Millet is one of those super grains that is celebrated for its benefits all across the world. In the history of food, especially in the Indian context, millets have been mentioned in some of the oldest Yajurveda texts, indicating that millet consumption was very common in the old times.
Millets are categorized as Major Millets and Minor Millets. The widely cultivated major varieties are Finger Millet, Proso Millet, Pearl Millet, Foxtail Millet & Sorghum. The minor millets are Barnyard Millet, Little Millet, Kodo Millet & Browntop Millet.
Why support the production and consumption of millets?
Apart from being highly nutritious, millets are farm & farmer friendly, good for the environment and resilient to climate change.
- Consuming minimum amount of water, millets nurture the soil microstructure and prevent soil erosion. It is considered as a contingency crop by farmers even today.
- Millets are extremely hardy, surviving long dry spells and having very low pest susceptibility. Millets need no external inputs for their growth and are capable of growing in less fertile soil as well.
- Being better at surviving extreme weather events, millets are the true future foods and can become the primary cereal grain for a warming planet. Millets like pearl millet can grow in temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius. Hence early adoption of a millet-based food system will be crucial to the survival of the human population.
So don’t be late and start supporting the production and consumption of millets for a more secure future for our planet, your family and you.
Crop Connect Chronicles 