Date : 24/06/2023

Relevance : GS Paper 3 : Agriculture - Major Crops

Key Words: United Nations General Assembly, Green Revolution, MSP, Sustainable Agriculture, Nutritional Security

Context -

• The cultivation of millets, known as nutri-cereal crops, plays a vital role in addressing micronutrient deficiencies and ensuring nutritional security in India.
• However, the area dedicated to nutri-cereal cultivation has been steadily declining, posing a threat to food security. To reverse this trend, it is crucial for both central and state governments to prioritize and enhance millet production and procurement efforts.
• Recognizing the significance of millets, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

Factors Affecting Millet Production and procurement

Impact of the Green Revolution:

• The Green Revolution transformed Indian agriculture, significantly increasing crop productivity and overall production. While it successfully improved food security and reduced rural poverty, it also led to changes in cropping patterns.
• Water-intensive crops like paddy, sugarcane, and wheat expanded significantly, while the cultivation of nutri-cereal crops diminished.
• This decline, from 44.34 million hectares in 1965-66 to 22.65 million hectares in 2021-22, poses a threat to nutritional security.

Low Profitability and its Causes:

• The primary reason for the decline in nutri-cereal cultivation is low profitability. Long-term analysis of cost of cultivation data reveals that farmers growing crops like jowar, bajra, ragi, and maize have incurred heavy losses over the years.
• Despite the increased minimum support price (MSP) for nutri-cereals and other crops, profitability remains a challenge.

The Role of Procurement:

• Procurement of crops plays a pivotal role in incentivizing farmers to cultivate them. Successful examples can be seen in increased cultivation of paddy and wheat due to better procurement practices.
• However, there is a lack of comprehensive procurement data for nutri-cereal crops at the national level. While some states have made efforts to procure these crops, overall procurement levels remain insufficient.
• The percentage of crops sold under MSP is significantly lower for nutri-cereal crops compared to paddy and wheat.

The Need for Enhanced Procurement:

• To address the declining area under nutri-cereal crops and improve their profitability, both the central and state governments must significantly increase procurement to reach 15-20% of the crop output under MSP. Such enhanced procurement will help align market prices with MSP, thereby benefiting farmers.
• India has lost a substantial 21.69 million hectares of nutri-cereal crop area between 1965-66 and 2021-22. Failing to make these crops profitable through improved procurement will not only impact the income of rainfed farmers but also exacerbate nutritional insecurity.

Factors Affecting the Consumption of Nutri-Cereals:

• Changing Dietary habits and preferences: People's eating habits and preferences evolve over time. If there has been a significant shift in consumer preferences towards other types of breakfast foods or a growing preference for convenience foods, it could impact the demand for nutri-cereals.
• Increased Competition in the Food Basket : The cereal market is highly competitive, with numerous options available to consumers. There may be a proliferation of new breakfast products, including different types of cereals, granolas, breakfast bars, or yogurt-based breakfast options. This increased competition could result in a decline in market share for nutri-cereals.
• Lack of Marketing and Innovation: Nutri-cereals face challenges if there is a lack of effective marketing strategies or innovation in product development. Consumers are often attracted to new and exciting products, so if nutri-cereals fail to capture their attention through marketing campaigns or fail to introduce new variations or flavors, it may lead to declining sales.
• Changing Perception and Taste Preferences : Taste preferences significantly impact the success of food products. If consumers perceive nutri-cereals as bland or unappealing in terms of taste, they may opt for other breakfast options that are perceived as more flavorful or enjoyable.

Benefits of Increasing Nutri-Cereal Cultivation:

• Ensuring Nutritional Security: Nutri-cereals are rich in dietary fiber, iron, folate, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, vitamins, and antioxidants. They can provide nutritional security and act as a shield against nutritional deficiencies, especially among children and women.
• Climate Resilience: Nutri-cereals are drought-tolerant, pest-resistant, and can grow in marginal lands with low inputs. They can adapt to changing climatic conditions and reduce the risk of crop failure.
  Sustainable Agriculture : Nutri-cereals have low water and energy requirements and can improve soil health and biodiversity. They can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution compared to rice and wheat.
• Economic Empowerment: Nutri-cereals offer income opportunities for small and marginal farmers, especially women and tribal communities, who are the main producers of these crops. They can also create value addition and processing potential for rural entrepreneurs.

Government Initiatives to Promote Millet Cultivation:

• International Year of Millets 2023: The United Nations General Assembly designated 2023 as the "International Year of Millets" to highlight their importance in addressing nutritional challenges and promoting sustainable agriculture.
• Millets Mission : The Government of India and State governments, notably Karnataka and Odisha, have initiated Millet Missions. These policies are a step in forward directions.
• Farmer-friendly schemes: Various schemes, such as the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, allocate funds to promote millets as Nutri-Cereals. These schemes aim to demonstrate integrated production and post-harvest technologies, stimulating increased millet production nationwide.
• Provision of seed kits and inputs: The government provides farmers with seed kits and necessary inputs to support the cultivation of nutri-cereals. Efforts are also being made to build value chains and support the marketability of these crops through assistance to Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP): The government has raised the Minimum Support Price for millets, providing significant price incentives for farmers and boosting the agricultural sector.
• Inclusion in Public Distribution System (PDS): Millets have been incorporated into the public distribution system to ensure a stable market and enhance accessibility and availability for consumers, promoting their consumption.

Conclusion:

Enhancing millet production and procurement is a critical step towards agricultural growth, nutritional security, and sustainable development. While government initiatives are underway, comprehensive efforts are necessary to reverse the decline in nutri-cereal cultivation and leverage the numerous benefits they offer. Collaboration with stakeholders, innovative marketing strategies, and consumer engagement will be key in achieving these goals.

Source : The Hindu Business Line