MILLETS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH & FOOD SECURITY

Dr. Dr. PranatiPranati DasDas

Principal ScientistPrincipal Scientist

Department of Food & NutritionDepartment of Food & Nutrition

Assam Agricultural UniversityAssam Agricultural University

JorhatJorhat--785013785013

�Millets are small seeded cereal grains consumed as food by millions of people throughout the world.

� They are often referred to as ‘poor man’s cereal, because people with a choice prefer other cereals such as wheat or rice.

�But recently Prof. M. S. Swaminathan designated millets as ‘nutritious millets’ & it deserves to be reclassified so, because of its nutritive properties.

Most of millet of the world is grown in Asia Africa, USSR

MILLET PRODUCTION:

Production contribution of the top 10 millet producing countries in 2005 (FAOSTAT, 2005)

Ethiopia

Chad

Uganda

Sudan

Mali

Burkina Faso

China

Niger

Nigeria

India

Country

500,000

550,000

732,000

792,000

1,074,440

1,104,010

2,101,000

2,781,928

7,700,000

10,610,000

Production (Tonnes)

TOP TEN MILLET RODUCERS- 2007

TOTAL MILLET PRODUCTION OF THE WORLD 31,875,597 TONNES

GLOBAL MILLET CONSUMPTION (FAOSTAT, 2005) :

560,548Sudan

408,137Uganda

701,701Mali

856,337Burkina Faso

1,116,505China

1,733,793Niger

4,299,211Nigeria

9,041,765India

MT (5 yr. avg.)

Country

GLOBAL MILLET CONSUMPTION

117,955Ghana

136,409Tanzania

280,941Russian Federation

137,759Myanmar

251,027Nepal

259,490Ethiopia

296,119Chad

347,989Senegal

MT (5 yr. avg.)

Country

GLOBAL MILLET CONSUMPTION

However, just because a country is a top global consumer does not mean that

millet is a significant source of calories for them. India and China are rank as the

1st and 4th consumer of millet, but due to their population size they rank 11th and

38th in per capita consumption

MAJOR

Sorghum

Pearl millet

MAJOR MILLETS:Sorghum

Pearl millet

Minor millets:Finger milletProso milletLittle milletFoxtail milletBarnyard milletKodo millet

MILLETS GROWN IN INDIA

Millets grown in North East India:

ArunachalFinger milletEleusine coracana(L)

Assam, ArunachalFoxtail millet (Konidhan)

Setaria Italica((L)

Khasi hillsRaishanDigitaria cruciata(Ness)A.

RegionCommon nameSpecies

Food security is achieved “when all the people, at all times have physical and economical access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”

FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA

In India cereal security is very important, because it was characterized by history of drought and famines, vast and expanding population and social structure still not fully evolved up to the expectation of our civil society.

The increases in productivity during the last four decades has been accompanied by increases in personal income.

Food security in India

Increased incomes will normally lead to decline in consumption of cereals mainly coarse grains including millets.

PDS has significantly changed the food habits of people across the country, but led to complete neglect of millets which are otherwise extremely nutritious.

In the same time food security programme based on rice-wheat supply through PDS system has not completely attained the desired objective of reducing hunger in the country.

GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX (GHI)

�GHI is a multi dimensional statistical tool used to describe the state of countries hunger situation.

�It is updated once in a year.

�GHI was adopted and further developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and was first published in 2006 with the WELTHUNGERHILFE a German NGO.

�Since 2007 the IRISH NGO Concern Worldwide joined the group as co publisher.

CONCEPT

GHI is designed to capture several dimensions of hunger :

•increased susceptibility to disease

•shortfall in nutritional status

•loss of energy

•disability

•death due to starvation or infectious diseases

whose lethal course is the result of weakened general health

PUN= Proportion of population that is undernourished (in %)

CUW= Prevalence of underweight children under five (in %)

CM= Proportion of children dying before the age of five (in %)

GHI= PUN+CUW+CM÷3

Rank= 65 out of 84 countries

GHI in 1990=31.7

GHI in 2009=23.9

(It’s a 100 point scale , 0 means no hunger, higher the score, worse the food situation of the country. 20-29.9= alarming; above 30= extremely alarming)

GHI for INDIA

Map of world poverty by country showing percentage of population living on less than $ 1.25 per day. Based on UN Human Development Report 2009

Map of world poverty by country showing percentage of population living on less than $ 2.00 per day. Based on UN Human Development Report 2009

Map of world poverty by country, showing percentage of population living below the national poverty line. Based on data from the CIA World Fact book (India below Rs.21.6- urban, Rs. 14.3- rural, per day)

The country must, therefore, work towards achieving complete food security, even though elimination of hunger may have been the primary objective, the nutritional security also may be simultaneously planned and visualized.

