The document discusses millets, their types, importance, climate resilience, and economic security. It provides classifications of major and small millets. Millets are drought resistant and can grow in low rainfall and infertile soils. India is the largest producer and exporter of millets. The document outlines the nutrient composition, health benefits, and climate resilience of millets. It also discusses millet production, processing, and value addition in Assam as well as the role of the Assam Agricultural University in promoting millet research and extension.

1. Creating Awareness about Millets
(Types, Importance, Climate Resilient and Economic
Security)
Dr. VINOD UPADHYAY
Junior Scientist
RARS, AAU,Gossaigaon

2. INTRODUCTION
 Millets are termed as nutri-cereals, millets are finding favour among
farmers for being climate smart crops that are drought resistant,
growing in areas with low rainfall and infertile soil. India is the largest
producer of millets in the world with share of around 41 % of total
global production in 2020. India produces around 12 million tonnes of
millets annually.
 Government of India observed Year 2018 as a year of millets to
encourage and promote the millet production.
 The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is endorsing India’s
proposal to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

6.  India is the fifth largest exporters of millets in the world. In 2020-21, India
exported millets worth $26.97 million against $28.5 million in 2019-20. The
top three importers of millets from India in 2020-21 were Nepal ($6.09
million), the UAE ($4.84 million) and Saudi Arabia ($3.84 million).
 In Assam, millets grown area covered around 6602 hactares with
production of around 4447 tonnes and productivity is 674kg/ha during the
year 2015-16. Total consumption of small millets in Assam is 18.82
kg/hsh/m.
 Among different districts of Assam, Nagaon covers highest area of around
1586ha followed by Bongaigaon (1084 ha) and Dhubri (677ha) whereas the
production is highest in Dhubri district (963 tonnes) followed by Nagaon
(714 tonnes) and Bongaigaon (626 tonnes.

7. MILLETS CLASSIFICATION
MAJOR MILLETS
1. SORGHUM
2. PEARL MILLET
SMALL MILLETS
1. FINGER MILLET
2. LITTLE MILLET
3. KODO MILLET
4.FOXTAIL MILLET
5 BARNYARD MILLET
6. PROSO MILLET
7. BROWNTOP MILLET
Based on grain size, Millets are classified as:

8. FINGER MILLET LITTLE MILLET PROSO MILLET
KODO MILLET FOXTAIL MILLET BARNYARD MILLET
SORGHUM PEARL MILLET (BAJRA) BROWNTOP MILLET

9.  Millet possesses the huge capability to eliminate micronutrient deficiency among
developing countries as it supplies 30– 40% of inorganic nutrients and bestows
affordable staple food along with ample amounts of iron and zinc.
 It has very high nutritional values and is a good source of energy, carbohydrates,
crude fibers, soluble and insoluble fat, proteins (8– 19%), ash, dietary fibers (1.2
g/100 g), antioxidants and fat (3–8%) with better fat digestibility, iron, and zinc in
comparison with other major cereals. It is also a rich source of vitamins such as
riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine and minerals (2.3 mg/100 g) such as potassium,
phosphorous, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese.
 It owns a higher quantity of slowly digestible starch (SDS) and RS that account for
lower glycemic index (GI) and is much preferred in recent times of transforming diets,
food habits and the food industry.
MILLETS AS NUTRI-CEREALS

10. MILLETS Carbohyd
rates (g)
Protein
(g)
Fat
(g)
Energy
(Kcal)
Crude
fibre (g)
Mineral
Matter
(g)
Ca
(mg)
P
(mg)
Fe
(mg)
Small millets
FINGER MILLET 72.0 7.3 1.3 328 3.6 2.7 344 283 3.9
KODO MILLET 65.9 8.3 1.4 309 9.0 2.6 27 188 0.5
PROSO MILLET 70.4 12.5 1.1 341 2.2 1.9 14 206 0.8
FOXTAIL MILLET 60.9 12.3 4.3 331 8.0 3.3 31 290 2.8
LITTLE MILLET 67.0 7.7 4.7 341 7.6 1.5 17 220 9.3
BARNYARD MILLET 65.5 6.2 2.2 307 9.8 4.4 20 280 5.0
Major Millets
SORGHUM 72.6 10.4 1.9 349 1.6 1.6 25 222 4.1
PEARL MILLET 67.5 11.6 5.0 361 1.2 2.3 42 296 8.0
CEREALS
Wheat 71.2 11.8 1.5 346 1.2 1.5 41 306 5.3
Rice 78.2 6.8 0.5 345 0.2 0.6 10 160 0.7
NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF MILLETS

11. HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILLETS
Gluten free High fibre
Diabetic foods
Mineral rich foods & Antioxidants
Multi benefit foods
Food for life style diseases

12. Millets are generally Photo-insensitive (do not require a specific
photoperiod for flowering) & resilient to climate change.
Millets can grow on poor soils with little or no external inputs.
Millets are less water consuming and are capable of growing under
drought conditions, under non-irrigated conditions even in very low
rainfall regimes
Millets have low carbon and water footprint (rice plant needs at
least 3 times more water to grow in comparison to millets).
Millets can withstand high temperature. In times of climate change
Millets are often the last crop standing and, thus, are a good risk
management strategy for resource-poor marginal farmers.
MILLETS AS CLIMATE RESILENT CROP

