Deep ploughing increases rain water into soil. • Mulches are effective in reducing evaporation losses 24. Scheduling Irrigation : • Summer irrigated Pearl millet require six irrigation for high yields at given stages, • Transplanting • 1 week after transplanting • 3 week after transplanting • Panicle initiation • Flowering • Grain development

Kodo millet (Arka) Kodo Millet is largely grown in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Karnataka. It is also cultivated in the Jhum field of Arunachal Pradesh. Season Sowing with onset of monsoon is beneficial. The sowing season is generally middle of June to end of July in different states. In Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, last week of June to first week of July is the time for sowing. Climate Generally the Millets are grown in tropical as well as sub-tropical upto an altitude of 2,100m. It is a heat loving plant. It is grown where rainfall ranges from 500-900mm. Kodo Millet has a heavy water requirement which grows well in moderate rainfall of 50-60cm. Soil It has wide adaptability to different soil from very poor to very fertile and can tolerate a certain degree of alkalinity. The best soils are alluvial, loamy and sandy soil with good drainage. Kodo millet can be grown in gravelly and stony soil such as in the hilly region. Field preparation The first ploughing should be done deep with a soil turning plough at the onset of monsoon. Fine tilth is imperative for proper germination and crop establishment. Varieties •

Madhya Pradesh - RK - 65 - 18,JK 439, RBK 155, JK 13, JK 65 and JK 48, JK 137, RK 390- 25, JK 106, GPUK 3

•

Tamil Nadu - KMV 20 (Bamban), CO 3, TNAU 86, GPUK 3

•

Gujarat - GK 1 and GK 2, GPUK 3

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets •

Chattisgarh - RBK 155 and JK 43 9, Indira Kodo - 1, Indira Kodo - 48, GPUK 3

•

Karnataka - GPUK 3, RBK 155

•

VL-124, VL-149, mostly developed for the hill states of the country.

Spacing 20-25cm row-to-row, 8-10cm plant-to-plant Seed Rate 10 kg per for line sowing; 15 kg per ha for broadcasting. Seed Treatment The seed should be treated with Agrosan G.N. or Thiram @ 2.5g/Kg of seed. Treating seeds with Azospirullum brasilense (nitrogen fixing bacterium) and Aspergillus awamouri (phosphate solubalizing fungus) @ 25 g kg -1 is beneficial. Method of sowing Line sowing at 3-4cm deep. Transplanted crop Seed should be sown in well prepared nursery beds during the month of May-July about 4 Kg of seed will give enough seedlings to transplant 1 ha of land. 3 to 4 week old seedlings should be transplanted two seedlings per hill at a distance of 25X8 cm or transplanted 2-3cm deep. Manures and Fertilizers FYM-5 to 10 tonnes/ha. FYM should be applied one month before sowing. Tamil nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh : 40 kg N and 20 kg P / ha Other states : 20 kg each NPK / ha NE states : 60:30:30 NPK / ha Cropping System In hilly areas it is grown mixed with Soybean. Madhya Pradesh: Kodo millet + Pigeon pea (2:1 ratio); Kodo millet + Green gram/black gram (2:1 ratio); Kodo millet + Soybean (2:1 ratio). Weed Control The inter-cultivation and weeding should be done with hand hoe, three hoeing would be sufficient to control the weeds in problem areas. Disease Management Head smut caused by Sorosporium paspali-thunbergi is a major disease. The pathogen being seed borne can be checked by seed treatment with Chlorothalonil or Mancozeb @ 2g/kg. The variety GPUK 3 is tolerant to head smut

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Blast : Infection of this disease may occur in the seedling stage with gray green to yellow lesions on leaf blades. To control this disease, the seed should be treated before sowing with Agrosan GN or Cerasan @ 2.5 g/Kg of seed. Resistant variety should be cultivated. Seedling blight : Serious disease and cause heavy damage. 0.02 % solution of Dithane U-45 should be sprayed. Insect Pest Stem Borer/ Hairy Caterpillar/Grass hopper/Caterpiller. Control : Diazinen (5%) or Thiaden(4%) granules @ 20Kg/ha, to control Borer Hairy caterpillar & Grass hopper spray Carbaryl dust @ 20Kg/ha may be used.

Sorghum: Sorghum vullgare Pers.; Eng.: Sorghum; Hindi: Jowar, Family: Gramineac: (Poaceae) India is one of the leading countries in the world the production of sorghum. The area under this millet is 42.6 million acres, and the production of the grain is estimated Lit about 7.4 million tonnes. It is chiefly cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In India Jowar is mainly a crop of plains, and is grown as both kharif and rabi. The kharif crop sown between May and July and harvested between October and December. The rabi crop sown between September and November, is harvested between January and March. The plants are tall coarse annuals, growing to a height of from 90 cm to 4.5 in, nil-florescence is a dense hence head or panicle. The grains are small, round and pinkish-white in colour. They can easily be grown in less irrigated and arid regions. Uses:The grains eaten by breaking, it and cooking, it in the same way as rice or by grinding in into flour and preparing unleavened bread from it. The stern and leaves are used as cattle fodder especially in north India. Pearl Millet: Pennisetum typhoids (Burm) Stapf and hubbard; Eng,.: Pearl millet; Hindi: Bajra Family Gramineae (Poaceae) This is the second important millet of India. The area under the crop is 29.2 million acres, and the annual production of grain is about three million tonnes. It is chiefly cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

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It is suited to regions of low rainfall, and can be grown even in tracts which receive only 51 to 60 cm of rainfall. It is seldom grown in areas where the rainfall is heavier than about 10.5 cm annually. Outside Asia, the grain is largely cultivated in Africa, where it is a common article of food among both the Arabs and the natives. In India the crop is grown mainly in kharif. Sowing takes place between May and September, and harvesting between September and February. The plants are tall, annuals, growing to a height of from 1.8 to 4.5 in. The inflorescence is a dense spikelike head or panicle 1.8 cm to 4.5 in long and 2.5 cm or so in diameter. In India it is growth as a rainy crop. Uses: It is furnished and important food for the poor people and labour class, and is particularly valuable in cold weather because of its heating qualities. The flour made from the grain is very nutrition’s and is used for making bread. The crop has an enormous yield of forage.This is the third important millet of India. The area under the crop is 5.9 million acres and the annual production of grain is about 1.9 million tonnes. About 75% of the area under the crop lies in south India. It is also grown to a limited extent, in the hilly tracts of northern India. It is cultivated as a food crop in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.It is one of the hardiest crops suited for dry farming. It can grow under conditions of very low rainfall, land can withstand very severe drought. It can be grown as dry crop as well as under irrigation. Unlike other crops, both the plants and grain remain free from pests and diseases. Ragi grain can be stored for many years even up 50 years without damage, it kept away from moisture. In India, Ragi is sown in the kharif. Sowing takes place between May and August, and harvesting between September and January. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, sowing and harvesting continue almost throughout the year. Oat:Avena sativa Linn; Eng.: Oat; Hindi: Javi; Family Gramineae (Poaceae). An annual grass. They vary in height from 60 cm to 1.5 m. The inflorescence is onediscs or spreading panicle which may be either erect or drooping. Avena sativa L is commonly cultivated in the temperate climate of northern Europe. This is grown to a limited in North-West Himalayas. The Indian oat belongs to the species Avena sterillis var. culta. A hybrid has raised between Indian oat and A. savita.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Uses: Oats are consumed as human food and fodder for cattle. They have a high fat, protein and mineral content. It is used chiefly in making cakes, biscuits and breakfast food. Oat meal is prepared by grinding the grains rather coarsely between the stones. Rye:Scale cereal; Eng.: Rye; Family: Gramineae (Poaceae). It is of more recent origin than the other cereals. It is thought of be native of the Black land Caspian Seas region of Central Eurasia. It is related to both barley and wheat and resembles the barley in habit. Its grains look like that of wheat. The tillers are slender reaching a height up to 1.8 m. The leaves are somewhat bluish. A large number of spikelet’s are found in head. The spikelet’s are produced singly at the joints of axis and each one contains two fertile flowers. Uses : In European countries it is used chiefly for bread, as grains contain gluten. The bread of rye is also known as black bread cacaos of its dark colour. The straw of rye is used for making paper and hats. The grain is also used for stock. Pseudo-Cereals:In various parts of the world the seeds of the other plants are used like cereals and millets as source of human food. Such plants are not grasses. In India buckwheat is grown on the large scale in the Himalayas tracts. Buckwheat:Fagophrion esculention: Hindi: Kutu; Family Polygonaceae. It is native of Central Asia, but now extensively cultivated in the hills of Northern India, It is normally a plant of cool, moist, temperate regions and thrives best in a sandy welldrained soil. The plant is small branching annual. The inflorescence is a receme bearing small white or pinkest flowers. These are hulled and ground and the starchy flour is used for porridge, soups and puris. In India, the flour is commonly used by Hindus on festive occasions to break their fast. Seeds are also fed to livestock land poultry. Gorgon Nut:Euryale ferox Linn; Hindi: Makhana; Family: Nymphaeaceae. This is a prickly aquatic herb, found commonly in Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The seeds are roasted and eaten. They are added in sweetmeats and confectionery. It makes a light food with milk.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Millets as Climate Change Compliant Crops Disappearing Millet system All these qualities of millet farming system make them the Climate change portends less rain, more heat, reduced water availability and increased malnutrition. If there is any cropping system that can withstand these challenges, survive and flourish, it is the millet system. It is important to note that with the projected 2 degree celsius temperature rise, wheat might disappear from our midst, since it is an extremely thermal sensitive crop. Similarly, the way rice is grown under standing water makes it a dangerous crop under climate change conditions. Methane emanating from water-drenched rice fields, is a green house gas, that severely threatens our environment.

Millets are all-season crops whereas wheat is season specific. In spite of all these extraordinary qualities and capacities of millet farming systems, the area under millet production has been shrinking over the last five decades and rapidly, since the Green Revolution period. Between 1966 and 2006, 44% of millet cultivation areas were occupied by other crops signifying an extraordinary loss to India’s food and farming systems. Declining state support in terms of crop loans and crop insurance has significantly contributed to this decline and fall of millets in Indian agriculture. Unless this is halted urgently through a slew of policy and financial in centives, millets might disappear from the agrarian landscape of India over the next fifty years. This will not only be a loss to India’s food and farming systems, but will also prove to be a civilisational and ecological disaster. climate change compliant crops cultivated round the year.

