Neglected and Underutilized
Species Community

Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) is a small, seeded cereal grain and is among one of the oldest cultivated crops in India. In recent years, kodo millet—in addition to other species of millet—have seen a sharp decline in production area due to the promotion of other staple cereals (mainly rice and wheat). Millets have been neglected from research and development, and now consequently lack the production advantages of rice and wheat, such as availability of improved varieties and knowledge of cultivation practices to maximize yields. However, due its rich nutrient profile, low input requirements, and adaptability to marginal soils and various climatic conditions, kodo millet has received renewed research interest as a method of risk management and adaptation to climate change for farmers.

Kodo millet is a monsoon or “kharif” crop, with sowing occurring in early June. It has a relatively short growth period, ranging from 120-180 days. Because of its shorter growing time, kodo millet can be planted later in the season and still be harvested in the fall. Millets, including kodo millet, are commonly used as an intercrop, and have an important role as a contingency in areas experiencing water stress. Because kodo millet requires few inputs, they serve as a “low-risk” option for increasing production and minimizing risks of yield loss due to adverse weather conditions or pests and diseases. While kodo millet is typically more resistant to pests and diseases, it is still particularly susceptible to shootfly. However, various methods have been used by farmers to prevent shootfly, including early planting, lower planting densities, and intercropping. Among the small millets, kodo millet is known for having the highest productivity per unit area, with yields varying from 250-1000 kg/ha, and a potential yield of 2000 kg/ha. Another advantage of kodo millet is its ability to be stored for long periods of time, serving as an important means of household food security and diet diversity during lean seasons and periods of food shortage.

Similar to other small millets, kodo millet is a good source of phosphorus and iron. They are nutritionally comparable to rice, wheat, and other staple cereals, and even offer higher protein content, sulfur-containing amino acids Cysteine and Methionine. Kodo millet is particularly high in B vitamins, especially niacin, pyridoxine, and folic acid, in addition to minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Kodo millet contains polyphenols, tannins, and phytic acids—antinutrients which form complexes with nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, iron, calcium, and zinc and reduce their bioavailability. Fortunately, processing of kodo millet typically reduces the levels of tannins and phytates and increase the bioavailability of nutrients. For example, dehulling kodo millet can remove 40-50% of phytate.

Typically, women are responsible for harvesting and processing millets, which begins with threshing the grain with their feet. Millets are dehusked before cooking, which is done traditionally with a pestle and mortar. Improvements in mechanical grain-processing technology are needed to reduce the amount of time and energy women spend on manual processing. Because kodo millet has several layers of hard seed coats, this process proves to be quite tedious and time-consuming. Kodo millet may then be further processed to produce flour, or may be cooked like rice. Kodo millet is used to make several traditional foods. The most common examples of this are roti and mudde. Because millet protein lacks gluten, to prepare roti, millet flour must be mixed with hot water to gelatinize the starch. To prepare mudde with kodo millet flour, the dough is steamed and then made into balls. Kodo millet may also be used as a substitute for rice when preparing dishes such as idli and dosa. This is done by mixing kodo millet and black gram in a 3:1 ratio, followed by wetting, grinding, and fermenting overnight. Kodo millet may also be used to prepare ready-to-eat snack foods, prepared by popping or puffing.

A holistic approach addressing multiple bottlenecks in supply and demand of minor millets is being applied in Madhya Pradesh through the project “Linking agrobiodiversity value chains, climate adaptation, and nutrition: Empowering the poor to manage risk". Multiple stakeholders are being consulted and involved to devise value chain interventions for these millets that are pro-poor and gender-sensitive. Led by Action for Social Advancement (ASA), key actions being taken include increasing availability of high quality seed, building collective action, and marketing to raise consumer awareness and demand.

Three farmer producer companies in the Project area are being engaged in commercialization of millet seed and grain. Profits from the business are distributed equitably among over 2,500 farmer shareholders in the company, who are mostly women. To improve the availability and use of higher quality millet seed, participatory selection of millet varieties and production of high quality seed is being carried out. Local farmers produce the seed, which is purchased by the farmer producer company and marketed locally through their storefronts. In addition to seed, aggregation of millet grain is being organized through the farmer producer companies to reduce the number of middle men between the farmers and consumers to achieve a better price through bulk sale. The farmer producer companies carry out primary cleaning, grading and color sorting, giving farmers a share in the value-added price.

Processing equipment to ease drudgery and increase the quality of processing is a key action being taken to increase rural consumer interest and demand for minor millets. Food fairs and targeted marketing for urban consumers are other activities being pursued to increase consumer awareness and help reverse perceptions of millets as “food of the poor”.