Little Millet

A Diet For Modern Era

Little millet is a traditional grain found all over India.  People who practise yoga, exercise, do cardio, etc., benefit significantly from adding small grains to their diet. Little millet grains can be easily included in rice- or maize-based recipes since they are versatile and have a flavour similar to rice. Its excellent nutritional value also makes it essential to include in a balanced diet. One of the smallest millets, little millet is also known by the names kutki in Hindi, sava in Marathi, garjro in Gujarati, same in Kannada, Samai in Tamil, and samalu in Telugu.

Cultivation Across India

Little millet is a crop with many uses. It can be used for bioenergy, food, and bird feed. Compared to other grain crops, it is less vulnerable to pests, diseases, and environmental challenges and thrives in low-input farming. Once the ear-heads are fully ripe, the harvesting is done. Once seeding, the crop is ready to be harvested 65 to 75 days later. Its cultivation is primarily restricted to the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh in India. Little millet can tolerate both waterlogging and drought. It is hence a good catch crop under rainfed conditions.