Nutricereals Role in Indian Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security: A Review.

Millets are very important plant genetic resources for agriculture sector that extends food security to poor farmers having arid, marginal and poor lands especially in Asia and Africa. Millets are a group of small grain cereal food crops which are highly nutritious and are grown under marginal/low fertile soils with very low inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. Indian agriculture is highly dependent on monsoon. Millets are also gaining popularity among farmers as climate-friendly, drought-resistant crops which can thrive even on barren soil. These crops are preferable choice of farmers for cultivation under various adverse environments - prone to climatic extremes. Millets are gluten-free and have a low glycemic index, making them a balanced and healthy diet for people suffering from diabetes. An intensive attempt to include millet crops in cropping systems, especially in vulnerable environments, is a positive step towards long-term sustainability. An effort has been made to expand global and regional scope and target for millet production, usage and in this regard, India's proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023 was approved by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) during 2018 and the United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets. In this esteem, the status of millets and their importance is compiled in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]