White Paper - Millets

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Export Development Authority, Madua production in 2022-23 was 0.13 Lakh tonnes, which

increased to 0.28 Lakh tonnes in 2023-24. While total millet production (including Jawar and

Bajra) was 0.30 Lakh tones in 2023-24.7

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Interactions with community elders in pockets of Jharkhand revealed that plenty of maize and

millet products were cooked in tribal households such as Makai Gatha, Madua Latha, Madua

Roti, Madua Chhilka, Madua Ladoo etc.

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But now people bother little to produce millet because of a lack of adequate support.

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Interactions also revealed that rice has become the primary staple for the community. They eat

rice three times a day, it completes the meal.

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Earlier, forms of rice such as puffed rice and rice flakes were commonly consumed paired with

green leafy vegetables that were grown locally.

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Communities consumed uncultivated local greens and cooked them by grinding and mixing them

with starch rice (maad) by adding salt, chilies, and spices.

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Due to topographic difficulties and less availability of water, farmers in wide parts of Jharkhand

can not produce pulses. Maad Jhor serves as an alternative which is rich in protein and fibers.

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Both cultivated and wild roots and tubers are reported to be consumed. The consumption of fruits,

especially wild and seasonal fruits, and animal products such as wild meat, birds, ant eggs,

rodents, and mollusks were also part of the indigenous food systems in Jharkhand.

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Today the commonly consumed grain in Jharkhand has been limited to rice and wheat. The same

is distributed through public distribution schemes and meal schemes in Jharkhand.

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These are the only cereals that are included in the PDS and eligible for Minimum Support Price

(MSP).

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Alternatively, millets are grown in pockets of Jharkhand and consumed mostly by community

elders. Youngsters neither have the taste nor do they want to try and adopt it into their cuisine for

the primary reasons also that millets are considered to be “poor man’s food”, “mota anaaj”.

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Hence, Palakiya Foundation urges the systemic introduction of millets in public distribution

systems and public meal schemes.

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Palakiya Foundation intends to work towards encouraging both the production and consumption

patterns of millets in the state, particularly building a climate solidarity network between farmers,

consumers, children, lactating mothers, and interrelated institutions.

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On one hand, awareness about the consumption of millet through experiential learning needs to

be encouraged among youngsters and children.

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On the other hand, agroecological interventions with farmers need to be encouraged so that the

production of millet can match the cycle of demand and supply.

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Therefore, the Palakiya Foundation offers its support to the Government of Jharkhand in

developing guidelines to pave the way for the inclusion of millet and local foods in mid-day

meals and provide incentives to encourage their adoption.

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The possible starts in this direction could be by initiating procurement of indigenous varieties of

millets, unpolished rice and pulses under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) programme. This

will encourage farmers to increase acreage under millet cultivation

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Facilitate access to credit, technical assistance, and market linkages for farmers to promote

increased production of millet and local foods.

7 https://apeda.gov.in/milletportal/files/Statewise_Millet_Production.pdf

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