Millets : Nutritious Grains and Profitable Business of the Future

 

Millets : Nutritious Grains and Profitable  Business of the Future

 by. Dr. V. J. Savaliya  M.Sc. (Agri), Ph.D.

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The History and Journey of Millet Crops in the World:

    The Millets, which are  tiny grain, have a rich history, with evolution in agriculture  and civilisation.

A. The Early Beginnings (7000 BCE to 2000 BCE):

1. Past: The information suggests that millets were domesticated in Africa and Asia as early as 7000 BCE, may be even earlier. The pearl millet, foxtail millet and finger millet were among the first cultivated crops.

2. Powerhouses for Nutrition: Millets as staple foods played a crucial role in offering essential nutrients like protein,  iron, and fiber to early populations in complex societies in ancient Africa, India, and  China.

B. Millets in the eras (2000 BCE - 1800s):

1.  Adaptation and Spread: The trade routes led to the adaptation and spread of different millets across continents.  The sorghum reached with a time scale to Europe and the Americas and finger millet found its steps to Southeast Asia with their benefits.

2. Innovation and Diversification: The farmers with their wisdom and experiences about culinary preferences developed various millet varieties according to their resources and local climates and weather conditions. 

 3. Competition and Decline: The rise of wheat and rice had high yielding capacities and easy processing created comparisons and resulted slow and gradual decline in millet farming in some of the regions in the world. However, millet crops sustained for many areas in Asia and  Africa for many reasons. 

C. Millet Regeneration (1900s to now):

1. Re-experiencing the Value: The  nutritional value of millet is being experienced and accordingly its awareness is increasing in community  . The issue of climate resilience agriculture is also in harmony with millet cultivation.

2. International Actions: The year 2023 is declared as International Year of Millets  by The United Nations 2023 for  motivating all people to move to millet cultivation and to utilize millets as the healthy and nutritious  for healthy life. The health is wealth. 

3. Advancements in Practices: The technologies is being boost up to increase the yields and for improving quality parameters for more returns from the millet cultivation to farmers.   The  processing and value addition practices for  providing good  taste of millets as food, are  communicated to promote concerned business and  for providing nutritive food with wider preference by people the world with. 

4. Innovations in Culinary: The processing and value addition  companies are  actively exploring  to involve the millets in food with innovative and tasty food items with attracting  consumers.

 D.The Future:

     The Millets are more suitable in climate resilient agriculture. The wider adaptability and nutritional value with tasty product shows bright future bright future. These ancient grains would effective for increasing farm income through more demand. for promoting better health. The more research for cultivation practices and innovations in food items is required for providing nutritive food to world.

    The efforts will definitely recall our past and for healthy and wealthy life   in future.

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The Main Reasons for Millet Popularity in the World:

1. Climate Resilience:                                                                                       The millets are adaptive in aberrant weather conditions like dry and hot climates which covers the risk of crop and give sustained returns to farmers.
2. Nutritional Value:                                                                                           The millets are rich in fiber, protein, and essential minerals. The millets are considered as gluten-free. The millets are proven better for digestion, blood sugar control, and prevention against cardiac diseases.
3. Sustainable Farming:                                                                                      The cultivation of millets requires low-cost inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. It is also cultivated with less irrigation water and promotes organic food.
4. Diverse Culinary Uses:                                                                                    The millets are used for breakfast to meal dishes including full dishes, snacks and beverages, and many more with healthy and enjoyable experiences.

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Millets: a group of ancient grains

         The millets are coming back in the fields of farmers and food dishes of people because of their adaptability for more returns from farms in diverse situations and nutritional value for better health.

Major millet crops which are grown in the different countries:

1.Pearl Millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) :

            The pearl millet "the Queen of the Bunch", contains protein, fiber, iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus thiamin, and vitamin B6. It is drought tolerance and its yield is high so it is known as the "queen of millets". It is more suitable for semi-arid regions including countries like  India, Nigeria, and Niger.

2. Finger Millet ( Eleusine coracana) :

            It is high in calcium, thiamin, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron as well is easily digestible. This is a drought-resistant millet. The Finger Millet is originally from Sudan. It is cultivated in eastern Africa Ethiopia, India, and Nepal.

3. Foxtail Millet   (Setaria italica):

      The Foxtail millet "the Speedy Sprout", contains thiamin, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, protein, iron, niacin, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid. It has a short growing season. The origin is in northern China. It is cultivated in China, India, Afghanistan, Japan, and Nepal.

4. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor):

          The Sorghum " The Versatile Star" contains copper, phosphorus, thiamin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin B6, and selenium. It is a good source of antioxidants and is Gluten-free. It is mainly cultivated in Nigeria, the USA, India, Sudan, and Mexico.

5. Kodo Millet( Paspalum scrobiculatum ) :

         It is originated in India. It is "The Bone Builder", good for bone health because of its rich calcium content. Kodo millet contains magnesium, copper, thiamin, zinc, riboflavin, and selenium. It is cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, and  Nepal and grown in damp habitats.

6. Little Millet (Panicum sumatrense):

        The Little Millet " The Sweet Surprise", contains iron, protein, copper, zinc, thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, and selenium. It is mainly cultivated in India, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and Malaysia.

7. Teff ( Eragrostis tef) :

     It is high in thiamin, copper, niacin, iron, pantothenic acid, magnesium, vitamin B6, phosphorus, and riboflavin. It is from Ethiopia and cultivated in Ethiopia, Eritrea, the United States of America, Australia India South Africa, and Kenya

 8. Proso Millet ( Panicum miliaceum) :

        This millet is high in iron magnesium, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, copper, vitamin B6, phosphorus, zinc,  selenium, and pantothenic acid. The origin of this millet is northern China. It is grown in India, China, Ukraine, Belarus, the United States of America, Nepal, the Republic of Türkiye, and Romania.

 9. Black Fonio ( Digitaria iburua) :

It is from West Africa. It is cultivated in Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Cameroon and Togo.

10. White Fonio ( Digitaria exilis) :

        The origin of this millet is West Africa. The White fonio contains copper, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus. It is cultivated in grown in Guinea as well as in Mali Nigeria, Senegal,  Niger, Benin, and Guinea-Bissau.

11. Japanese Barnyard Millet ( Echinochloa esculenta) :

        This millet contains copper, magnesium, thiamin, pantothenic acid, phosphorous, and zinc. The origin is in tropical Asia. This millet is grown in India, Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea.

12. Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) :

    Job's tears contain iron, magnesium, zinc, thiamin copper, and phosphorus. The origin is the Indo-Myanmar region. The Job's tears are useful as herbal medicine and food. The Job's tears are utilized in China, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, the Philippines, and Myanmar.