Minor millets in South Asia: learnings from IFAD-NUS project in India ...

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prefAce ix Preface The small millets comprising six species, namely, finger millet (Eleusine coracana), little millet (Panicum sumatrense), Italian or foxtail millet (Setaria italica), barnyard millet (Echinochloa crusgalli), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) and kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) are grown in about 2 million ha area in India, Among these, finger millet is the most important and occupies about 60% of the area and contributes 70 % of small millet production. These crops are hardy and quite resilient to varied agroclimatic adversities and play important role in marginal agriculture more common in hilly and semi-arid regions as important source of food grain as well as highly valued fodder. Many kinds of traditional foods and beverages are made from these grains in different regions and hence have important role in the local food culture. Nutritionally, they have high micronutrient content, particularly calcium and iron, high dietary fibre, higher amount of essential amino acids and low glycemic index and thus play an important role in the food and nutritional security of the poor. However, their presence in the Indian food basket had been declining over the years primarily due to wheat and rice being available at subsidized rates. These species are neglected in research and development and are not receiving the policy support they need and rightly deserve. This neglect is also causing the marginalization of farmers who have been traditionally depending on these crops for their food security and income. However, there is an increasing recognition of their favourable nutrient composition and utility as health food, in the context of increasing life style diseases. Thus, apart from their traditional role as a staple for the poor in the marginal agricultural regions, they are gaining a new role as crops for healthy food and for the urban high income people. The IFAD supported project “Enhancing the Contribution of Nutritious but Neglected Crops to Food Security and to Incomes of the Rural Poor: Asia Component – Nutritious Millets” was a good attempt in this direction. This publication contains valuable information on the outstanding contributions made under this project both in India and Nepal to advance the sustainable conservation and use of minor millets, including the characterization of their genetic resources, their participatory variety selection, the development of improved agronomic practices, seed production, value addition and product development, capacity building of stakeholder groups and public awareness. We believe that this publication will be very useful to all stakeholders engaged in promoting these crops, such as researchers, farmers and community members, entrepreneurs, students, planners and policy makers. We are highly indebted to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India and wish to record our sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to him for his kind guidance and personal attention for the successful implementation of the project. We are also grateful to Prof. P.C. Kesvan,
x Minor Millets in south AsiA Executive Director, MSSRF, Chennai, Dr. S.A. Patil, Vice Chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, Dr. M.N. Sheelavantar, Vice Chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Dr. A. Seetharam, Scientist Emeritus, All India Coordinated Small Millets Improvement Project, Bangalore and Dr. V. Prakash, Director and Dr. Narasimha, Head, Division of Grain Milling and Processing, Central Food Technology Research Institute, Mysore for their kind support and help in implementing the project in India. The support on value addition extended by the staff of the Divisions of Rural Home Sciences at UAS, Dharwad and Bangalore, also deserves special mention. Mr. D.S. Pathic, Executive Director, Nepal Agricultural Research Council and his colleagues in the Crops and Horticultural Division took keen interest in the effective implementation of this project in Nepal. Dr. R.P. Sapkota, former Executive Director, Nepal Agricultural Research Council deserves special thanks for the initiative and leadership provided to the Nepal component of this project during initial period. Dr. Anil Subedi and Dr. Pratap K. Shreshtha, Exectuve Directors, Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), Nepal provided excellent support in implementing the project and deserve sincere thanks. The enthusiastic support and hard work put in by many scientists, technicians, field staff, farm women and men at the project villages in India and Nepal was largely instrumental to the success achieved under the project and all of them deserve our special thanks and deep appreciation. Bhag Mal S. Padulosi S. Bala Ravi Honorary Research Fellow Senior Scientist & Advisor (Biodiversity) Bioversity International, Global Project Coordinator M.S. Swaminathan Sub-regional Office for Bioversity International, Research Foundation, South Asia, New Delhi, India Maccarese, Rome, Italy Chennai, India
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Page 4 and 5: contents iii Contents Foreword v Pr
Page 6 and 7: foreword v Foreword The project,
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Page 12 and 13: executive suMMAry 1 Executive Summa
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Page 24 and 25: introduction 13 Introduction Backgr
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Page 30 and 31: promoting nutrious millets in tamil
Page 58 and 59: enhanCing Food seCuritY and inCome
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enhanCing Food seCuritY and inCome
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Food seCuritY and inCome enhanCemen
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staFF inVolVed in implementing iFad
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Chennai platForm For aCtion 179 Ann
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aCronYms 183 Acronyms ABD : Agricul
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aCronYms 185 PDS : Public Distribut
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Minor millets in South Asia: learnings from IFAD-NUS project in India ...

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