While wheat and rice might provide only food security, millets produce multiple securities (food, fodder, health, nutrition, livelihood and ecological) making them the crops of agricultural security. Therefore, there is an urgent need for Indian policy makers to refocus their attention towards millet farming systems and enact policies that create an enabling environment for milletfarmers.

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Growing Millet at Home

Choose a millet variety. Millet seeds or "sprays" containing seeds are often sold as bird food, but these come in many varieties and may not be reliably labeled. While bird owners have reported success planting these seeds, or even growing them accidentally by dropping them in the garden, seeds or young plants purchased from a plant nursery will most likely be labeled with an exact species. This gives you a better idea of what to expect, and may help you find more specific answers to problems you encounter while growing. o

"Ornamental millet" varieties such as Purple Majesty or Foxtail Millet Highlander are recommended for small garden plots due to their attractive appearance. They still produce edible seeds that will attract birds and other wildlife.

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Some millet varieties, such as Golden Millet, grow to 18–24 inches (46–61 cm) in height, while other common varieties require more space and reach 5 feet (1.5 m) or more in height. Your millet plant may not reach its maximum height in cool climates.

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If you plan on eating the millet or feeding it to birds, use organic millet seeds and do not treat the plant with pesticides.

Plant seeds indoors in early spring, or outdoors in late spring. For best results, especially with ornamental millet, start the seeds indoors approximately 6–8 weeks before the last frost of the year.

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Alternatively, you can start the seeds directly outdoors as long as the frost is over and soil temperatures are above 50 °F (10 °C), but be aware that this may not give the plant time to mature and produce seeds by the end of the growing season.

Prepare the soil. You can purchase seed starting soil, or mix ordinary potting soil with an equal amount of compost. Using soil from your garden may not be as effective, but you can attempt to grow millet in any soil that drains quickly. Mix perlite or sand into the soil if the soil clumps together or tends to stay soggy after watering.

Place seeds below a thin layer of soil. Seeds should not be buried deep, but instead placed no more than 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) below the surface. Ideally, plant the seeds 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) apart. If you don't have enough space, you may plant them closer together and thin out the smallest seedlings once the seeds have sprouted.

Keep the seeds in a warm space with indirect light. The seedlings should sprout within a few days. Many millet varieties are adapted to warm climates, and grow best if exposed to bright, indirect sunlight for most of the day and temperatures around 78 °F (26 °C) If the millet you purchased came with other instructions, follow them instead.

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Know when to water the seeds. Water the seeds immediately after planting to help them sprout and grow. Subsequently, water whenever the soil is dry or nearly dry, but not if it still feels damp. Make sure the water drains well. Millet will not grow well if the seeds are soaking in water.

Transplant the seedlings to areas of full sun once the weather warms. After the last frost has passed and the soil temperatures are above 50 °F (10 °C), dig the seedlings out individually, taking care to keep their roots intact. Transplant them into outdoor pots or directly into the garden, using the same soil they were in before. Try to plant the seedlings to the same depth they were before. Keep the millet in full sun unless it shows signs of withering or burning. o

Avoid burying the stem that was previously above the soil level.

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The recommended size of the pot or spacing of the plants varies greatly with the type of millet.

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If the weather is hot or the seedlings are still small, consider keeping them in an outdoor area with partial shade and wind protection for one or two weeks before moving them to an area of full sun. This allows them to gradually adjust to outdoor conditions.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets Adjust the care strategy as needed. Because there are thousands of millet species and varieties, it is impractical to give specific instructions for each. Generally speaking, millet plants enjoy good-draining soil and do best if the soil is not allowed to dry out completely. Millet is unlikely to survive freezing temperatures either as seeds or adult plants, and most types thrive in warm weather o

If your millet appears unhealthy or some of the plants die, have a botanist or garden nursery employee identify your species of millet and suggest specific care.

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If your millet rots or looks slimy at the base or roots, reduce watering.

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If your millet dries out or falls over, it may be a short-root variety. Add compost to the soil to help trap moisture and provide a sturdier support for the plants.

Harvest seeds just before they ripen. If you wish to collect seeds to feed to house pets, or to plant again next year, you'll need to get to them before birds and other wildlife. The time it takes for millet to mature varies greatly with variety and climate, so once the plants flower, keep an eye out for seed pods. These pods grow among the fluffy ends of the plant, and eventually open up to release seeds. o

Periodically break open a pod to see if the seeds inside are brown or black. If they are, the pods are ready for collecting. Gather them individually, or simply cut off the whole stalk.

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Note that millet is an annual crop, meaning the plant will die after producing seeds.

Learn how to use the seeds. Seed pods can be left in a paper bag to dry for 1 or 2 weeks. Shake the bag to separate seeds from the other material (chaff), then store them in a dark, dry place to plant next

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Millets are pest free crops Growing traditional local landraces and under ecological conditions, most millets such as foxtail aretotally pest free. And hence do not need any pesticides. Even in storage conditions, most millets suchas foxtail not only not need any fumigants, but act as anti pest agents to store delicate pulses such asgreen gram.

Threats on Millets Cultivation The another major threat that millets face in the country in the form of anunnatural promotion of maize, which is resulting in maize invasion in various parts of thecountry. States like Rajasthan, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, AP and Karnataka are witnessing largetracts of agricultural lands being occupied by maize, owing to the corporate-induced demand forbio-fuels and poultry feed. Millets are the last true „agricultural‟ crops and all steps must betaken by the state to conserve and promote them. Such an action will acknowledge andhonourthe great service rendered by millet farmers to the food and nutritional security of the nation. Thebest way for the State to do this is to offer support to farmers in the form of multiple bonuses andalso offer other forms of institutional financial support. The most urgent and the strong contextfor giving such a priority to millets, is provided by the coming decades of „Climate Change‟which confront us with three challenging scenarios. The first is rising global warming; thesecond, water scarcity that will acquire frightening proportions; and the third, the projectedmalnutrition that promises to engulf 70% of the Indian population, particularly the poor and thevulnerable sections. Being hardy and robust crops, millets can withstand and survive harshclimatic conditions. This makes them an ideal solution to the challenge of climate change. It isforecast that with the onset of climate change, wheat which is a thermal-sensitive crop would behard-pressed to survive. At the same time, rice fields with 2”of standing water and heavy inputsof chemical fertilizers as required under the „Green Revolution‟ model of cultivation will releasemethane, a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, thus rendering rice an utterly unviable crop!Many recent studies have pointed out that 20% of diabetes suffered by the poor in India is causedby the rice distributed and consumed through PDS. So, if we are serious in confronting thisproblem, we should look at millets for a solution. They must not be seen just as a diabetic foodor health food. They do not merely heal

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our wounds and illnesses, but have the ability to heal ourplanet. This is what makes them great food crops.

The responsible Factors Limiting Productivity of millets Production of millets and small millets are subject to wide fluctuations and the areais declining. Excepting sorghum, peralmillet, and finger millet, no other millet have showed any improvement in their cultivable area. The major constraints are as follows: 1. Millets are grown on poor shallow and marginal soils under rainfed conditions. Some of theseare still grown in the hilly areas under shifting cultivation which is one of the most primitiveways of crop production. The soils on which these crops are cultivated have low moistureretention capacity. 2. Seeds are often broadcast. This is a major bottle neck in taking inter-cultivation operation andeffective weed control. The mixed cropping practices adopted by the farmers are mostlysuited tosustenance agriculture and many of them are not remunerative. 3. They are often cultivated under unmanured and unfertilized conditions. Non adoption ofimproved varieties and timely agricultural operations like tillage, sowing, weeding andinterculturinghas resulted in reduced returns. Improved crop management practices are not adoptedby the farmers due to socio-economic constraints. 4. Research on crop improvement and agro-techniques was neglected till recently. There is noorganized programme for production and supply of seeds of improved varieties. There is noready market for the disposal of surplus produce at a remunerative price. There is lack ofextension and development support. Though a lot of research is done by All India co-ordinateResearch Project on Millet Improvement (AICMIP) and State Agricultural Universities, stillthere is a need to intensify to increase the area and production of millets

Suggestions to improving the millets cultivation As millets and small millets are predominantly grown in marginal and sub marginal drylands by poor farmers, the fluctuations in production not only bring hardship to farmers but alsocreate instability in the total coarse cereal production. So, developmental effort should be madethrough minikit demonstrations and State Level Training Programmes. These would help inpopularizing the newly released varieties among the farmers in replacing the low yielding localvarieties. For this purpose, systematic follow-up action is required for the

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production of seeds atvarious stages, its processing and distribution. The improved seed either should be supplied freeor subsidized by the Government. The role of non-monetary inputs such as line sowing, optimumrow spacing, depth of seeding, optimum plant population per unit area, timely cultural practicesfor higher productivity should be explained and demonstrated to the farmers right in the field. Agronomic research should bring out efficient low-cost technology which is within the means of farmers and easy to adopt. Increased use of small millets in various ready-to-eat food productsshould be encouraged as it enhances their value and market price. Provide millets highest priorityin the National Food Security Bill: Government of India should allocate at least 40% of its foodsecurity budget to millet based farming and food systems that will use millets as their major foodcomponent. Put millets into public food systems of India: Millets need to be integrated into theexisting Public Distribution System (PDS) . Also introduce millet meals twice a week in theICDS, school mid day meals, welfare hostels and such other schemes of the government. Recognise millets as Climate Change Compliant Crops and promote their cultivation andconsumption: Climate change will result in higher heat, drought, lower rainfall and water crisisas well as high malnutrition. For the ecological role they have played dryland farmers need to berecognised and granted monetary bonuses for biodiversity, water conservation and sustainingsolutions against climate change. Investment on millet lands which apart from creatingpermanent investment for the poor can also create at half the cost of NREGA, double theemployment days. Convert cultivable fallows into millet farms If the government worksdeterminedly and helps the farmers to cultivate these lands and farm millets, the country will beable to produce a minimum of 25 million tonnes of millets,5 million tonnes of pulses and fodderthat can feed an astounding 50 million heads of cattle. This is a huge opportunity. Start a massiveeducational and promotional programme on millets and the government must use its mediacampaign funds to take up millet promotion.

