Parliament Question: Incentives for Millet Production

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1504 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 09TH DECEMBER, 2025 INCENTIVES FOR MILLET PRODUCTION

1504. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण म(cid:287)ं ी be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the schemes to incentivize the State of Andhra Pradesh which has less area under millets production, but has the highest productivity;

(b) the details of other States which are dominant in millets production and export;

(c) the details of incentives/encouragement that the Union Government is providing to States to push them further for more production and productivity of millets in the country; and

(d) the extent to which the PLI scheme for millet-based products is helping farmers to earn more? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य म(cid:287)ं ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (c): The country has achieved a total millets production of 185.92 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 which is higher by 10.2 lakh tonnes from the previous year’s production. The details on the area under millets cultivation, production and productivity during 2024-25, State-wise, including Andhra Pradesh, is provided at Annexure.

In 2024-25, India exported a total of 89,164.96 tonnes of millets. The total value of these exports stood at 37 million USD.

The Government of India has consistently strengthened the budgetary and policy framework for promoting millets, now popularly known as Shree Anna. These allocations cut across the entire value chain, from cultivation to processing, exports and research.

To boost the production and productivity of millets, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is running a Sub-Mission on Nutri-Cereals under the National Food Security Mission. This initiative covers 28 States including the state of Andhra Pradesh, and two Union Territories, namely Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. In addition, the Government of India also provides flexibility to the States for state specific needs/ priorities under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The states can promote Millets under RKVY with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) headed by Chief Secretary of the state.Under the Nutri-Cereals Sub-Mission, farmers receive support through their respective State or Union Territory. The assistance includes cluster demonstrations to showcase improved farming practices, production and distribution of seeds of high- yielding varieties and hybrids, and the use of modern farm machinery and resource conservation tools. Farmers are also supported with efficient water-use equipment, plant protection measures, soil health inputs, and training on different cropping systems.

The ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad, is the nodal agency for millet research in India under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research

(ICAR). Recognised as the Global Centre of Excellence on Millets during the International Year of Millets 2023, it leads efforts to improve millet cultivation and awareness. IIMR focuses on developing high-yielding millet seeds and provides hands-on training to small and marginal farmers on improved farming methods, value addition, and health benefits.

It supports the formation of millet-based Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to boost farmer incomes and expand millet cultivation. As a knowledge partner, IIMR collaborates with state missions and agriculture departments in Odisha, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Chhattisgarh etc. These partnerships aim to promote millets as climate-resilient crops and build public awareness about their nutritional value.

(d): The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) for a period from FY 2021-22 to FY 2026-27. One component of the scheme focuses on Millet-Based Products, with an outlay of Rs. 800 crores. This component was launched keeping in view International Year of Millets (IYOM). The objectives of the PLI Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP) are to increase the use of millets in food products and promote their value addition by incentivizing the manufacturing and sale of selected millet-based products in both domestic and export markets.

PLISMBP directly increases demand for millets by incentivizing manufacturing and sale of millet-based Ready-to-Eat (RTE) and Ready-to-Cook (RTC) products. This increased demand leads PLI beneficiary companies to strengthen backward sourcing of millets. As companies expand processing capacity and achieve incremental sales under PLI, farmers benefit through remunerative prices and stable market access, in line with the PLI objective of ensuring higher income to farmers. These initiatives are designed to push value-added consumption of millets, which in turn supports increased income for millet growers.Annexure State-wise Area, Production and Yield of Total Millets during 2024-25

Source: DA&FW Production State Area (Lakh Ha.) Yield (Kg./Ha.) (Lakh Tonnes) Andhra Pradesh 1.68 4.18 2491 Gujarat 5.54 13.47 2433 Haryana 5.92 12.86 2171 Karnataka 16.97 24.01 1415 Madhya Pradesh 4.83 10.91 2258 Maharashtra 22.52 25.32 1124 Rajasthan 50.27 55.51 1104 Tamil Nadu 4.78 8.06 1686 Telangana 1.75 3.93 2247 Uttar Pradesh 12.32 23.55 1911 Uttarakhand 1.05 1.56 1488 Others 2.93 2.56 874 All India 130.56 185.92 1424

Note: Others includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, UTs and North-Eastern States. ******