Once the quintessential diet of India before fading into near oblivion, millets are making a comeback to our food landscape. And it's not surprising considering their historic significance.
The earliest evidence for these grains has been found in the Indus civilization in 3000 BC. Did you know that millets were one of the first plants to be domesticated for food? Today, they are grown in over 131 countries.
In Asia and Africa alone, millets remain a traditional food for nearly 600 million people. The global millets market is on a steady rise, and the numbers speak for themselves. As per data from the International Market Analysis Research and Consulting (IMARC) Group, in 2022, it was valued at about $12.3 billion, and projections indicate that by 2028, it could cross $16 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.6 percent during 2023-2028.
India is the world’s top millet producer today, with a 19 percent share. In fact, the top 5 producers including Nigeria, Sudan, the US and China along with India make up almost half the global production of millets.
The top 10 countries account for a staggering 80 percent of total millet consumption in 2022 of a little over 90 million metric tons, and India accounts for 20 percent of the global share. And when we break it down, about a third of this 90 millionn MT is used for animal feed, and the remaining over 70 percent is used for food, seed and industrial use. We all know the health benefits. But did you know they’re much cheaper to grow than some of the more popular grains? They’re hardy, drought resistant and require less water. Not to mention, they consume a staggering 70 percent less water than rice, grow in half the time as wheat and need 40 percent less energy for processing than maize.
India has a remarkable story when it comes to millet. We predominantly produce jowar, bajra and ragi, which together account for 98 percent of millets production. In 2012, the country produced 16.03 million metric tons, and by 2022, that number had increased to 17.60 million metric tons. This growth is noteworthy considering the decrease in the area under millet cultivation. Productivity has improved marginally in the last decade. The per capita consumption of millets in India has dropped drastically though- from 30.94 kg/annum in the 1960s to 3.87 kg/annum now. What explains this significant drop?
Production has mostly remained static while the domestic population kept on increasing, hence the decline in per capita consumption. Until recently, millets have been largely neglected and overlooked while other grains such as wheat and rice have taken the spotlight.
But, this story is changing. Millets received some attention in 2012 when the then government crafted a policy called Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millet Production. In 2018, millets were declared “nutri cereals” and added to the national food security mission. Rs 300 crore was earmarked for its development. It was also in 2018 that India proposed to the United Nations to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Millet received a shot in the arm when the government earmarked an outlay of Rs 800 crore for millet-based products under its Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, and 33 applicants were selected.
This year's Union budget announced funding for the Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad for research and development. But despite being the world’s top producer of millet and having a lot of government push, India's share in the world millet exports has fluctuated over the years and is now under 2 percent.
However, India is drawing up a roadmap to figure among the top three exporters of millet by 2025. The future looks promising, especially with the potential export opportunities. With the increasing popularity and demand, there are tremendous export opportunities for various millet-based products, from grain and flour to biscuits and beverages.
A study by Yes Bank finds that India has the potential to export millet and millet-based value-added products worth $2 billion by 2030, that’s the opportunity players don’t want to miss! Major brands like Britannia, ITC, Tata and Nestle are jumping on the millet bandwagon, introducing a wide range of millet-based products.
Will all this help make millet the food of the future? Watch the show to find out.