13.  Climate resilience is defined as the “capacity of social, economic and ecosystems to cope
with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance. The changing climate is leading to an
increase in global average temperature which is directly influences agriculture production.
 In the present-changing climatic scenario, abiotic stresses entail a huge risk for plant
growth and development leading to an over 50% decrease in the yield among the
popular cereal crops. Almost 90% of the cultivable land is affected by various abiotic
stresses globally, while only 10% of the agricultural land is free from these abiotic
stresses.
 Drought and heat are the two most signifificant production constraints existing among
the difffferent environmental stresses. In this context, a crop species like millets, which is
resilient to higher temperatures and lower rainfall and show better tolerance to
environmental stresses than major cereals which can play a crucial role in fulfilling the
increasing food demands of the growing population of the world.
 Primarily, the short lifecycle of millets assists in escaping from stress as they require 12–
14 weeks to complete their life-cycle (seed to seed) whereas rice and wheat requires a
maximum of 20–24 weeks.
 Millets are mainly cultivated on marginal lands under rainfed conditions and can sustain
and produce a significant amount of grain even in drought-prone areas that receive an
average annual precipitation of <250 mm.

14.  Millets are C4 plants having high photosynthetic efficiency, more dry matter production
capability, and survival under adverse agro-climatic conditions with lesser inputs and
more economic returns.
 Millets have more ability to fix inorganic CO2 and more efficient in water utilization in
comparison with C3 plants due to the presence of “Kranz” anatomy in leaves. Thus, being
a C4 plant, millets can account for 30% of global terrestrial carbon fixation along with
other C4 plants such as maize and sorghum.
 Millets have an advantage of early maturity, drought tolerance, the requirement of
minimal inputs, and usually free from biotic and abiotic stresses.
 Millets inherent ability to endure high temperatures up to 42◦C during the reproductive
phase makes it suitable for growth in extremely hot summers under irrigations in
northern Gujarat and eastern Uttar Pradesh of India, thus making it a climate resilient
crop.
 Millets have enhanced photosynthetic rates at warm conditions and confers immediate
water use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) which are ∼1.5 to 4- fold
higher than C3 photosynthesis. For instance, foxtail millet requires just 257 g of water to
produce a dry biomass of 1 g, whereas maize and wheat require 470 and 510 g,
respectively.
 Therefore, realization of stress tolerance potential of millets is imperative for expedited
progress in developing climate-resilient crop species.

15. VALUE CHAIN OF SMALL MILLETS
Poor value addition of millets is because of lack of processing
equipment, since this requires devising innovative machinery to
handle ‘small millets’
One of the easiest is to pound them, because of which it loses the
property of making flakes. Devising machine and recipe are crucial
for value addition.
The post-harvest processing, value addition, awareness, capacity
building of farmers, consumers, processors, and market linkages
can bridge the constraints both producers and consumers are
facing with respect to meeting the millet needs.

16. SUPPLY CHAIN
FARMERS
Traders
Processors
Retailers
Consumers

17. PROCESSING OF MILLETS
NEED FOR PROCESSING OF MILLETS:
 The outer tough seed coat of millets, characteristic flavour,
cultural attachments and non-availability of processed millet
products are limiting factors unlike rice or wheat.
 The farmers are getting very less price (Rs.15-20/kg) to their un-
processed produce compared to processed one (Rs.80-100/kg).
 Unfortunately, there is no well-proven industrial process
available for making white products from coloured small millets
satisfactory.

18. Advantages of millets processing
Digestibility Processing is required to make dried grains edible and digestible
Food safety Cooking inactivates natural toxins and heat prevents bacterial and
food spoilage
Organoleptic
properties
Processing optimizes the appearance, taste and texture of foods
to meet the needs of consumers
Ready to eat (RTE)
and convenience
To meet consumer demand for quick and easy meal solutions and
also nutritional supplement
Maximize nutritional
availability
Processing can make it easier for nutrients from grains to be
digested. Nutrients lacking in the diet can be added to staple
grain-based foods (food fortification) (e.g. thiamin added to flour)

19. PRIMARY PROCESSING METHODS
1. De-cortication: Partial removal of outer layer of the millet grain. It is
accomplished by hand pounding and using rice de-hulling or other abrasive de-
hullers.
2. Pounding : Traditionally, dry, moistened or wet grain is pounded with a wooden
pestle in a wooden or stone mortar.
3. De-hulling: On de-hulling, phytin phosphorus decreased by 12% in proso millet,
39% in little millet, 25% in kodo millet and 23% in barnyard millet.
4. Parboiling: Parboiling is basically the process of partial cooking of grain along
with husk or bran. The raw grain is briefly steamed. The resulted product is
dried, de-husked and decorticated.
5. Milling: Milling is the process of separating bran and germ from the starchy
endosperm so that the endosperm can be ground into flour and rawa using
different types of sieves in a hammer mill.