Millet inclusion in the food security on the contrary would have strengthened not only the food security objective but nutritional security since millets are rich sources of many macro and micro minerals.

Such a shift at least now can be encouraged in those states where millets are known to be produced and consumed.

This calls for alteration in agricultural policy and R & D.

STATUS OF MILLETS IN INDIA

Finger millet: Also known as Ragi or Mandwa is the most important small millet food crops of Southern Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Orissa.

It is grown successfully in areas where rainfall Is about 350 mm and temperatures more than 30 degree Celsius.

STATUS OF MILLETS IN INDIA

Pearl millet: Also known as Bajra in a Kharif crop and is chiefly grown in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Maharashtra.

The crop can grow well in the areas with less than 350 mm annual rainfall & temperature betwee n 25 to 35 degree Celsius.

STATUS OF MILLETS IN INDIA

SORGHUM : Also known as Jowar is perceived to be important coarse grain food crop which is cultivated widely across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and in parts of Rajasthan.The crop in areas is hardy and cultivated in the areas with rainfall beyond 350 mm.

In each of the millet growing areas at least 4 to 5 species are cultivated, either as primary or allied crop in combination with the pulses, oilseeds, spices and condiments.

However, in spite of a rich inter/intra species diversity and wider climatic adaptability, cultivation of diverse millet species / varieties is gradually narrowing in the recent past.

In a way, a lack of institutional support for millet crops in contrast to the institutional promotion of rice and wheat continue to shrink the millet growing region.

Over the last 50 years, the share of coarse grains which include pearl millet, sorghum, maize, finer millet,barley and five other millet species known as small millets , in terms of total area has registered 25.3% decline from 38.83 Mha in 1949-50 to 29.03 Mha in 2004-05

�Major factor discouraging minor

millet cultivation and consumption

with improvement in living standard

or urbanization is the drudgery

associated with its processing.

�No processing technology and

machinery suiting to minor millets

available in South Asia.

�Hence much of the millets

consumed are processed at

household level by following a

tedious method involving

considerable drudgery.

�With increasing availability of other

grains, households who can afford

these grains are avoiding the

drudgery of processing millets.

Tedious manual milling

of minor millets

In spite of of this several communities in the dry/rainfedregions having known the food qualities of millets over generations continue to include a range of millets in the traditional cropping patterns, who recognise millets as an essential part of the local diet.

RECAPTURING MILLETS

WHY MILLET SHOULD BE RECAPTURED ?

�Millets are crop of food sovereignty.

�Nutritive profile of many elements are much higher compared to other crops.

�Compared to irrigated commodity crops currently promoted, millets require just 25% rainfall.

�The crop does not fail.

�Women will be empowered .

Health benefits of eating millets

�Lignans, an essential phytonutrient present in millet, are very beneficial to the human body, which act against different types of hormone-dependent cancers, like breast cancer and also help reduce the risk of heart disease.

�Regular consumption of millet is very beneficial for postmenopausal women suffering from signs of cardiovascular disease, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

�A high source of fiber, millet is very beneficial against breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

�According to research and recent studies, consumption of millet can help women combat the occurrence of gallstones, as they are a very high source of insoluble fiber.

�This form of cereal grain is very high in phosphorus content, which plays a vital role in maintaining the cell structure of the human body. The key role of this mineral is that it helps in the formation of the mineral matrix of the bone and is also an essential component of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate), which is the energy currency of the body.

�A single cup of millet provides around 24.0% of the body’s daily phosphorus requirement. This mineral is a very important constituent of nucleic acids, which are the building blocks of genetic code.