Advantages of Millets All millets are cooked as rice after dehulling. In addition, Italian millet isconsumed as stiff porridge called sargatic or as an leavened bread known as roti, after thedehulled grain has been milled into flour. Proso millet flour is also used as a substitute for riceflour in various snack foods. Millet protein lacks gluten, hence it is unsuitable as the solematerial for

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preparation of bakery products. Mudde from millet flour is prepared by steaming thedough and making it into balls. Millet flours are soaked overnight in cold water containing alittle butter milk and the slurry after fermentation is used to prepare porridge. Millets and blackgram mixed in the ratio of 3:1 are wet ground and fermented overnight which can be steamed tomake idli or baked on hot pan to prepare dosa or wet pan cakes. Non conventional foods likeflakes, extruded products or by par boiling of millets, popping and malting, products can beprepared from millets. Flakes are prepared by soaking pearled millets in water and then steamedunder pressure for complete gelatination of the starch and dried to about 18% moisture. Thenthey are pressed to requisite thickness between heavy duty rollers and dried to prepare flakes which hydrate quickly when added to warm water or milk. Noodle like products can be preparedfrom millet flours. They form nutritionally balanced food which is used as supplementary orweaning foods.

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HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILLET Before you think that millets are just an alternative to regular cereal grains, we let you in on the health benefits of millets. Similarly, millets for weight loss shouldn’t be the only thing you should be searching for! 1. Millets help to fight Type-2 Diabetes

As you must have seen, millets are all a rich source of magnesium, a mineral which is extremely important for starch digestion. Magnesium makes many carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, even the ones which manage insulin’s action. Researchers find that magnesium-rich whole grain consumption can help lower the risk of type-2 diabetes. In addition to this, lowfat dairy was also shown to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes owing to the presence of calcium. So have a good morning with a bowl of millets cooked in milk for health. This is impressive millet nutrition. 2. Millets are as nutritious as Fruits and Vegetables

Millets are gluten free grains and also rich in antioxidants We aren’t pitting one food group against the other but this is what research has to say. Scientists from Cornell University have found that millets are not any lesser than fruits or vegetables in their antioxidant activity. According to their research, most of the studies have explored the ‘free’ forms of antioxidants seen amply in fruits and vegetables. But the difference is that these antioxidants

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in millets are in the bound form which needs to be released on fermentation by bacteria. Thus the health benefits of millets are at par with fruits and vegetables. 3. Millets fight Heart Diseases

One of the phytonutrients amply present in millets is lignans. Lignans are known to be prebiotic fibre which is fermented in our gut by bacteria. Upon fermentation, they yield enterolactone, a product which is known to protect against heart disease and also some forms of breast cancers. 4. Millets help to prevent Gallstones

Have good digestive health with millets. Millets also help in weight lossStudies have shown that consuming foods high in insoluble fibre has the ability to prevent the occurrence of gallstones. The Nurses Health Study found that people eating both soluble and insoluble fibre reported 13% lower risk of gallstones. However, those who ate more of insoluble fibre reported a greater risk reduction in the occurrence of gallstones that is around 17%. So you can eat the millet grain to prevent gallstones in the future. 5. Millets role in childhood asthma Studies have found that a combination of whole grains like millets and fish helps reduce the incidence of wheezing in children. The positive is that millets are gluten-free grains too so it can be well tolerated by many

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6. Rich in Nutrients: Millet contains several health friendly nutrients that are required for proper functioning of the body. Iron and copper content in millet is needed for the production of blood cells and to improve blood oxygenation. It also contains phosphorus which is conducive to control blood pressure. These minerals, along with the phyto-nutrients can help build a formidable defense against all types of diseases and cancers. Millet is rich in iron content, which makes it a perfect food for curing anaemia. It also contains natural calcium deposit which strengthens the bones if consumed on a regular basis. Consumption of Ragi helps prevent arthritis and to recover from fractures. 7. Treats Coronary Artery Disorder: Consumption of millet in large amounts helps decrease triglyceride levels in the body. It thins the blood to prevent blood platelet clumping, thereby reducing the risk of sunstroke and coronary artery disorder. 8. Rich in Vitamin B: Vitamin B in millet helps to break down carbohydrates and fat more efficiently. It reduces homocysteine level in the blood to prevent cholesterol from bonding and forming deposits. Niacin prevents cholesterol from getting into the blood stream and raises high density lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood. This protects the blood vessels from atherosclerosis and hemorrhage. 9. High Amount of Gluten: Millet is one of those food grains which are loved by vegans and vegetarians because of the high amount of protein in it. It helps to meet the daily protein requirement from a complex carbohydrate than animal sources. It doesn’t contain extra saturated fats and other unhealthy ingredients that the animal sources contain. The protein structure of millet is quite like wheat; the only exception is that millet is a non-gluten grain while whole wheat contains a high amount of gluten, making it hard to digest.

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10. Aids in Weight Loss: Millets contain tryptophan, an amino acid which lowers appetite and helps in managing weight. It digests at a slower rate and keeps stomach full for a longer period of time. Millets are high in fiber and satiate hunger quickly, preventing from overeating. People who want to lose weight should incorporate millets in at least one of their main meals. 11. Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer: Millet contains both fiber and phytonutrients, the combination of which is believed to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. Lignan, a phytonutrient in millet, is converted into mammalian lignan in our intestine that protects us from breast cancer. In fact, consumption of millet can lower the risk of developing breast cancer by 50%. 12. Helps Decrease High Blood Pressure: Magnesium in millet relaxes the muscles that line the inside of the arterial wall, which helps to reduce blood pressure. It also reduces the severity of asthma and frequency of migraines. 13. Helps Prevent Celiac Disease: Celiac is a disease which damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. People who suffer from this disease cannot tolerate gluten. This makes millet a perfect food for them since it is completely gluten-free. 14. Helps to Manage Diabetes: The low glycemic index in millet slows down the digestion process and keeps the blood sugar level at a constant ratio. Millets increase insulin sensitivity for people suffering with diabetes and also helps to control the sugar levels for non-diabetics especially type 2 diabetes. Thus, regular consumption of Ragi can decrease fasting glucose by 32 percent and can eliminate insulin resistance by 43 percent. Hence, Ragi is very beneficial for diabetic patients.

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15. High in Fiber: Millets are rich in fiber, which help in easy digestion. It is considered as one of the most digestible and non-allergenic grains. The laxative properties of millets make it an excellent remedy for constipation. Lecithin and Methionine help to flush out harmful fats from the liver. Consuming foods high in fiber also prevent the formation of gallstones, especially in women. Insoluble fiber speeds up intestinal transit time and reduces the secretion of bile acids that contribute to the gallstone formation. Several researchers have found that people who consume high amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber have 13% lower risk of developing gallstones when compared to those who don’t. 16. Good Source of Antioxidants: The high amount of antioxidants present in millets fights free radicals present in the body which slows down the ageing process. 17. Slows Down Muscle Degradation: Millets are high protein grain and contain lysine, an amino acid which slows down muscle degradation and helps to build leaner muscles. 18. Aids in Sleep: Tryptophan in millet raises the serotonin level in the body which helps with stress reduction. A cup of millet porridge every night can help you to get sound and peaceful sleep. 19. Breast Milk Production: Pregnant and lactating women are advised to consume Ragi in high amounts to increase the production of breast milk in the body. This will enable the mother to feed the child for a longer period of time. Thus, ragi millet health benefits are quite amazing. 20. Relieves Menstrual Cramps: Because of its high level of magnesium, millet is a great food for women who suffer from unbearable pain and cramps during their menstrual cycle.

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21. High in Phosphorus: Phosphorus content in millet helps to structure the cells in the body. It is an essential component of numerous compounds including adenosine triphosphate or ATP, which enhances energy in the body. Phosphorus is also an essential component of lipid containing structures, such as cell membranes and nervous system structure. A cup of millet will provide you with 17% of your daily phosphorus intake requirement.

Benefits of Millets For Skin: 22. Improves Skin Elasticity: Millet comes packed with amino acids called L-lysine ad L-proline. These help to create collagen in the body, a substance which gives structure to the skin’s tissue. Thus, eating millet fortifies the collagen level to improve skin’s elasticity and makes it less prone to wrinkles. 23. Fights Aging: Antioxidants in millets fight stress and neutralize free radicals in the body. This helps reverse the signs of ageing on the skin. It maintains proper health of the skin by rejuvenating skin cells. Ubiquinone in millet is also used in beauty products to reduce wrinkles on the face. 24. Minimizes Scars: Scar tissue has a different cell structure than that of healthy skin, making it rigid. Alium, an antioxidant found in millet, boosts the blood flow to scar tissue. It blends in the development of new skin, minimizing the scars. It increases the speed of the skin repair system, firms the skin and prevents further damage.

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25. Protects Against Sun Damage: Selenium, Vitamin C and Vitamin E in millet guards the skin against sun damage and skin cancer. Sun damage makes the skin dull and lifeless. These nutrients boost growth of new cells to make the skin appear younger and more radiant. It also helps to reduce discoloration and wrinkles associated with sun damage. 26. Enhances Complexion: Millets are rich in Vitamin E, which is an amazing vitamin for the skin. It penetrates through the layers of the skin, assisting the body with the natural wound healing process. It even lubricates the skin and forms a protective layer that serves to keep the free radicals away from the wound. The high amount of vitamin E in millets can also enhance complexion. 27. Get Youthful Skin: Consuming millets in large amounts protects and preserves cells which give the skin a more youthful and supple look. It helps to renew damaged cells and makes them stronger by reducing stress. 28. Moisturizing Agent: Consuming millet helps to retain the natural moisture content in the skin. It makes dull looking, dry skin, healthier and fresher. 29. Reduces Acne: Lipoic, an antioxidant found in millet, produces valuable anti-inflammatory results by increasing cell metabolism and circulation. This anti-inflammatory property increases blood circulation in the body to reduce acne and fine lines on the skin. Benefits of Millets For Hair: 30. Strengthens Hair Follicles: Millets are rich in protein, a nutrient highly recommended for people suffering from hair loss. Healthy hair requires sufficient intake of protein, as most of the hair itself is made

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of protein. The protein found within hair cells is known as keratin, which is directly responsible for the composition of each strand of hair. Lack of protein can lead to severe hair loss. Thus, an adequate intake of millets strengthens hair, making it stronger and less prone to breakage. 31. Treats Scalp Conditions: Magnesium in millets reduces inflammation in the scalp to treat scalp conditions like eczema, psoriasis and dandruff. Millet is also beneficial for treating premature balding. Consuming millet will help in ameliorating metabolic syndrome, a health condition which causes premature balding. 32. Stimulates Hair Growth: Millets promote the circulation of blood circulation in the scalp and promote hair growth. 33. Controls Hair Fall: Stress increases cortisol level in the body leading to massive hair shedding. Magnesium present in millets control hair loss by reducing cortisol level in the body. 34. Helps Prevent Premature Graying: Premature graying of hair is caused mainly due to oxidation of the tissues. The potent antioxidants in millets effectively prevent the corrosion of tissues, thereby reducing the possibility of premature graying.

