Jammu and Kashmir is looking to millets as part of a broader strategy to strengthen smallholder agriculture, diversify food systems and create new economic opportunities for farmers and rural entrepreneurs.

Speaking at a national dialogue titled “Millets for Health: Building Healthy Ecosystems, Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems” at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Jammu, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha called for bringing traditional millet grains back into mainstream agriculture and diets.

Sinha highlighted sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet and barnyard millet while discussing India's long history of cultivating these grains. He argued that their ability to perform under comparatively challenging conditions makes them particularly relevant as agriculture faces increasing climate and water pressures.

The issue has particular significance in Jammu and Kashmir, where Sinha said more than 80% of farmers are small and marginal farmers, many of whom remain dependent on uncertain weather. He presented millet cultivation as one possible way of improving agricultural resilience because these crops can generally require less water and fewer inputs than more resource-intensive alternatives.

The initiative extends beyond cultivation. Sinha called for developing a stronger farm-to-market millet economy, including value-added products, processing, packaging and branding. He specifically encouraged women's self-help groups and young entrepreneurs to establish millet-based enterprises, including opportunities connected with the One District, One Product framework.

According to figures cited by Sinha, India produced 18 million tonnes of millets during 2024–25, accounting for approximately 38% of global production. He used the figures to underline the potential for developing value-added millet markets rather than focusing exclusively on primary grain production.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration is also promoting millets through its Holistic Agriculture Development Plan. During the programme, publications were released including a Package of Practices for Minor Millets, adding a technical-extension dimension to the initiative.

The event also addressed nutrition, with Sinha highlighting dietary fibre and minerals found in millet grains and encouraging greater incorporation of millet foods into everyday diets. For Millets.News, these remarks are best presented as part of the administration's advocacy rather than as claims that millet consumption by itself prevents or treats specific diseases.

Overall, the initiative demonstrates how millet promotion in Jammu and Kashmir is increasingly connecting cultivation, climate adaptation, nutrition, processing and rural entrepreneurship within a broader food-system strategy.