20. MILLETS THRESHER
TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF MILLETS THRESHING

21. Traditional Practice Modern practice

22. MILLETS DESTONER CUM
GRADER ASPIRATOR
MILLETS PULVERIZER
MILLETS POLISHER

23. 1. FINGER MILLET FLOUR; 2. FINGER MILLET COOKIES; 3. FINGER MILLET CHAPATI;
4.FINGER MILET CAKES
FINGER MILLET PRODUCTS

24. FOXTAIL MILLET PRODUCTS
FLAKES

25.  Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Assam Agricultural
University (AAU), Gossaigaon is the only Research Station in
Assam which is working on Small Millets since 2016-17.
 RARS, AAU, Gossaigaon has recently developed two small millet
varieties:
1. First promising variety of finger millet from Assam-AAU-GSG-
Maruadhan (Gossaingaon Maruadhan)
2. First promising variety of foxtail millet from Assam- Gossaigaon
local (Yellow Seeded)
ROLE OF AAU IN MILLET PROMOTION THROUGH
RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

26. Package FINGER MILLET VARIETY FOXTAIL MILLET VARIETY
Variety AAU-GSG-Maruadhan (Gossaingaon
Maruadhan, INR-1008, TNAU-9, GPU-
45, VL-352, GPU-67, PR-202, VL-367
Gossaigaon Local (Yellow
Seeded), DHFT 109-3, SIA-326,
SIA-3156
Sowing Aug- Sept Dec-Jan
Soil Type Sandy Loam Silt loam to sandy loam
Seed rate 12kg/ha 12-15kg/ha
Spacing 25cm X 15cm 25X 10 cm
Manures &
Fertilizers
FYM: 5 tons/ha
Urea:88kg/ha
SSP :125 kg/ha
MOP: 32kg/ha
FYM: 5 tons/ha
Urea:44kg/ha
SSP :63 kg/ha
MOP:17kg/ha
Duration 110 – 120 days 125-130 days
Grain Yield 18-24 (q/ha) at national level 10-13 (q/ha) at state level
Plant protection Moderately resistant to leaf blast and
finger blast. Spray of tricyclazole or
propiconazole @0.1% is efffective.
Resistant to pest and diseases

27. ALL INDIA COORDINTED RESEARCH PROJECT (AICRP) PARTICIPATORY
CENTRE
TESTING OF ADVANCE VARIETAL TRIAL (AVT) AND INITIAL VARIETAL TRIAL (IVT) ENTRIES
and other improved varieties of fingermillet, foxtail millet and proso millet is going on

28. SEED PRODUCTION AT RARS,AAU FARM
Year Foxtail Millet Finger Millet
Area (ha) Production (q) Area (ha) Production (q)
2015-16 0.75 6.50 0.75 8.25
2016-17 0.75 7.24 0.75 8.35
2017-18 0.75 9.34 0.75 8.40
2018-19 0.75 5.50 0.75 9.90
2019-20 0.75 6.50 0.75 9.95
2020-21 1.0 7.75 1.0 12.85
2021-22 - - 1.5 16.50
Total 4.75 42.83 6.25 74.20

29. EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
Year Finger Millet
Area No. of Beneficiaries
2016-17 10 59
2017-18 15 36
2018-19 45 131
2019-20 30 127
2020-21 50 253
2021-22 50 -
Total 200ha 606 Nos.
Front Line Demonstartions (FLD) carried out by RARS, AAU,
Gossaigaon from 2016-17 to 2021-22

30. FRONT LINE DEMONSTARTIONS (FLD) PHOTOGRAPHS OF FINGER MILLET AND
FOXTAIL MILLET

31. SUCCESS STORIES
FINGER MILLET
Farmer Name Area
covered
Gross income Net Income
Before
intervention
After
intervention
Before
intervention
After
intervention
Sopol Murmu 16 Bigha 1,58,000.00 2,10,000.00 1,41500.00 1,92,500.00
Rafel Kawa 12 Bigha 1,35,100.00 1,44,600.00 1,15,500.00 1,33,300.00
Sopol Murmu Rafel Kawa

32. FUTURE PROSPECTS/PLAN AHEAD
Introduction of millets in cropping system /cropping sequence Fingermillet-
Ahu rice, Fingermillet-Maize; Foxtail millet-Sali rice, Foxtail Millet-Fingermillet,
Niger-Foxtail millet-Sali rice, Summer rice-fingermillet, Arahar-foxtail millet
Promotion of Seed production in all districts of Lower Brahmaputra Valley
Zone of Assam (Kokrajhar & Dhubri districts has already initiated)
To create awareness among farmers about importance of millet cultivation
through Trainings, FLDs and awareness campaigning etc.
 Development of additional promising varieties on the basis of quality and
yield attributes through various biotechnological and genomic approaches.
Processing is the key challenge that hinders consumer demand and upscaling
potential for minor millets. Small millet processing unit should be established for
marketing and value addition.
Promotion of value addition and marketing of millets

33. LET’S CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF MILLETS 2023