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How To Cook Millets? Most millets are sold in super markets in the form of tiny seeds with most of their outer layers of skin removed. Pearl millet and Finger millet have a unique color, texture, aroma and taste. I have shared quite a few recipes below using these as whole grains and using in flour form. You get both whole grains as well as flour in shops. Maize recipes, I already have a separate page. Jowar recipes are also given below. For the remaining types of millets - barnyard millet, foxtail millet, little millet and kodo millet, the recipes are quite similar. The taste and texture of these millets are also similar but their nutritional values are different. You can use them interchangeably in recipes. To cook any of these millets, first wash the millets in running water using a colandar. Then measure 3 cups of water (or any stock) for 1 cup of millet. If you want it a little grainier, take 2.5 cups of water. Take the water, salt and millets in a pot and boil it. Once the liquid boils, reduce the flame and simmer for 15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff it with a fork and let it rest for another 5 minutes. After that remove it onto a different bowl so that it doesn't get clumped up and all the grains stay separate. This can be served with any gravy as a substitute for rice. It can also be used to make a wide variety of Indian style dishes which I have mentioned below. The recipes includes breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas that you can easily prepare at home.

Food Preparation using Millets:

Barnyard Millet (Kuthiravali in Tamil / Odalu in Telugu / Oodhalu in Kannada / Kavadapullu in Malayalam / Sanwa in Hindi): It is a high source of iron and fibre. This widely available variety is suitable for upmas or Pongal. Foxtail Millet (Tamil: Thinai / Telugu: Kirra / Malayalam: Thinna / Kannada: Navane/ Hindi: Kangni): Rich in minerals and vitamins and lends a lovely texture to upma or Pongal.

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Finger Millet (Ragi in Kannada / Kelvaragu in Tamil / Ragulu in Telugu / Koovarugu in Malayalam/ Mundua in Hindi): A staple in many parts of Karnataka where it’s common to find Ragi Dosas or Rotis. Ragi Porridge is a great substitute for oats or cereal at breakfast. Little Millet (Samai in Tamil / Same in Kannada / Sama in Telugu and Chama in Malayalam/ Kutki in Hindi): Ideal for crispy dosas or even idlis, this millet is also loaded with iron and fibre. Pearl Millet (Kannada: Sajje / Telugu: Sajjalu / Tamil: Kambu / Malayalam: Kambam / Bajra: Hindi): A high source of proteins, this millet works well for dosas. Proso Millet (Tamil & Malayalam: Panivaragu / Kannada: Baragu / Telugu: Varigulu / Barri: Hindi): A great substitute for rice in a risotto or a traditional Bisi Bele Bath, you could also cook this millet along with your rice as a great health option with sambar or rasam. Tasty Millet Recipes

Millets can be used to make khichdi or pongal Now that you have known the multiple benefits of including millets in the diet, we give you some great ways they can be a part of your food and yet loved. 1. Millet instead of rice o

It’s really easy, millets get cooked just like rice.

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All you have to do is pressure cook or pan cook 1 glass of millet with 3 cups of water.

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When pan cooking you can observe the progress. Just when the water evaporates, take it off the flame and let it stay. It will cook some more in the remnant heat and fluff up, looking just like rice.

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You can now eat this cooked millet with sambhar or rasam.

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You can cook millets instead of rice once a week but make sure to check with a dietician if you have thyroid issues before consuming millets.

2. Millets in khichdi or Pongal Rice and dal make for a good combination in khichdi. So replacing rice with millets do not make a big difference in taste but a world of difference in the nutritional profile. Take this bajra khichdi, jowar khichdi or foxtail millet khichdi for instance. You could use millets in sweet or salty pongal too. Simple yet salivating millet recipes can be made. 3. Millet for upma Millets are available in different forms, even in the semolina version. So you can use millets to replace traditional wheat rava and make upma. We even found ragi vermicelli and made a ragi vermicelli upma out of it. 4. Millets incorporated in the wheat flour So most of you will be comfortable with chapatis made of wheat flour. We give that comfort to you but you can make it healthy by incorporating millet flour in wheat flour. You can have your own combinations to make healthy rotis. Check with your dietician about the ideal millet to wheat flour ratio especially if you have thyroid troubles. Eggless Whole Wheat Finger Millet Chocolate Cake-Ragi Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chocolate sauce You will not believe that this cake is prepared with ragi flour and whole wheat flour, if you had not seen the title. I wanted to make this ragi cake since the time I saw the recipe here.This finger millet/ragi cake is very chocolaty, dense and filling. With chocolate sauce topping, it was simply fabulous. Besides tasting great, it's literally a breeze to make. You do not need an electric beater, just mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients using a wire whisk, that's it. When I gave it to my friends and told them that this cake is prepared with ragi flour, they could not believe it. It is a great after school snack for kids and no doubt they will love this cake. You will have the satisfaction that you have made a healthy cake without all purpose flour.You can prepare this cake for birthdays, get togethers, parties, friends etc.

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A study on cultivation, harvesting processing and health benefits of millets

Today we will learn how to make this guilt free ragi-wheat flour cake following our step wise pictures.

Eggless Ragi Chocolate Cake Prep Time : 10 mins | Cook Time : 40 Mins | Yields : 7 inch cake tin Ingredients needed Whole Wheat Flour- 1 cup Finger millet/ragi flour-1/2 cup Powdered Brown Sugar-1 cup or white sugar-3/4cup Baking Soda-3/4 tsp Cocoa powder -2 tbsp Salt -a pinch Thick yogurt-3/4 cup Milk -1/4 cup +2 tbsp Any flavorless oil -1/4 cup Vanilla essence- 1 tsp Honey-2 tsp Walnuts toasted and chopped- 1/2 cup (optional) For the Chocolate Sauce Milk-2 cups Sugar-4-5 tbsp Cocoa powder-4 tbsp Butter- 1 tbsp Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp For the Chocolate Curls Dark chocolate- 1 bar

Foxtail Millet Khichdi-Korra-Thinai Kichadi-Healthy Lunch Ideas Millets are highly nutritious and non-glutinous.They are considered to be the least allergenic and most easily digestible grains available. Since millet does not contain gluten, it is a wonderful grain alternative for people who are gluten-sensitive. Millets are particularly high in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. Foxtail millet is rich in

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dietary fibre, protein and low in fat Unlike rice, foxtail millet releases glucose steadily without affecting the metabolism of the body. The incidence of diabetes is rare among the population which consumes foxtail millet diet. Millet is a grain that should also be included on your list of heart-healthy choices because of its status as a good source of magnesium. A cup of cooked millet provides 19% of the daily value for magnesium (source-whfood, Hindu). Foxtail millet is know as kangni in Hindi, tinai in tamil, Korra in Telugu and Navane in Kannada and thina in malayalam. Many people think that healthy food is boring and not delicious, but that is not true.Today we are going to learn how to make nutritious and delicious khichdi with foxtail millet following our easy recipe.

How to make Foxtail Millet Khichdi Prep time - under 10 minutes (soaking time not included) Cook time - under 20 minutes Serves - 1 Ingredients needed Onion - 1 Green chilli -1-2 slit Ginger - 1 inch piece finely chopped Foxtail millet/ tinai - 1/2 cup Moong dal split yellow variety - 1 tbsp (optional) Turmeric powder - a pinch Ghee - 1 tsp Salt as needed Vegetables and greens Carrot -1 medium size Beans -3-4 Potato - small 1 or 1/2 a medium sized potato Tomato -1/2 a tomato Drumstick leaves - fistful (You can add peas also)

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For the seasoning Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp Whole black pepper - 2-3 Red chilli - 1 Hing - a pinch Curry leaves – few Preparation Chop all the vegetable into medium sized pieces.Wash and soak millets along with moong dal in 1 1/2 cup of hot water for 2 -2 1/2 hours. Method Heat oil in a pressure pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal, cumin seeds, red chillies, hing black pepper and curry leaves.Add chopped onions, ginger, green chillies and saute until onions turn pink.Then add all the vegetables, drumstick leaves, turmeric powder, salt needed and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the soaked millet along with the water. Check for salt by tasting the water.Close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles on medium flame, then simmer for another 5 minutes and switch it off. Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker, add a tsp of ghee and mix the kichadi well. Serve hot with any raita of your choice. Believe me, the khichdi tasted delicious. Do try it and give me your feedback. This is a very filling and nutritious lunch. It has millets, dal, vegetables, greens, oil and raita has curd- balanced meal, isn't it? You will get the satisfaction that you are feeding your body with healthy food. Switch to millet diet 2-3 days a week and see the difference in your health! Foxtail Millet Adai-Thinai Paruppu Adai-Healthy Dinner Recipes-Millet Recipes Foxtail Millet is know as Kangni in Hindi, Thinai in Tamil, Korra in Telugu, Navane in Kannada and Thina in Malayalam. It is a variety of millet. Millets are gluten free and highly nutritious. The good thing is millets can be substituted in place of rice or wheat in most recipes. This adai has lentils and millets, so it is highly nutritious, full of fiber and rich in protein. This adai can be had for breakfast or dinner.

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Foxtail millet adai with coriander chutney Foxtail Millet Adai-Thinai Adai Prep Time : 15 mins Cook Time : 30 mins Yields:10 adais Recipe Category: Breakfast-Millets Recipe Cuisine: Indian Author:Padhu Sankar Ingredients needed Foxtail Millet/Thinai - 1 cup Tur dal - 1/2 cup Bengal gram/channa dal/ kadalai paruppu - 1/2 cup Urad dal (whole urad dal) -1 tbsp Red chillies -3-4 Hing - a pinch Salt as needed Grated coconut -3 tbsp (optional) Oil for making adai (sesame seed oil preferable) Preparation Soak foxtail millet and all the 3 dals (tur dal, channa dal and urad dal) together for 3-4 hours.Grind it along with salt, red chillies and hing just like you grind for regular adai. The consistency of the batter should neither be thick nor thin. Add grated coconut and mix well.