�Recent research has indicated that the regular consumption of millet is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This is mainly due to the fact that whole grains like millet are a rich source of magnesium, which acts as a co-factor in a number of enzymatic reactions in the body, regulating the secretion of glucose and insulin.

�Magnesium is also beneficial in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks. It is even very useful for people who are suffering from atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.

A comparison of nutritional components of millets and “big” cereals (per 100g)

3627611.32.77.9Rice (brown)

Comparablegrains

358.361.07.33.07.810.5Foxtail millet

(Y)

358.760.78.03.37.911.1Foxtail millet

(P)

358732.81.24.69.2Maize

3487121.6211.6Wheat

32970.721.63.110.4Sorghum

363672.32.24.811.8Pearl milletLarge millets

33672.63.62.61.57.7Finger millet

32960.97.65.45.29.7Little millet

35366.65.23.33.69.8Kodo millet

3005513.64.53.911Barnyardmillet

35163.26.73.3411.2Foxtail millet

36463.85.23.13.512.5CommonMillet(Proso)

Small millets

Energy

(kcal)Carbs (g)Crude

fibre (g)Ash (g)

Fat

(g)

Protein (g)

(Nx6.25)Grain type

A comparison of nutritional components of millets and “big” cereals (per 100g)

4.30.040.411.833Rice (brown)

3.60.20.382.726Maize

5.10.10.413.530WheatComparablegrains

4.30.150.385.425Sorghum

2.80.210.381142Pearl milletLarge millets

1.10.190.423.9350Finger millet

3.20.090.39.317Little millet

20.090.1510735Kodo millet

4.20.10.3318.622Barnyardmillet

3.20.110.592.831Foxtail millet

4.50.280.412.98CommonMilletPROSO

Small millets

Niacin(mg)

Riboflavin(mg)

Thiamin(mg)

Fe (mg)Ca (mg)Grain type

Source: FAO 1995: Hulse. Laing and Pearson. 1980: U.S. National Research Council/NAS. 1982: USDA/HNIS. 1984

Proximate composition of two varieties of foxtail millets from Assam ( in 100g)

358.972.27.32.73.39.9Malted

384.571.82.72.25.512.0Popped

358.960.78.03.37.911.1RawPurple

360.872.37.02.93.89.2Malted

381.872.83.52.55.210.9Popped

358.361.07.33.07.810.5RawYellow

Energy (Kcal)

CHO (g)

Cr. Fibre(G)

Mineral

(g)

Fat (g)Protein

(g)

Processing

Variety

Effect of processing on digestibility of foxtail millets

84.286.376.6Purple

81.588.179.6YellowProtein (%)

98.5107.077.8Purple

92.0107.175.2YellowStarch (mg of maltose eq.)

MaltedPoppedRawVarietyDigestibility

Proximate composition of weaning food (per 100 g)

0.342322.026.010.49.7WF with FT

millet

1.44192.768.915.09.0Cerelac

2.73730.786.06.01.0Nestum

Fibre(g)

Energy(Kcal)

Mineral(g)

CHO(g)

Protein(g)

Fat (g)

Item

-2.0-258WF with FT

millet

470.07.5380510Cerelac

90.018.5100120Nestum

K (mg)Fe (mg)P (mg) Ca (mg)Item

Mineral profile of weaning food (per 100 g)

Proximate composition of roti from different

flours (per 100 g)

2.84.812.812.36.6Mixed flour

roti

0.91.51.55.725.3Jowar flour

roti

2.64.41.56.826.2Ragi flour roti

1.50.97.836.5044.1Maize roti

0.71.46.736.8343.42Bajra roti

1.01.28.87.627.6Wheat flourroti

Crude fibre(g)

Mineral (g)

Fat (g)

Protein (g)

Moisture (g)

Item

Proximate composition of roti from different flours (per 100 g)

2.9554.4406.760.5Mixed flour roti

2.295.2300.265.6Jowar flour roti

2.2175.0274.558.5Ragi flour roti

1.46.0255.039.6Maize chapati

4.725.0251.240.7Bajra chapati

3.430.0326.054.2Wheat flourchapati

Fe (mg)

Ca (mg)

Energy (kcal)

CHO (g)

Item

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