Combat the challenges of Climate Change through Millets Farming

Farmers have been bearing the brunt of natural calamities like floods and drought for centuries. Although its effects were more visible at the regional level earlier, since the last half century, climate change has been so widespread that it is affecting every farmer, crop cycle, production, and food security of the country. That’s why agricultural scientists suggest that to prevent climate change, where farmers adopt millets farming instead of traditional paddy and wheat cultivation, the public should also give more importance to coarse grains on their plates.

Cultivation of Millets

Millet is also called an alternative grain. Apart from wheat and paddy, rest of the grains are traditionally called coarse grains, like millet, maize, ragi, kodo, barley, jowar, etc. Most of the coarse cereals grown in rabi, except maize and barley, are rainfed kharif crops. Traditionally, cereals are produced in the countryside by rain-fed agriculture. Millets are rich in nutrients. Their crops have a high capacity to tolerate the effects of climate change. That is why the decline in the yield of coarse grains is significantly less, even under unfavorable cultivation conditions.

According to experts at the Eastern Research Complex of ICAR Pusa, Patna, the yield of coarse cereals is generally lower than that of paddy. However, in some country districts, coarse cereals perform better than paddy under rainfed cultivation. For example, millet and jowar in central India and maize in many parts of the country. This means increasing the area under millets is necessary to adapt to the climate and increase grain production.

Millets are full of nutrients, but as the production of wheat and paddy increased under the Green Revolution, the dishes made of coarse grains decreased from Indian plates. This is the reason why the per capita consumption of coarse grains in the country kept on declining day by day. It is a different matter that in recent years, doctors and nutritionists have been convincing people that the role of coarse grains is unique in maintaining good health and preventing malnutrition.

Characteristics of Millets

Ragi: It is an excellent source of various minerals like calcium, iron, protein, fiber etc. That is why it also has medicinal uses and beneficial for diabetes sufferers. For every 100 grams of ragi, there are 3.9 milligrams of iron and 344 milligrams of calcium. Such availability of iron is more than other cereals except millet.

Bajra: Bajra contains 11-12% protein, 5%t fat, 67% carbohydrate, 2.7%t mineral salts, 8% iron and 132 micro grams of carotene. It is also used as fodder in some parts of the country. Apart from vitamin ‘B’, it is rich in minerals like potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Therefore, the place of millet is better than that of rice and wheat in terms of nutritional potential.

Jowar: Rich in fiber, it is the fifth most important cereal grown in the world. It is a great option for reducing weight and improving digestion by removing constipation. The calcium present in it strengthens the bones, while copper and iron help in increasing the number of red blood cells in the body and reducing anemia. Consumption of jowar has been shown to be extremely beneficial for women during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Maize: This coarse grain is rich in vitamin A, folic acid and carbohydrates. It is very beneficial for heart patients and contains many anticancer antioxidants. The amount of antioxidants in cooked corn is up to 50 percent higher. Maize controls the level of bad cholesterol. Pregnant women must include maize in their diet as it removes anemia and keeps the fetus healthy. However, people trying to lose weight should avoid it, because consumption of maize is helpful in increasing the weight.

Kodo Millet: It is considered an ancient grain and also contains a certain amount of fat and protein. The glycemic index of pulses is low. That is why diabetic patients are advised to consume pulses instead of rice. Cultivation is mainly in the tribal-dominated areas of Chhattisgarh.

Barley: It is grown mainly in the non-irrigated areas of Bihar. It has the highest alcohol content of any grain. Fiber, antioxidants, and magnesium are in it in good quantity. Eating barley is very beneficial for people suffering from high blood pressure and also helps lower elevated cholesterol levels.

Also Read: Millets Products: Cake made from millets reached Parliament House

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