Climate Resilient Millets for Food and Nutrition Security for All Seasons: Time to Promote

Abstract

Millets are climate-resilient crops adaptable to wide variety of ecological conditions requiring less water for irrigation with better growth and productivity in low nutrient soils.  They require low artificial fertilizers application and show minimal vulnerability to environmental stresses. There is need to revive the importance of millet groups as health foods to enhance food and nutritional security. Millets contain high amounts of proteins, fiber, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin, methionine, lecithin and little of vitamin E. They are rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium also. Millets due to their nutritive value have potential health benefits to prevent cancers, decrease the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, reduce tumor proliferation, lower blood pressure, risk of heart diseases, cholesterol content, rate of fat absorption, delayed gastric emptying and increased gastrointestinal bulk. Value-addition to millet grains as ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook items offers good opportunity to farmers for enhanced income generation, promotes production and marketing leading to nutritional security, employment and revenue generation.