Context:

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has declared 2023 to be the ‘International Year of Millets’.

What are Millets?

• Millets are fundamentally grasses. They are cultivated worldwide, but especially in the tropical parts of Africa and Asia, as cereal crops. 
• Common varieties: Pearl millet ( Cenchrus americanus), barnyard millet ( Echinochloa utilis), finger millet ( Eleusine coracana), and foxtail millet ( Setaria italica).
• Nutritional Content: Carbohydrates, proteins, fibre, amino acids, and various minerals.

Status of India in Millets Production:

• According to the Agricultural and Processed Foods Development Authority, India is the world’s largest producer of millets. 
• In 2021-2022, the country accounted for 40.51% of the world’s pearl millet production and 8.09% of sorghum. 
• Within the country, pearl millet made up 60% of all the millet production, sorghum 27%, and ragi 11%.

Concern: 

• However, the consumption of millets faces one threat that has already overtaken India’s major food crops: grain-processing.

How does processing affect the nutrients?

• Processing and preparing millets can affect nutrients in three ways: enhancing them, suppressing/removing them, or ignoring them.
• “Whole grain” refers to the endosperm, germ, and bran, while “refined grain” refers only to the endosperm.
• Husk removal can decrease phytic acid and polyphenol contents in pearl millets.
• Decortication (remove any other outer covering and expose the seed) removes crude and dietary fiber but makes the grain more edible and visually attractive.
• Milling and sieving can reduce nutrient content due to the loss of bran.
• Germination and fermentation can improve the overall nutritional characteristics of millets.

• Polishing, The longer the grains were milled, the more protein, fat, and fibre contents the process removed.

Significance of Millets:

• Low input requirements and high nutritional density, 
• It would tackle Food security challenges in the coming decades. 
• Ability of millet crops to reliably withstand harsh, resource-poor conditions.
• Drought-tolerant, adapted to growing in warm weather, and require low moisture (axiomatically, they are particularly efficient consumers of water) and loamy soil. 

News Soource: The Hindu