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Method Heat a tawa, (check by sprinkling water to see if the tawa is hot enough to pour the batter) pour a ladle of adai batter and spread it in a circular motion just as you do for regular adai. Drizzle a tsp of oil around the adai. Once it is cooked, the corners will start lifting up. Flip it over to the other side. Drizzle another 1/2 tsp of oil and cook well.Remove from tawa and serve hot with any chutney of your choice. This adai tasted so delicious that it has become a regular feature in my house. To know more about millet varieties, how to cook millets and health benefits of millet, check this post on Millets Note - In case if you are going to store the batter, do not add coconut. Add coconut only at the time of making adais. You can add finely chopped onions, green chillies, 1-2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves to the tinai adai batter to make it more delicious. Check out the most popular post and also most tried recipe in this blog- Adai (protien and iron rich adai) Ragi Dosa-Instant Ragi Dosa Recipe-How to make Finger Millet Dosa Ragi is known as finger millet in English and Kezhvaragu in Tamil. It is rich in calcium, protein, iron and is also a good source of fiber. It is said to be good for diabetic patients also.Today I am sharing 3 recipes for ragi or finger millet dosa. You can choose whichever is comfortable for you. The first one is prepared by grinding urad dal and mixing ragi flour, the second one is instant ragi dosa and the third one is made with leftover idli batter.

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Ragi Dosa-Finger Millet Dosa Prep Time : 10 mins Cook Time : Less than 5 mins per dosa Serves:2-4 Recipe Category: Millet Recipes-Breakfast/dinner Recipe Cuisine: South Indian Author:Padhu Sankar Ingredients needed Recipe #1 Whole Urad dal - 1/2 cup Ragi flour- 4 cups (You will get it ready made) Salt as needed Oil for making dosas (sesame seed oil preferable) Recipe #2 Ingredients needed for Instant Ragi Dosa Ragi flour - 1/2 cup Onion finely chopped - 1/4 cup Green chilli - 1 finely chopped Coriander leaves -finely chopped -1 tbsp Curry leaves - few tender ones Oil for making dosas Recipe #1 (dosa picture above)

Preparation Wash and soak urad dal for 2-3 hours. Grind well until smooth and fluffy. I used the wet grinder for grinding urad dal. Then add ragi flour, salt needed and mix well so that there are no lumps. Add water if required to get dosa batter consistency. Keep aside for 4-5 hours to ferment. In case, if you want to make dosa on the same day without fermenting, you can add a little sour buttermilk to needed batter and use for that day. Method Heat a dosa tawa, take a ladle of ragi dosa batter and spread it in circular motion. Drizzle a tsp of oil around the dosa. Do not spread too thin like paper dosa.

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Once it gets cooked, flip it over to the other side. Let the other side get cooked. Once cooked remove and serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar. This dosa will be very soft and delicious. Add finely chopped onions and green chillies to the dosa batter to make the dosa more delicious. Recipe#2 Instant Ragi dosa

Preparation Mix ragi flour with needed hot water until there are no lumps. Then add onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt needed.

The batter should be thin like rava dosa batter. Method Heat dosa tawa, pour the batter from the outer corners of the tawa and fill the inside of the tawa just like rava dosa. You cannot spread this batter like normal dosa.Drizzle a tsp of oil around the dosa. It will take time to get cooked, so have patience. Once cooked flip it over to the other side and let the other side get cooked.Remove from tawa and serve hot with chutney. This dosa will taste good only if taken hot from the tawa. Those who have difficulty in preparing this rava dosa style ragi dosa can prepare like regular dosas. Add less water and make small regular dosas. You can also add a little rice flour if needed.

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Recipe #3 Ragi dosa with leftover dosa batter For 2 cups of dosa batter, mix 3/4 cup of ragi flour and make dosas as usual. Refer How to make Dosa for detailed instructions, recipe and pictures. Note - I used ready made ragi flour. Varagu Upma-Varagarisi Upma Recipe-Healthy Breakfast Recipes I have written a lot about the health benefits of millets in my earlier post on millets. This upma is prepared with varagu known as kodo millet in English, is gluten-free, highly nutritious, fiber rich and is very filling. It is easy to prepare and takes very less time to make this healthy upma. Today we will learn how to make Kodo millet upma following this easy recipe.

How to make Varagu Upma Prep Time:10 mins |Cook Time: 15 Mins |Serves: 1 Ingredients needed Onion-1/2 cup chopped Green chilli-1 slit Ginger- 1 inch piece Mixed vegetables- 1 cup Varagu/ kodo millet- 1/2 cup Water-1 1/2 cup Salt needed For the seasoning Oil- 2 tsp Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

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Urad dal -1 tsp Red chilli -1 Hing- a pinch Curry leaves- few Preparations Finely chop onions, ginger and all the vegetables.(You can use a mix of carrot, peas, beans andpotato) Diabetics should avoid potato.Wash millet, drain the water and keep it aside. Method Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal, red chillies and hing.When dal turns golden brown, add finely chopped onions, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves and saute until onions turn transparent. Then add all the vegetables (carrot, beans, peas and potato) and saute for a few minutes.Add 1 1/2 cup of water and salt needed. (taste the water and see if the salt added is enough. If the water is a bit salty, it will be perfect once you add millets.) When water starts boiling, lower the heat and add the millets stirring continuously. Cover and cook on low heat stirring from time to time. Serve hot with any chutney of your choice. Note - You get varagu (kodo millet) with hull and without hull. I have used varagu with hull, that is why it is brown in color. Whether you use kodo millet with hull or without hull, the method is the same. Kambu Sadam Recipe-Pearl Millet Rice-Bajra Rice-Kambu Recipes Bajra or kambu is is an extensively grown variety of millet and is one of the oldest millet used by our ancestors. Pearl millet/Bajra is a rich source of proteins, B complex vitamins and minerals. It is very common in Rajasthan where they make roti with bajra flour. It is a staple food of farmers. Now it is becoming very common due to the growing awareness on millets. Today we will learn how to make bajra rice (kambu sadam or kambu soru in Tamil) following this easy recipe.

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Kambu sadam with kadamba kootu Kambu Sadam Recipe Prep Time : 10 mins Cook Time : 20 mins Serves: 1 Recipe Category: Millets Recipe Cuisine: South Indian Ingredients needed Organic Pearl Millet -1/2 cup Water - 1 1/2 cup Salt to taste

Preparation Dry roast kambu until it is hot to touch.Wash the pearl millet well and drain the water. Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes. Grind it a little coarse if you are cooking in a pan but it is not necessary if you pressure cook. Picture above shows kambu (as such without grinding it coarsely) cooked in pressure cooker.

Method You can cook kambu in a pan or even pressure cook kambu.Heat 2 cups of water in a pan, when water boils, add kambu and salt needed. Cover and cook on medium flame. Stir in between to prevent it from getting burnt. Kambu Sadam in cooker - Add 1 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

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Best side dish for Kambu Sadam/Soru - Sambar, kuzhambu or kootu. I had it with mixed vegetable South Indian style Kadamba Kootu. It was awesome!! I enjoyed it a lot. Note - I buy organic cleaned millets from health stores. So it saves me the trouble of cleaning millets. Ragi Biscuits-Finger Millet Biscuit (Cookies) Recipe-Healthy Snacks Recipes Looking for easy and healthy snacks recipes? These ragi/finger millet biscuits are quite easy to prepare, very healthy and tastes very delicious. They are rich in fiber, protein and calcium. You can have it as evening snacks, in between meals, at tea time or any time of the day without any guilt feelings. You can give these healthy ragi biscuits to kids after they come back from school. Today we will learn how to make ragi biscuits following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.

Finger Millet Biscuits-Ragi Biscuits Prep Time : 10 mins Cook Time : 20 mins Yields: 25 Biscuits Recipe Category: Biscuits Recipe Cuisine: Indian Ingredients needed Finger millet/ragi flour -1/2 cup Wheat flour-1/2 cup Powdered white sugar/powdered organic jaggery-1/2 cup Cold Butter-100 grams- 1/2 cup Baking powder -1 tsp

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Vanilla essence -1/2 tsp Milk - 2 tbsp to knead the dough Preparation Grease a cookie tray with butter and keep it ready. Pre heat the oven to 180 degree C for 15 minutes. Roast ragi flour on low flame until you get a nice smell of roasted ragi. Leave it to cool. Sieve together ragi flour, wheat flour and baking powder. Method Now all our ingredients are kept ready. Cut butter into small pieces and add to the sievedragi + wheat flour. Mix well with your fingers until the mixture become crumbled as shown in the picture below. Add powdered sugar or jaggery or brown sugar and mix it well. Add needed milk little at a time and make a smooth dough. Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes.Dust wheat flour and roll out the dough. The rolled out dough should not be too thin nor too thick. Using a lid or cookie cutter, cut desired shapes. I have used a round bottle cap. Press it with a fork as shown in the picture below to give it a striped pattern. Alternatively, you can make small balls out of the dough, press it between your palms to give a round flat shape (just like cookies) and make striped design with a fork and then bake. Place the biscuits on a greased tray and bake at 180 degree C for 15-20 minutes or until the biscuits start browning slightly. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Once it cools it will become crisp. Store it in an airtight container. Variations -For cardamom flavor, add 1/4 tsp cardamom powder instead of vanilla essence. For cinnamon flavor, add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon powder instead of vanilla essence. Ragi Idli Recipe-Soft Finger Millet Idli Recipe Idli is one of my favorite breakfast. I make idli, dosa with all varieties of millet and rice. I alternate between rice idli, dosa and millet idli, dosa, so that no one at home will complain that I am making idli and dosa with millets alone. I love to prepare ragi dishes as no other grain has so much calcium as ragi and it is also an excellent source of iron. It helps maintain bone health and prevents osteoporosis. Ragi (known as kezhvaragu in Tamil) is an

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excellent food for those with low hemoglobin levels. It a good source of dietary fiber and is also gluten free. Ragi idli is a very healthy breakfast and is suitable for kids and older people. These idlis are soft, spongy and nutritious and very easy to prepare. Learn how to make Soft ragi idlis using ragi flour following this easy and healthy recipe.

Ragi Idli Recipe-Finger Millet Idli Recipe Prep Time : 60 mins (fermenting time not included) Cook Time : 20 mins Serves: 4 Recipe Category: Breakfast-Ragi Recipe Cuisine: South Indian Author:Padhu Sankar Ingredients needed Idli Rice (Idli pulungal arisi) -1 cup Ragi flour/finger millet flour -2 cups Whole Urad dal (without skin) - 1 cup Fenugreek/vendhayam -1/2 tsp Salt as needed Preparation Wash and soak urad dal + fenugreek seeds for 4 hours. Wash and soak rice separately for 4-5 hours.Grind urad dal adding water little at a time until smooth and fluffy. Remove and keep it in a vessel.Grind rice adding water from time to time to a sightly coarse batter. Now add the urad dal batter, ragi flour and salt to the rice batter and grind everything together until well mixed. The consistency of the batter should be similar to idli batter (neither too thick nor too thin).Remove from the wet grinder and mix it well with your hands. Leave it to ferment overnight or for 7-8 hours. Use a big vessel to prevent it from over flowing as it will double while fermenting. Our Ragi Idli batter is ready.

