Millets back in focus, thanks to health consciousness

Anantapur-Puttaparthi: Thanks to the growing increase of health consciousness prompted by health experts through media among the population, particularly middleclass, policy makers seized the opportunity to take concrete steps for increasing millets production by incentivising them, adopting millet diet in government hostels and mid-day meals and promoting millets consumption through PDS throughout the country by the Central and State governments. Both the Central and State governments have moved a step forward after the UN had declared 2023 as the year of millets.

Except taking pride that India is leading over other nations as the largest producer of millets, nothing substantial has been done to boost production and bring down the cost to be affordable by common man. At present, wealthier sections of the society are the main consumers. Several millet food outlets have come up selling millet iddlis at Rs 50 per plate of 3 pieces, whereas normal iddlis are selling at Rs 30 per plate. Millets hotels too sprung up at many places but again their cost is almost 40 to 50 per cent higher than normal breakfast.

Social activist Gangi Reddy observed that the government should take a bold policy decision in this matter by making rice and millets available on equal footing at fair price shops. The quantity of rice of 5 kg per person should be reduced to 2.5 kg at fair price shop. This is because, at least 50 per cent of ration card holders are selling the subsidised ration to hotels at a higher price and are defeating the scheme objective. Instead of totally replacing rice with millets, it should be 50 per cent rice and millets for each person.

Gangi Reddy stated that despite their nutritional qualities and climate resilience, consumption of finger millets in India was declined by 44 per cent, while intake of other small millets also fell by 78 per cent in the last five decades.

He attributed the reason for the decline to easy availability of rice and wheat through PDS. Rural and tribal populations once consumed millets as their staple food. But the subsidised rice scheme launched by former CM NT Rama Rao had adversely affected food habits of the people, particularly in Rayalaseema, Gangi Reddy added.