Page 103 - Millets Natures NutriGrain

including urban centres, as millets gain popularity for their health
benefits and versatility in various cuisines.

Value addition through millet processing, such as making millet flour,
snacks, and beverages, allows small-scale entrepreneurs to generate
income and create job opportunities, further contributing to poverty
reduction.
Resilience to Climate Variability

Millets are known for their drought and heat tolerance. In regions
vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, millet farming
can be a resilient and adaptive strategy. Farmers who diversify into
millet cultivation are better equipped to withstand the effects of
erratic weather patterns and prolonged droughts, reducing the risk of
crop failure and income loss.

Policy and Support Mechanisms
Governments and relevant stakeholders can play a crucial role in
achieving SDG 1 through millet promotion by implementing policies
that support millet farmers. This may include providing subsidies,
access to credit, and ensuring fair prices for millet crops.

As millets farming has been traditionally fitted within the multi-
cropping farming approach, it needs to be ensured that millets do
not follow the monoculture route under the government extension
programs.
The government should make provisions for incentives to encourage
millet cultivation. Greater thrust must be given to the value addition
of the millets to increase demand among urban consumers. The
government and CSOs should work together to generate awareness
about the benefits conferred by millet and their role in nutrition and
carbon sequestration needs. Farm mechanization should be equally
prioritized to remove the drudgery associated with its traditional
processing of millet.

Suggested Action Plan for poverty eradication through Millets:

As India strives to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), promoting millets can play a significant role, especially in
attaining SDG 1, which aims to eradicate poverty. Here’s a suggested
action plan for the Indian government to promote millets and achieve

103 Millets: 2023