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Method Heat water in an idli vessel or steamer. Mix the fermented ragi idli batter well and pour a ladle of batter into the idli molds and place it inside the steamer or idli cooker.Steam cook for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the idli comes out clean. Once one sprinkle water and remove from the mold after 2-3 minutes.Serve hot with sambar or chutney of your choice. Note - The idlis were super soft and delicious without any baking soda or cooking soda. I suggest using the wet grinder to grind the batter. You can make delicious ragi dosa also with the same batter. Millet Cutlet Recipe-Little Millet Patties-Saamai Tikki Millet Cutlets/Patties is a simple and healthy dish that can be had for lunch, as a tea time snack, as a party snack or can be packed in kids lunch box. I have also shared a quick sauce or dip which goes well with the millet cutlets. Today we will learn how to make millet/samai cutlets following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.

Millet Cutlet Recipe-Saamai Tikki Prep Time : 10 mins Cook Time : 20 mins Serves: 8 Millet Cutlets Recipe Category: Lunch-Snacks-Millets Recipe Cuisine: Indian Author:Padhu Sankar Ingredients needed Millet - 1 cup cooked Oil - 2 tbsp Onion - 1/3 cup Garlic - 2 tbsp minced

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Green chilli - 1 finely chopped Ginger - 1 tbsp finely chopped Carrot - 1/2 cup grated Turmeric powder - a pinch Salt to taste Pepper powder to taste Harissa spice powder - 1/2 tsp (optional) Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped Flaxseed powder - 1 1/2 tbsp Curd/plain yogurt - 2 tbsp Oil for shallow frying patties For the sauce Olive oil - 2 tbsp Onion - 1 finely chopped Garlic - 2 tbsp minced Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped/grated Ripe tomatoes - 3 big Salt to taste Pepper powder to taste Herbs (basil and oregano)

Preparation Cook millets following the instructions on How to cook Millets. I have used little millet (saamai) to make this cutlet. You can use barnyard millet (kuthiraiwali) or kodo millet (varagu) also to make this millet cutlet. Once you have cooked millets, fluff it with a fork and keep it aside.Mix flaxseed powder with curd and let is sit for 10 minutes. This is used for binding. You can use 1 egg in place of flaxseed + curd. Another option is to use cheddar cheese.Wash, peel the skin and grate carrots using the grater with big holes. Method •

Heat oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions, green chilli, garlic, ginger and saute until onions turn transparent.

•

Add grated carrot, salt, pepper powder, turmeric powder, harissa spice powder (optional) and cook covered. Sprinkle water in between and cook until carrots turn soft.

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•

Once the carrots are cooked, add cooked millets, finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Cook for a further few seconds.Then add flaxeed + curd mixture and mix well.

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Leave it to cool. Divide the mixture equally and shape into patties as show in the picture below. You can refrigerate the patties for 15 minutes, if required.

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Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the patties both sides until golden brown. Serve with quick homemade sauce and enjoy.

Quick Homemade Sauce for the millet cutlets •

Before preparing the cutlets, prepare the sauce or make both side by side.

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Blend the tomatoes and keep it ready.

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Heat olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger. Saute until onions turn transparent.

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Add blended tomato puree, salt and pepper powder to taste and cook until it thickens stirring from time to time.

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Add dry basil and oregano and mix well. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve as a side dish for millet cutlets.

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Enjoy Millet Cutlets hot with quick homemade sauce.

Bajra Atta Ladoo-Bajra Atta Dates Til Laddu Recipe-Healthy Snacks Recipes Pearl Millet is known by various names like candle millet, dark millet and cattail millet. It is known as "Kambu" in Tamil, "Bajra" in Hindi, "Bajri" in Rajasthani, Gujarati, "Sajje" in Kannada, "sajjalu" in Telugu and "Kambam" in Malayalam. (Source Wiki). Pearl millet is a rich source of iron and is gluten free. I have used dates for making this laddu to avoid using too much ghee. This laddu is easy to make and tastes delicous. Both adults and kids will love them a lot. Today we will learn how to make Bajra Atta laddu with dates, sesame seeds, nuts and jaggery following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.

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Bajra Atta Laddu-Bajra Atta Dates Till Ladoo Prep Time : 10 mins Cook Time : 15 mins Yields: 24-25 Bajra Laddus Recipe Category: Healthy Snacks-Bajra Recipe Cuisine: Indian Author:Padhu Sankar Ingredients needed Pearl Millet flour/Kambu flour - 1 1/2 cup Almonds - 15 Cashew nuts - 15 Dates - 25 Jaggery - 1/4 cup powdered Sesame seeds - 3 tbsp Cardamom - 2-3 (powdered) Ghee/clarified butter - 4 tbsp melted Preparation All the ingredients needed for the bajra laddu kept ready below.Dry roast the nuts and powder it coarsely. You can also chop it into fine pieces if you have patience.Choose soft dates, remove the seeds, chop it and keep it aside. Dry roast sesame seeds. Coarsely grind 2 tbsp of sesame seeds alone. Keep 1 tbsp of sesame seed as such without grinding. Method Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a kadai, and roast pearl millet flour on medium heat until you get a nice aroma of roasted flour.

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Once the flour is well roasted, switch off the heat and add jaggery powder. Add coarsely ground almonds + cashew nut powder, cardamom powder and coarsely ground sesame seeds. Mix everything well and dry grind it with chopped dates. Transfer to a wide vessel or plate. Add whole sesame seeds (remember we kept 1 tbsp sesame seeds aside) and mix it well. As we have added dates, we do not need much ghee for making this laddu. I have used just 2 tbsp of warm melted ghee. Mix warm ghee little at a time and make laddus batch by batch. Do not add all the ghee to the prepared bajra laddu mixture. You may need less than 2 tbsp of ghee as the mixture will bind well because of the dates. Storage and shelf life - Store it in an air tight container at room temperature. Keeps well for 15 days. This laddu with bajra, dates, nuts, jaggery and sesame seeds makes a healthy snack for both kids and adults. Samai Thayir Sadam-Little Millet Curd Rice-Millet Recipes Samai or sama is the smallest of all millets, that is why it is called "Little Millet'. Little Millet is known as Samai in Tamil, Same in Kannada, Kutki in Hindi, Sama in Telugu and Chama in Malayalam. This is one of my comfort food. Little millet, kodo millet (varagu) and barnyard millet (kuthiraivali) are more or less like eating rice, you will not know much difference. Do try it and give me your feedback. Today we will learn how to make little millet/samai thayir sadam following this easy recipe.

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Saamai Thayir Sadam-Little Millet Thayir Sadam Prep Time : 10 mins Cook Time : 15 mins Serves: 1 Recipe Category: Millet Recipes Recipe Cuisine: South Indian Ingredients needed Little millet -1/2 cup Curd/plain yogurt - 3/4 cup Milk - 1/4 cup (boiled and cooled) Carrot -2 tbsp (finely chopped) Raw mango -1 tbsp (finely chopped) Capsicum -2 tsp finely chopped (optional) Salt to taste For the seasoning Oil -1 tsp Mustard seeds -1 tsp Green chillies -1 finely chopped Ginger -1 inch piece -finely chopped Curry leaves - few Coriander leaves -1 tbsp finely chopped

Method Wash and pressure cook millets with 1 1/2 cup of water. The millets should be a little mushy. You can also cook covered in a pan. For more details check out How to cook Millets Add milk and mash it well when it is hot. Once it cools, add curd, salt needed and mix well. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, carrot and capsicum. Saute for 2-3 seconds and add it to the samai thayir sadam. Add finely chopped mangoes and garnish with coriander leaves. You do not need any side dish for this. It tastes good as such. Recipe: Millet Chicken Biryani Recipe Courtesy: The Dune Eco Village and Spa, Pondicherry

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Most restaurants feature Millet dishes under their diet friendly or health section. This biryani isn’t just part of the regular menu at the Fun Restaurant at the Dune Pondicherry but is also one of the mostdelicious biryanis I’ve ever sampled at a restaurant.

Ingredients: 200 gms boneless chicken 150 gms cooked millet (You could use foxtail millet) 1 1/2 Tbsp masala gravy 1 onion chopped 1 tomato chopped 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves 2 cardamom buds 2 sticks of cinnamon 2 cloves 2 bay leaves 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp cumin powder 1/4 tsp coriander powder A pinch of garam masala powder 50 ml curd 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste Salt (to taste) Method: 1. Heat the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon & cardamom in a pan. 2. Add the cooked onion and stir for a minute. 3. Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomato, mint leaves and all the powders. 4. Add the chicken, masala gravy and curd cook for 5 minutes. 5. Add the millet stir and cook for 5 minutes.

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Recipe: Millet Bisi Bele Bath Recipe Recipe Courtesy: Chef Saroja B.B., Rasa Dhatu Restaurant, Mysuru There’s probably no better place to sample a Bisi Bele Bath than Mysuru. I was trulyenamoured by this restaurant’s healthy spin on the conventional Bisi Bele Bath

For the Bisi Bele Bath Masala Powder(You could also buy a ‘ready to use’ powder): Ingredients: 1/4 kg coriander seeds (dhania) 50 gm dry red chilli (guntur – for the pungent flavour) 50 gm dry red chilli (byadagi – for colour) 10 gm cinnamon 10 gm clove 4 piece star anise 4 piece cardamom 50 gm poppy seeds 100 gm black gram dal (urad dal) 100 gm bengal gram dal (chana dal) 4 piece kapok buds (marathi moggu) Method: Dry roast the above ingredients and powder it using a mixer. This can be stored for several days. Bisi Bele Bath Recipe Ingredients: 1 cup toor dal 1 cup proso millet or foxtail millet 1 cup finely chopped vegetables (beans, carrot, kohlrabi, peas, tomato) 20 gm jaggery powder

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Few sambar onions (shallots) To taste dry coconut grated To taste salt 1 tsp turmeric powder 6 cups water 3 Tbsp oil Method: 1. Add all the above ingredients into a pressure cooker and cook for three whistles. 2. Allow the cooker to cool until it can be opened. 3. Open the cooker, add 5 tablespoons of the masala powder. 4. Mix and cook for 10 minutes. 5. Remove the Bisi Bele Bath into a serving bowl. 
 Seasoning Ingredients (to taste): 
 Oil, Curry Leaves, Mustard, Hing, Dry Red Chillies, Peanuts, Chopped Onions, Chopped Capsicum

Millet based food products BabyStaples Millet Mix Cereal - 200 gm 8 Months+, Homemade Organic Baby Food made with tons of love for your little one Product ID:1688772 See Details Write a review IN STOCK QTY: 385.00 MRP incl. all taxes OR Sign in to enable Express Buy Shortlist Check Delivery Details CHECK Cash on Delivery Not Available No Return accepted for this product.

