Centre looks at ‘partial’ replacement of wheat with millets, other coarse grains under Food Security Act

This was informed by state officials in a meeting with Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on May 9. The virtual meeting was attended by the principal secretaries of these states and came after the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution wrote to the states seeking information about the quantity of coarse grain planned for procurement and distribution during KMS 2023-24.

The move is part of the Centre’s efforts towards “partial” replacement of wheat with coarse grains under the NFSA, the source said. Though the NFSA does not mention millets, Section 2(5) defines the term “foodgrains” as “rice, wheat or coarse grains or any combination thereof conforming to such quality norms as may be determined, by order, by the Central Government from time to time.” Thus, millets are considered coarse grains under the Act, said a food ministry official.

The expected quantity of coarse grain distribution during October-September 2023-24 is higher than the approved procurement quantity of millets and coarse grains for KMS 2022-23. According to sources, the food ministry had approved a quantity of 13.28 LMT of millets and coarse grain including bajra, jowar, ragi and maize to be procured from nine states during KMS 2022-23, out of which only 17 per cent (2.33 lakh metric tonnes) was procured till February 22, 2023.

Sources said that against the approved quantity of 13.28 LMT, the millet and coarse grain procurement figure may reach 7.43 LMT during KMS 2022-23. In KMS 2021-22, the millet procurement figure stood at 6.3 LMT.

The Food Ministry had taken several initiatives to promote millets and coarse grains under the Public Distribution System (PDS). This includes enhancement of distribution period/shelf life of millets up to six months for maize, nine months for jowar/bajra and 10 months for ragi from the existing three months.

However, despite these measures, the procurement has remained low so far. The Centre has also asked states to include millet distribution in government schemes like Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meal.

The ministry’s move comes at a time when the Centre is encouraging the consumption of millets. The United Nations, on India’s initiative, has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets.