Millets are nutritious, healthful, and have many agricultural uses.

Discuss
15 Marks---600 words

Millets are known as the poor man's diet. It is rich in proteins and fibre content
than any other plant-based diet. India is the largest producer of millets and the
largest exporter of millets globally. Millets are known as the cultivated grass
type which is rich in nutrients and these nutrient-rich foods are used for
addressing the nutritional deficiencies in India.

Millets are used to address Hidden Hunger:

Hidden hunger is the nutritious deficiency of the children in school days and as a
result of this, they have developed many defects like low brain development,
Anaemia, Protein deficiencies and so on. The government has intended to improve the
well-being of the children and women they like to include the millets in the PDS-
Public distribution system and Mid-day meal schemes. Many state governments like
Tamil Nadu have taken initiative measures like Morning breakfast schemes to address
the nutritional deficiencies of the children.

There are different types of millet production in India, which include major
millets like Bajra, Ragi, Sorghum, etc. and minor millets like finger millet, pearl
millet, etc.

Agricultural Benefits in millets production:

1. India is the major exporter of millet at the global level and the USA is one of
the largest importers of millet from India.
2. Export of the millets improves the foreign exchange currency chest and is
helpful for the farmers for income generation.
3. These millets require less water consumption than the actual ones.
4. It can be cultivated even in arid and semi-arid situations.
5. These millets are grown with less amount of fertilizers and which reduces the
input costs for the farmers in the purchase of fertilizers and seeds is reduced.
6. Millets improve the soil condition and even it can improve the nitrogenous
wastes in terms of organic content in the soil.
7. These millets are used for crop rotation and they can be harvested quickly. It
is a short-duration crop, which improves in contributing to the farmer's income.

The government has taken many measures to improve the living conditions of the
farmers and also to increase soil productivity. These millets are the better
solutions for the farmers. India is on the lines of millet production and supports
the international year of millet 2023 vision positively. It supports the
environment, health of the human being and the economy of the nation in a positive
and sustainable way.