GS3 PYQ (Mains Answer Writing): Cropping Patterns | Environment for UPSC CSE PDF Download

How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption. (UPSC MAINS GS3 )

The concept of minimum support price (MSP) has distorted the market. While MSP is effective for rice and wheat, where there is physical procurement by the Food Corporation of India, it is only indicative for other crops. Increasing the MSP more to suit the interests of farmers rather than linking it with market dynamics has distorted the pricing system. 

• As a result, the production of wheat and rice grew between 2005-2015 at the cost of reduction in area under cultivation of soyabean, millets, pulses and oilseeds. it is only recently that pulses production has also picked up. While this is not good for agricultural diversity, it is bad for environment too. 
• Millets: Millets are coarse grains like Ragi, Bajra and Jowar. They are highly nutritious and are generally used by rural people. Importance: Most of the millets are highly nutritious, non-glutinous, non-acid forming and easily digestible foods. Being gluten free, individuals suffering from celiac disease can easily incorporate various millets in their diets. Millet ingestion helps in a slower release of glucose over a longer period of time; thus, due to low glycaemic index (GI), their habitual intake reduces the risk of diabetes mellitus. 
• Further, millets are rich sources of minerals like iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. Ragi (Finger millet) is very rich in calcium; and bajra in iron. These also contain appreciable amounts of dietary fibre and various vitamins (b- Carotene, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid); high amounts of lecithin are useful for strengthening the nervous system. Therefore, a regular consumption can help to overcome malnutrition among majority of our Indian population. 
• These have often been called the coarse grains. Millets can not only grow under harsh circumstances, these drought resistant crops requiring fewer external inputs are termed as the ‘miracle grains’ or ‘crops of the future’. Cultivated as dual-purpose crops (food & fodder), millets contribute to the economic efficiency of farming and provide food/livelihood security to millions of households, particularly the small/marginal farmers and the inhabitants of rain fed/remote tribal regions. 
• Millets production revival: Efforts are being made to promote cultivation of millets to achieve nutritional security because acreage has declined to 14.72 million hectares in 2016-17 crop year from 36.90 million hectares in 1965-66. Millet cultivation has declined due to change in consumption pattern, dietary habits, unavailability of millets, low yield, less demand and conversion of irrigated area for growing rice and wheat. The Government has also decided to declare 2018 as “National Year of Millets”. 
• In case of an emergency, the cultivation of millets is very suitable for small and marginal farmers. In order to promote millets, their prescribed purchases in MSP and inclusion in Mid-day Meal are being done. On the basis of the recommendations of NITI Ayog, it has been decided to create a sub mission on Nutri cereals instead of the existing NFSM-Coarse Cereals. 
• National Food Security Mission (NFSM) -Coarse Cereals are divided into two components: NFSM (Makka and Jau) and Sub Mission on Nutri-Cereals covering Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and little millets like Kutki, Kodo, Sawa, Kangni and Cheena. The Millet Mission, under the National Food Security Mission, is expected to be rolled out in 2019, for the next few years. While States such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have already taken steps to promote millets, Odisha announced a 100-crore mission in 2018.

Topics Covered- Recent Changes in Cropping Pattern