Incorporating Millets in Diet can Fill India's Nutrition Gap

A nutrient is a source of nourishment, a component of food, for instance, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, mineral, fiber, and water. Karnataka's Agriculture Minister Krisha Byre Gowda said that incorporating millets in diet can help achieve food security for the population. "Millets are gluten-free, sugar-free and contain significant amount of nutrients, which can help people suffering from various ailments," Gowda said.

While releasing new website and logo of the International Trade Fair-Organics and Millets, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in January 2018, he said, "India was aware of organic farming not more than 30 years ago. Millets were part of our staple diet, which were suddenly driven out by the Green Revolution. Their share in our diet has reduced to just 5 percent."

"Ragi (a millet variety) has highest amount of calcium among any crops and significant amount of iron. Millets do not lead to increase in sugar level in human body. It provides solution to many ailments we are facing today," Gowda said.

Ragi, Sorghum (jowar), Bajra are major millets while Foxtail, Little, Baryard, Browntop, Kodo and Proso are other minor millets.

Majorly grown in dryland areas, millet is the most drought-tolerant and climate-resilient crop and its yield can be increased with irrigation and other necessary agriculture inputs, Gowda said.

Millets are cultivated, mainly, in southern parts of the country, especially Karnataka, and parts of Central and Western India.

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Source-IANS