Beyond the hoopla: Millets must be promoted. But health and economic concerns need priority
Nutritional advantages of millets are offset by presence of phytic acid; cultivation yield also poor compared to wheat and rice
Culture has helped millets survive
Throughout ages, many rituals have been associated with millet cultivation and women are to be thanked for this
Paspalum Scrobiculatum: Kodo Millet
One of the oldest known millets, kodo is said to have originated in India 3,000 years ago. This millet has a husk which has to be removed before …
Panicum miliaceum: Proso millet
High in protein, this small-grained millet has a creamy texture when cooked. The cooked millet acts as a great binder and can easily substitute …
‘Labour burden on women millet producers must be reduced’
Shailaja Fennell, an expert in gender and household dynamics in agriculture, talks to Down To Earth about millet production in India
Boost indigenous millet recipes over packaged products
Preparing millets fresh should be made easy instead of promoting ultra-processed packaged foods; this may be the way to bring it into …
Here is how millets can make India’s food basket climate-resilient
Too much dependence on rice can make India vulnerable
International year of millets: Centre to work on decentralised processing & marketing
Themes for a comprehensive plate-to-farm millet food system proposed the People’s Convention on Millets for Millions
Millets in PDS a game changer for combating malnutrition, climate change
Subsidised cereals distributed under PDS have increased the consumption of excessive starch instead of pulses, legumes, vegetables, nuts and milk,…
Odisha develops protocol for releasing indigenous millet seeds
Odisha is the first state to notify a committee to conserve and mainstream seeds conserved by tribal farmers
The International Year of Millets is an opportunity to improve indigenous kids’ nutrition
About 4.7 million tribal children in the country suffer from chronic nutrition deprivation
Mission Millet: Odisha employed a holistic agri-strategy to procure 600,000 quintals of ragi
Farmer producer organisations, crop intensification methods play key role in process
How Odisha is revalorising minor millets
Despite their glorious past, millets have been sidelined in farms and on food plates over the years
Kharif season 2023: Rajasthan plants two times more bajra as India’s paddy acreage drops by 26%
Impact of Cyclone Biparjoy and uneven distribution of monsoon clearly visible on kharif crops
Pennisetum Glaucum: Pearl Millet
Bajra, as it is popularly known, is high in fibre and free of gluten. It is the most cultivated millet in the world and can be a wheat substitute …
Echinochloa Frumentacea: Barnyard Millet
Also known as vari or sama, this millet is a good choice for the upma recipe because the size and consistency of the grain is somewhere between …
This 45-year-old makes farming profitable for the entire Soliga tribe
Prakash roped in 30 Soliga farmers and 1,000 other marginal farmers and formed a collective to set up a millet processing unit in Karnataka's …
Seeds from the past
For a decade, 200 villages in Odisha have conserved and grown 190 indigenous rice and millet varieties with proven climate resilience
Look back at the decade: Food
The second decade of the millenium saw the spread of permaculture in India
How investing in processing machines can help India promote millets
An African-Canadian company is helping promote Mali's fonio millet by investing in processing machines. India too needs to procure advanced …
The humble gourd is falling out of favour
Gourd has sculpted the culture and traditions of rural India for ages
Panicum sumatrense: Kutki Millet
Also called little millet, it has very small seeds which are covered with an indigestible husk that needs to be removed before the grain can be …
Grounded in wisdom: The forgotten chakki should regain its place
Traditional mini flour mills may no longer be in vogue in our homes, but they help prepare nutritious food
Millets are returning to our fields and plates
In the past 60 years, India’s agriculture policy has focused mainly on rice and wheat and neglected millets. But these nutri cereals are …
Traditionally secure: The Baigas and their uncultivated foods
People belonging to the Baiga tribe mostly depend on forests and its plants for their livelihood. They possess the ability to recognise hundreds …