Government set a target of 205 lakh tonnes Nutri Cereals production for the year 2022-23

Tags: National Economy/Finance

The Government of India has set a target of production of 205 lakh tonnes of Nutri Cereals in the country by 2022-23.  This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ms. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 21 December 2022.

Nutri-cereals refers to a group of crops comprising sorghum (Jowar), pearl millet (Bajra), finger millet (Ragi/Mandua), and small millets like little millet (Kutki), kodo millet (Kodo), barnyard millet (Sawa/Jhangora), foxtail millet (Kangni/Kakun), and proso millet (Cheena). They are highly nutritious and government is trying to promote the usage and productions of millets as Nuti Cereals. 

Effort to increase the production of Nutri- Cereals in India 

India declared 2018 as the National Year for Millets to promote millets for nutrition security. 

The Government of India has launched NFSM-Nutri Cereals, a sub scheme under the National Food Security Mission. It is being implemented from the year 2018-19 in 212 districts of 14 states.

Rajasthan is the largest producer of nutri-cereals in India followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), India is the largest producer of millet in the world followed by Niger and China.

The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of the Millets.