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24-Mantra Organic Flour - Bajra

24 Mantra Organic Flour - Bajra, 500 gm Pouch MRP: Rs 60.00 24 Mantra Organic Flour – Bajra is also known as pearl millet and is an extremely healthy grain that has been grown in the Indian subcontinent for a long time. 24 Mantra is well known for its organic versions of varied flours and other ingredients. Bajra is also grown and manufactured organically by 24 Mantra.

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Ammae Bisibelabath - with Millets & Oats

Ammae Bisibelabath - with Millets & Oats, 150 gm MRP: Rs 67.00 Ammae Bisibelabath - with Millets & OatsBisibelebath is a popular breakfast item in Karnataka, which in Kannada translates to, Bisi meaning hot and Bele meaning lentil. Ammae Bisibelebath is tweaked with millets instead of rice, along with oats, lentil and a combination of spices and condiments. This well balanced blend of ingredients contributes to a unique flavour and taste, which is delicious and easy to make. Ammae Upma - Millet

Ammae Upma - Millet, 150 gm MRP: Rs 67.00

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Ammae Upma – MilletUpma is a common South Indian breakfast dish, which is cooked as a thick porridge, flavoured with spices and vegetables. Ammae Millet Upma is a combination of millets with pulses and wholesome add-ons, which makes it a well-balanced breakfast. Together, this dish is nutritious, with easily digestible grains containing a good amount of vitamins and minerals with complex carbohydrates. Step 1: With every 1 measure of ammae millet upma mix add 3 measure of water and add 2 spoons of oil. Step 2: mix the ingredients well close the lid of the container. Step 3: pressure cook for 5 whistles. After removing, add fresh cocunut grating and curry leaves for taste.

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MILLET SIDE EFFECTS Do Not Consume too many Millets

Millets are high in thyroid affecting goitrogens Ok, so millets are not all painted in white as well. Millets are known to possess goitrogens, the anti-nutritional factor if you have thyroid problems. Hence it would be advisable to include them in batters and not eat it every day like rice or wheat. Do check in with a dietician or a nutritionist before you go overboard on millets. Safety Profile Of Millets Millet contains a small amount of goiterogenic substance which restricts iodine absorption in the body leading to goiter and other thyroid complications. Goitrogens in foods are usually reduced by cooking. But in the case of millets, cooking or heating actually increase the goiterogenic effect. Hence, people suffering from hypothyroidism should be careful with their millet intake. It takes only a few weeks for our body to adapt to new kind of food. Be a little patient and soon you’ll start liking the taste of millets, if you don’t already. Incorporate millets into your daily food intake in some form or the other and experience the benefits for yourself.

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USAGE OF MILLETS Millet is one of the most ignored food grains in India. The health benefits of millets are much more in comparison to the other food grains consumed here. •

Millet (Ragi) is available in your nearest supermarket as Ragi seeds, flour, multigrain flour and ready-made breakfast mixes.

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Its flour is used in India to make breads, chapatti and dosa.

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If stored properly, millet can be kept for more than a year. You can store it an airtight container, in a cool and dry place.

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Millet flour deteriorates easily so purchase it just before using.

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Millet has no characteristic flavor and adopts the flavor of the food it is prepared with.

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Cooked millet is creamy and fluffy and has a sweet and nutty taste.

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It can be easily cooked using three parts of water to one part of millet.

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Add millet to boiling water and 1 teaspoon of oil and simmer until the water is completely absorbed.

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Remove from heat and steam for another 10 minutes.

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Less water will give it a fluffy texture while more water will give it a dense texture.

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Millet porridge makes a delicious and healthy breakfast.

Millet is also fermented into gluten-free beer, and is further distilled to make hard liquor. The sweet tasting, malt drink Boza is also made from millet. For a pleasant change, cook millet with apple juice instead of water and top it with raisin, almonds and brown sugar for a tasty treat

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PRODUCTION

Worldwide millet production

Worldwide millet production

Pearl millet is one of the two major crops in the semiarid, impoverished, less fertile agriculture regions of Africa and southeast Asia. Millets are not only adapted to poor, droughty, and infertile soils, but they are also more reliable under these conditions than most other grain crops. This has, in part, made millet production popular, particularly in countries surrounding the Sahara in westernAfrica. Millets, however, do respond to high fertility and moisture. On a per hectare basis, millet grain produced per hectare can be two to four times higher with use of irrigation and soil supplements. Improved breeds of millet improve their disease resistance and can significantly enhance farm yield productivity. There has been cooperation between poor countries to improve millet yields. For example, 'Okashana 1', a variety developed in India from a naturalgrowing millet variety in Burkina Faso, doubled yields. This breed was selected for trials in Zimbabwe. From there it was taken to Namibia, where it was released in 1990 and enthusiastically adopted by farmers. Okashana 1 became the most popular variety in Namibia, the only non-Sahelian country where pearl millet – locally known as mahangu – is the dominant food staple for consumers. 'Okashana 1' was then introduced to Chad. The breed has significantly enhanced yields in Mauritania and Benin. India is the world's largest producer of millet. In the 1970s, all of the millet crops harvested in India were used as a food staple. By the 2000s, the annual millet production had increased in

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India, yet per capita consumption of millet had dropped by between 50% to 75% in different regions of the country. As of 2005, most millet produced in India is being used for alternative applications such as livestock fodder and alcohol production.Indian organizations are discussing ways to increase millet use as food to encourage more production; however, they have found that some consumers now prefer the taste of other grains.

In 2010, the average yield of millet crops worldwide was 0.83 tonnes per hectare. The most productive millet farms in the world were in France, with a nationwide average yield of 3.3 tonnes per hectare in 2010. Country

Production (Tonnes)

India

10,910,000

Nigeria

5,000,000

Niger

2,955,000

China

1,620,000

Mali

1,152,331

Burkina Faso

1,109,000

Sudan

1,090,000

Ethiopia

807,056

Chad

582,000

Senegal

572,155

World

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Mellits as a food source

Awaokoshi, candied millet puffs, are a specialty of Osaka, Japan. This millet confection tradition began when it was presented to Sugawara no Michizane when he stopped in Naniwa during the early Heian period, about 1000 years ago. Millets are major food sources in arid and semiarid regions of the world, and feature in the traditional cuisine of many others. In western India, sorghum (called jowar, jola, jonnalu, jwaarie, or jondhahlaa in Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi and Marathi languages, respectively; mutthaari, kora, or panjappullu in Malayalam; or cholam in Tamil) has been commonly used with millet flour (called jowari in western India) for hundreds of years to make the local staple, hand-rolled (that is, made without a rolling pin) flat bread (rotla in Gujarati, bhakri in Marathi, or roti in other languages). Another cereal grain popularly used in rural areas and by poor people to consume as a staple in the form of roti. Other millets such as ragi (finger millet) in Karnataka, naachanie in Maharashtra, or kezhvaragu in Tamil, "ragulu" in Telugu, with the popular ragi rotti and Ragi mudde is a popular meal in Karnataka. Ragi, as it is popularly known, is dark in color like rye, but rougher in texture. Millet porridge is a traditional food in Russian, German, and Chinese сuisines. In Russia, it is eaten sweet (with milk and sugar added at the end of the cooking process) or savoury with meat or vegetable stews. In China, it is eaten without milk or sugar, frequently with beans, sweet potato, and/or various types of squash. In Germany, it is also eaten sweet, boiled in water with apples added during the boiling process and honey added during the cooling process.

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Per capita consumption of millets as food varies in different parts of the world with consumption being the highest in Western Africa. In the Sahel region, millet is estimated to account for about 35 percent of total cereal food consumption in Burkina Faso, Chad and the Gambia. In Mali and Senegal, millets constitute roughly 40 percent of total cereal food consumption per capita, while in Niger and arid Namibia it is over 65 percent (see mahangu). Other countries in Africa where millets are a significant food source include Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda. Millet is also an important food item for the population living in the drier parts of many other countries, especially in eastern and central Africa, and in the northern coastal countries of western Africa. In developing countries outside Africa, millet has local significance as a food in parts of some countries, such as China, India, Burma and North Korea. The use of millets as food fell between the 1970s and the 2000s, both in urban and rural areas, as developing countries such as India have experienced rapid economic growth and witnessed a significant increase in per capita consumption of other cereals. People affected by gluten-related disorders, such as coeliac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy sufferers, who need a gluten-free diet, can replace glutencontaining cereals in their diets with millet. Nevertheless, while millet does not contain gluten, its grains and flour may be contaminated with gluten-containing cereals. It is a common ingredient in seeded bread. Millets are also used as bird and animal feed. Grazing millet In addition to being used for seed, millet is also used as a grazing forage crop. Instead of letting the plant reach maturity it can be grazed by stock and is commonly used for sheep and cattle. Millet is a C4 plant which means it has good water-use efficiency and utilizes high temperature and is therefore a summer crop. A C4 plant uses a different enzyme in photosynthesis from C3 plants and this is why it improves water efficiency.

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In southern Australia millet is used as a summer quality pasture, utilizing warm temperatures and summer storms. Millet is frost sensitive and is sown after the frost period, once soil temperature has stabilised at 14 °C or more. It is sown at a shallow depth. Millet grows rapidly and can be grazed 5–7 weeks after sowing, when it is 20–30 cm high. The highest feed value is from the young green leaf and shoots. The plant can quickly come to head, so it must be managed accordingly because as the plant matures the value and palatability of feed reduces. The Japanese millets (Echinochloa esculenta) are considered the best for grazing and in particular Shirohie, a new variety of Japanese millet, is the best suited variety for grazing. This is due to a number of factors: it gives better regrowth and is later to mature compared to other Japanese millets; it is cheap – cost of seed is $2–$3 per kg and sowing rates are around 10 kg per hectare for dryland production; it is quick to establish; it can be grazed early; and it is suitable for both sheep and cattle. Compared to forage sorghum, which is grown as an alternative grazing forage, animals gain weight faster on millet and it has better hay or silage potential, although it produces less dry matter. Lambs do better on millet compared to sorghum. Millet does not contain prussic acid which can be in sorghum. Prussic acid poisons animals by inhibiting oxygen utilisation by the cells and is transported in the blood around the body — ultimately the animal will die from asphyxia.There is no need for additional feed supplements such as Sulphur or salt blocks with millet. The rapid growth of millet as a grazing crop allows flexibility in its use. Farmers can wait until sufficient late spring / summer moisture is present and then make use of it. It is ideally suited to irrigation where livestock finishing is required.

