Role of millets in small holder farming system for improved food and nutritional security under changing climate scenario

Abstract

Millets are a major source of staple food for human, forage for the livestock, and industrial raw material. These are grown in semi-arid climate due to their ability to grow and complete their life cycle in less than 400mm rainfall. They have huge potential to enhance livelihood of the resource poor farmers in dryland and rainfed agriculture using location-specific improved production technology, trait-specific production, millets supply chain management, buy-back arrangements, value-addition of millets, refinement and commercialization of technologies and entrepreneurship development, market development for domestic and export purposes, policy advocacy and creation of awareness, which needs to be implemented at grass-root level with diversified approach. Some issues related to millets are; low remuneration, low adoption of production technologies, biotic and abiotic stress, and lack of policy support unlike other cereals need to be addressed strategically. It requires synergy among technologies, marketing systems, input supplies, credit, policies and institutional support to achieve the goal of enhancing farmers’ livelihood in resource-poor areas.