Emerging Agricultural Realignment Towards Millets

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

Context

• The Iran-West Asia conflict, possible weak monsoon, and fertiliser supply uncertainties are driving Indian farmers towards low-input, climate-resilient crops such as millets.

Current Factors Affecting Indian Agriculture

• Fertiliser Supply: India is heavily dependent on imports for phosphatic and potassic fertilisers.
  • Geopolitical tensions in West Asia and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz may affect fertiliser availability and prices.
  • Petroleum-based chemical inputs used in pesticide formulations may also become costlier.
• Weak monsoon: Fears of a below-normal monsoon may adversely affect kharif sowing and crop productivity.
  • Weak rainfall conditions can increase irrigation stress and groundwater extraction.
• Chain Uncertainty: Ongoing geopolitical tensions have disrupted global commodity and shipping markets.
  • Higher freight and logistics costs may affect agricultural input imports.

Existing issues in Indian Agriculture

• Risks in Cotton Cultivation:
  • Cotton farmers in Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan are facing severe damage from pink bollworm (Gulabi sundi).
  • Cotton cultivation requires multiple pesticide sprays and high fertiliser use, increasing production costs.
  • Rising labour costs for cotton picking have further reduced profitability.
• Concern over water intensive crops: Weak monsoon conditions increase the cultivation risks associated with water-intensive crops such as rice, sugarcane thereby encouraging a shift towards drought-resilient millets.

Why Are Farmers Shifting Towards Millets?

• Millets Require Lower Inputs: Millets are less dependent on costly imported fertilisers such as DAP and potash, making them more economical during periods of global supply disruptions.
• Climate Resilience: Millets are drought-resistant and can withstand high temperatures and erratic rainfall conditions. 
• Flexible Cropping Pattern: Bajra has a shorter crop duration of nearly 90–95 days and farmers can cultivate additional crops such as mustard and summer moong after harvesting bajra.
  • Millets improve land-use efficiency and help increase annual farm income.

Challenges in Millet Expansion

• Weak Procurement and Market Infrastructure: Procurement systems for millets remain weaker than those for rice and wheat with underdeveloped  storage, processing, and value-chain infrastructure.
• Consumer Preference: Public consumption patterns favouring rice and wheat, Limited awareness and inadequate branding constrain millet demand.
• Policy Bias: Existing subsidy structures and procurement systems favour paddy and wheat cultivation, as farmers often receive stronger institutional support for conventional cereals.

Steps taken by India to promote millet production

• International Year of Millets: India spearheaded the UN General Assembly Resolution for declaring the year 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’.
• Higher Minimum Support Prices (MSP): To encourage farmers to take up millet cultivation, higher MSP to Jowar, Bajra and Ragi has been announced.
• National Food Security Mission – Nutri Cereals: The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is running a Sub-Mission on Nutri-Cereals comprising various millets under the National Food Security Mission.
• Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP) was introduced to encourage-
  • The use of millets in branded Ready‑to‑Eat (RTE) and Ready‑to‑Cook (RTC) products.
  • To encourage value addition in millet-based food items.
  • To connect millet growers with food processors by boosting production demand for the grain.

Concluding remarks

• The convergence of geopolitical uncertainty and monsoon risks is pushing Indian agriculture towards more sustainable cropping patterns. 
• The momentum created by the International Year of Millets may now translate into large-scale adoption of millets as economically viable and climate-resilient crops. 
• With effective procurement support and policy backing, 2026 could become a defining year for millet-based agricultural transformation in India.

Source: IE