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REASONS FOR LOSING THE MILLET DIVERSITY

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Introduction of HYV's

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Shift from cultivating traditional millets to maize and sunflower

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Processing problem

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Changing Food habits

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Lack of market support

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Departments and scientists Neglected millets and lack of promotional activity

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Irratic rainfall

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Lack of value addition

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INITIATIVES FOR REVIVAL AND PROMOTION OF MILLET Millet is one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. Millet has been used in Africa and India as a staple food for thousands of years and it was grown as early as 2700 BC. In China where it was the prevalent grain before rice became the dominant staple. There is a mention in Bible that millets during those times were used to make bread. It is documented that the plant was also grown by the lake dwellers of Switzerland during the Stone Age. Millets and rainfed agriculture Rainfed agriculture plays an important role in Indian economy, as 68 percent of total net sown area (136.8m.ha) comes under rainfed, spread over 177 districts. Rainfed crops account for 48 percent area of food crops and 68 percent area of non-food crops. Nearly 50 percent of the total rural workforce and 60 percent of livestock in the country are concentrated in the dry districts. Karnataka has the highest proportion of drought prone area among all major states in the country and is the second largest area of dryland in the country after Rajasthan. The land resources of Karnataka especially its dry drought prone lands that comprises more than 79% of the total arable area, have been poorly managed by the resource poor farmers of the state. The total irrigation potential from all sources, including inter basin transfers, is estimated at around 50 % of the total cropped area of 104.89 lakh hectares by the Karnataka state land use board. The remaining land has to depend on rain fed farming forever. What happened? Following the western model of development, India and other developing nations have lost out on a lot of useful and meaningful things. Food habits have been one of the biggest changes. We are quickly forgetting our indigenous foods and chasing standardisation. Millets too have been discarded as being too primitive to be used, forgetting the roots. These changes, coupled with state policies that favour rice and wheat, have led to a sharp decline in millet production and consumption. Before Green Revolution, millets made up around 40 percent of all cultivated grains (contributing more than wheat and rice). However, since the revolution, the production of rice has increased doubly and wheat production has tripled.

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GOVERNMENT POLICY There is a hypothesis that a tilt in government policies that work against millets, which grow very well in diverse, small-scale, low-input farming systems and are great for small farmers' livelihoods, is because they do not offer any profit for agro-chemical corporations, large food companies etc. So the promotion of rice and wheat, which lend themselves to high investments in machinery, hybrid seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc., were a much more lucrative economic strategy. In defence of the food policy strategists and governments one might add that at the time, many believed that chemical agriculture would improve yields and food security in the long run. Even though India is the world leader in terms of production of millets, it should not be forgotten that the share of millets in total grain production had dropped from 40 to 20 percent, leading to some serious agricultural, environmental and nutritional consequences. Rice has replaced millets as to be eaten directly, while wheat flour has replaced flours made out of millets, and is now used extensively to make Indian breads. •

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Launched in 2012, Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion (INSIMP) was a part of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY); the only comprehensive initiative to support millet production. INSIMP includes identification of areas with low productivity, promoting better inputs and better post-harvest technology. In 2014 Kharif, this INSIMP program was merged with the already existing food security program viz., the National Food Security Mission, as a subgroup (NFSMCoarse Cereals), but two more coarse grain crops, maize and barley also included in the list, thus reducing focus on millets. The preliminary target for enhancing food grain production is by an additional 25 MT, the share allocated for millets is 2 MT (8% of the enhanced food grain production). The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) and the Karnataka Government will form a consortium along with other stakeholders to promote millets. In drought stricken areas of Karnataka, government is trying to incentivize farmers to switch from water guzzling crops like sugarcane and maize to millets. In Tamil Nadu, the government along with civil society is trying to convert fallow lands into millet farms. In Andhra Pradesh, NGO-led community movements are promoting millet cultivation. In Orissa, the government is taking some steps to increase the area of millet cultivation. In Maharashtra, the government has already announced subsidies for millets.

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LIMITATIONS •

To have a more significant impact on welfare and sustainability, policy needs to address the structural conditions of vulnerability that limit the viability of more secure livelihoods.

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It should explore some of the ways that state intervention can make millets more viable by enhancing their terms of marketability and by providing other kinds of support.

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*The farmers’ adoption is very low. Information on factors affecting the adoption improved millet varieties by the farmers is not readily available, forming the basis for this study.

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*The study covered

millet farmers in Mogotio District and therefore any

generalizations made from the findings have to be confined to this groupof farmers.

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SUMMARY Today, a lot of efforts are being put to increase the demand of millets in India and the world, including changing the mindset of the people. Many organisations are coming up in support of this cause. Efforts are being taken to educate farmers about better millets growing techniques. A lot of importance is given to them because of their non gluten tendency. Many recipes with millets as the base have been floating around too. One example of a major boost for the cause can be given by the Smart Food campaign. Smart Food with the tagline ‘good for you, good for the planet and good for the smallholder farmer’ is an initiative that will initially focus on popularising millets, and sorghum and has been selected by LAUNCH Food as one of the winning innovations for 2017. Smart Food will be taken forward as a partnership and many organisations have already teamed up to popularise millets. In India, this includes Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). Some important points regarding millets: •

Due to its high resistance against harsh conditions, millets are sustainable to the environment, to the farmer growing it, and provide cheap and high nutrient options for all.

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Nearly 40 percent of the food produced in India is wasted every year.. Millets do not get destroyed easily, and some of the millets are good for consumption even after 1012 years of growing, thus providing food security, and playing an important role in keeping a check on food wastage.

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Millet is fibrous in content, has magnesium, Niacin (Vitamin B3), is gluten-free and has a high protein content. There is a strong resurgence as far as millets are concerned, but from an individual’s

point of view, it is important to know what one’s body is comfortable with and no drastic change should be made. Millets' popularity is slowly rising again and many efforts are going

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on to make them mainstream again. A balanced approach to bring this crop back in the public consciousness will go a long way to solve some of the major food issues in the country. Millets are a group of small seed grasses grown in semi-dry areas of Asia and Africa. Millets have been widely cultivated as cereal crops or as fodder for animals. Because millets have a short growing season, can withstand dry and high-temperature conditions yet yield well, they are popularly grown in the developing nations. In the developed nations, millets have been relegated to be used as bird feed However, millets in India are enjoying rising popularity due to a variety of health benefits of millets.

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CONCLUSION “There is a need to change the image of millets. Make them more modern and create a buzz around them. Developing appropriate consumer products is a key component to achieve this. They are highly nutritious and have health benefits, use less water and have high drought tolerance and increasing their market value benefits farmers” “Millet cultivation provides farmers more economic stability than commercial crops” •

Indian population is at risk on both ends of the spectrum i.e. infant mortality, malnutrition and stunted growth on one hand, and, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and other lifestyle diseases on the other. Millets with their nutritive properties should be supported by government policies like procurement and inclusion in PDS, insurance cover and making them part of Mid-day meals in schools. Millets along with rice, wheat and pulses/oilseeds can be used to enhance nutrition in food products such as porridges, chapattis, breads, ladoos, pastas, biscuits, cookies, cakes, and several fermented foods including probiotic drinks.

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Need an integrated approach as,“…despite the proven advantage of mixed-farming systems, INSIMP is trying to promote intensive mono-cropping of millets. Green Revolution-style, high-external-input agriculture is being advocated through this scheme and the use of chemical inputs is being promoted. There is voluminous scientific evidence to show that such methods are yielding negative results, what with poisoned soil, polluted and plummeting groundwater levels and mounting costs, especially for marginal and small farmers, having come to mark Indian agriculture. Even M S Swaminathan has acknowledged this, in calling for an Evergreen Revolution and the promotion of sustainable agriculture.” (DTE)

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The finger millet's dietary fiber and polyphenols have been recognized to offer several health benefits such as anti-diabetic, protection from diet related chronic diseases, hypocholesterolaemic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects to its regular consumers. Moreover, it is likewise rich in carbohydrate, energy and nutrition, making finger millet an important ingredient of dietary and nutritional balanced foods. The regular use of finger millet as a nutrient and its products helps in managing different disorders of body by maintaining blood glucose homeostasis. Also the whole meal-based finger

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millet products may be desirable due to the protective role of seed coat matter that have health enhancing benefits. •

To conclude, only limited policies and schemes explicitly include millets.

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There are no exclusive Government schemes/projects/ programs for small millets.

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Of the available schemes, the most important ones are

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Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive

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Millets Promotion (INSIMP) as part of Integrated Cereals Development Programmes in Coarse Cereals based Cropping Systems Areas

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There is a lot of variation across the states on how they utilise these opportunities for promoting millets. Further most of the states usually focus on sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet and leave out many of the small millets while implementing these schemes.

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Such experiences underline the importance of awareness raising and positive image building particularly in areas where millets are perceived as inferior grains.

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Many details remain to be specified under the NFSB and much regional work will need to be done to achieve feasible models for millets inclusion.

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Here also there is possibility of unduly side - lining small millets and so necessary design and implementation caution to be taken.

“They are gluten-free grains and hence it can be consumed by everyone.”

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BIBILOGRAPHY

Books refered •

Namma Makkaligestu Tilivisha Tinisutiddeve, book by Dr. Khader

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Cereals and Millets, Book by Chittaranjan Kole

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Biotic Stress Resistance in Millets, Book by Dr. H.N Hegade

• Millets and Sorghum: Biology and Genetic Improvement, Book by Srinivas Prasad H.M

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Sorghum and Millets: Chemistry, Technology and Nutritional Attributes, Book K.V. Patel

Web site refered •

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millet

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https://truweight.in/blog/food-and-nutrition/millet-weight-loss-recipes-healthbenefits-side-effects.html

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http://www.theecostore.in/ProductList/Millets-Whole?subcategory2=49

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https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/millet.html

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http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/cultivation/cultivation-of-millets-and-theiruses-in-india-cultivation/11431

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http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/othercrops/fingermillet/In_SFMI_Pradan.p df

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http://agropedia.iitk.ac.in/content/harvesting-and-storage-pearl-millet

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http://www.wassan.org/Millets/resource_4.htm

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