Coarse grains are beneficial in every way
Vivek Devrai and Aditya Sinha, (Devrai is the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Sinha is Additional Private Secretary-Research in the Council)
A very poignant description of the plight of small farmers and their struggle at the socio-economic level is found in the classic works of Katha Samrat Premchand. Since literature has been called the mirror of the society, all these stories also portray the condition of food giver somewhere in India. It is a matter of regret that even after independence, the condition of the farmers did not improve as expected. There have been many reasons for this. Prominent among these were the policies which benefited the big farmers by promoting resource-exploiting agriculture. Agriculture policy in India has been very poor in nature, with a clear emphasis on wheat and rice. This approach is not only geographically inappropriate, but also counterproductive from the point of view of natural resources, as it involves heavy exploitation of resources like land, water and fertiliser. The minimum support price (MSP) for wheat and paddy as well as the resource-rich procurement process and distribution through the public distribution system led to market distortions. This is clearly visible in states like Haryana and Punjab, where the first priority of farmers is cultivation of wheat and paddy, which has been largely encouraged by the government's procurement policy. This has severely affected the cultivation of other crops and has hurt agricultural diversification. The environmental side effects of paddy cultivation have been observed especially in Punjab and Haryana. The ground water table in these areas is very low because these crops consume a lot of water. One major drawback of this practice of farming is that it mainly benefits the big farmers. The policy orientation towards rice and wheat has streamlined the availability of power, fertilizer and irrigation subsidies for these crops. Despite this, a question arises whether the excessive attention given to only these two crops has done any good to the farmers. The answer is no.
This type of practice has not only harmed agriculture, but has also changed the food habits of the people, the ill effects of which are clearly visible on health. Jowar, bajra and other nutritious food items disappeared from the plate of Indians due to wheat and rice. Due to the high amount of carbohydrates in wheat and rice, their consumption is inviting many diseases. This is all increasing the risk, especially for people with an inactive lifestyle. Due to this, obesity, diabetes and heart related diseases are increasing. The deteriorating lifestyle and cultural changes in urban areas have further increased this threat.
The good thing is that the Modi government has started efforts to change this established tradition. The government is promoting agricultural diversification. Many states have also come forward to coordinate with the central government in this. The central government has also called at the international level to promote millets. Due to these efforts, this year is being celebrated as 'International Millet Year'. The idea of returning millets to the plate of every Indian is also at the core of this campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently described millets as beneficial not only for small farmers, but also in combating the challenge of food security, lifestyle diseases and climate change. He believes that global branding of millets will give a big boost to the livelihood of 2.5 crore small and marginal farmers of India. The result of this incentive is that from 2018, per capita consumption of coarse grains has increased from two to three kg to 14 kg per month in 12 coarse grain producing states.
The list of benefits of millets is very long. These nutrient-rich food products contain protein, dietary fiber, several key vitamins, and several important minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Their relatively low glycemic index is useful in diabetes management. They also provide protective shield to the body by increasing immunity. They can also be grown in arid and semi-arid areas with water scarcity. They are also eco-friendly due to their economical nature of water use, which has the ability to adapt well to the conditions. Apart from making a significant contribution to agro-biodiversity, they are also helpful in ensuring food security as well as protecting against pest attacks and diseases. It also avoids the risk of excessive dependence on a few crops. Being important from the point of view of health, their proper promotion is also capable of rejuvenating the farmers by providing them a premium price. Due to their relatively low input requirements, they can revolutionize farming practices. The low need for pesticides and fertilizers compared to other crops will reduce the economic burden on farmers and help protect the environment. The renewed boom in the cultivation and consumption of millets will also cement our links with Indian culture, as these grains have been an integral part of the Indian plate for centuries. Overall, this new approach in Indian agricultural policy strongly underlines the need for new changes on the front of farming and nutrition. Therefore, to realize the vision of a more diverse, sustainable and healthy India, it is necessary that May the pace and enthusiasm of the encouragement being given to the Nazis continue to gain momentum.