A comparative study of millet awareness among urban women of Ludhiana and SAS Nagar, districts of Punjab

Introduction

Millets are small-seeded grains in the Poaceae family which are amongst the first cereals to be cultivated. Millets are known as "nutricereals" for their high nutritional value. Millets are also considered as "Smart Food" because they are highly nutritious and help address major nutritional challenges. They serve as excellent sources of essential nutrients and each type of millet offers its own unique health benefits (Mounika et al., 2023) [8] . Millets are grouped into two categories: major and minor millets. Major millets include pearl millet, finger millet and sorghum, while the minor millets consist of proso, foxtail, little, barnyard and kodo millet (Bommy and Maheswari 2016) [2] . Millets are rich in antioxidants and help combat the growing prevalence of diabetes and heart disease in India (ICRISAT, 2016) [4] . Millet is one of the oldest cultivated grains, historically forming a key part of the Indian diet. Over time, however, changes in farming methods and food preferences have led to a shift toward highly refined grains, causing millet consumption to decline significantly. Recently, after the onset of the pandemic, people were become more health conscious and had renewed their interest in ancient grains, especially millet, due to its high protein content, complex carbohydrates, fibre rich, and naturally gluten-free nature (Shirahatti et al., 2023) [9] . The Indian government has introduced several measures to promote millets after recognizing their value for nutrition, food security, and small farmers' incomes. Under the National Food Security Act (2013), millets were included in the midday meal scheme and the Public Distribution System, boosting their consumption (Mittal & Aggarwal 2019) [7] . In 2018, the government launched the National Year of Millets to increase millet production, awareness, and market opportunities while highlighting their health and nutritional benefits. The UN General Assembly later declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM), and India celebrated it by promoting millet-based foods, recipes, and value-added products globally (Kankarwal et al. 2023) [5] . Institutions such as KVKs and various incubation and processing centres also help shape consumer purchasing behaviour toward millets (Srilatha 2014) [11] .

With their rich nutritional profile, cultural significance, and environmental resilience, millets are poised to reclaim their place in modern diets. By keeping this in mind, the present study was conducted to assess and compare the awareness of various aspects related to millets among urban women in Ludhiana and SAS Nagar districts of Punjab.

Methodology

The present study was conducted to assess the awareness of millets among urban households of Punjab. The survey was conducted in two districts of Punjab, Ludhiana and SAS Nagar. These two districts were selected for the study because both are Tier II cities and both districts belong to Malwa region of Punjab. The selection of these two districts was intended to facilitate a comparative analysis of awareness of millets among urban women. A total of 100 urban women respondents were selected, with 50 respondents from Ludhiana and 50 respondents from SAS Nagar. The respondents were selected using a random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule that included questions on socio-personal characteristics of respondents, awareness of different types of millets, nutritive and health benefits of millets. Data were gathered through personal interviews. The collected data were coded and analysed using SPSS. Ethical considerations were maintained throughout the study and the confidentiality of the respondents were strictly ensured. [12] , who reported greater awareness of commonly consumed millets as pearl millet and sorghum, whereas lesser known varieties like little millet and proso millet exhibited low levels of awareness.

Results and Discussion

In The present findings align with those of Dhiman and Dhaliwal (2021) [2] , who reported that awareness levels of millets were significantly greater among respondents in Punjab. [6] , which revealed that a majority of respondents had limited knowledge about specific nutritional components of millets. [3] similarly reported that millet cultivation has decreased over time largely because of a lack of awareness about the crop. Consequently, the findings indicate that the majority of respondents were unaware of the environmental benefits associated with millets.

Conclusion

The present study concludes that urban women in Ludhiana and SAS Nagar possess a moderate level of awareness about millets, largely confined to commonly known types such as pearl millet, sorghum, barnyard millet and finger millet. Awareness regarding nutritive, health and environmental benefits of millets was generally low, indicating significant knowledge gaps particularly about micronutrients, chronic disease prevention and sustainability aspects. While respondents were relatively more aware of traditional culinary uses like millet roti, porridge and khichdi, awareness and consumption of less common millet-based dishes and value added products remained limited. Overall, the findings highlight that although millets are regaining attention due to their health, cultural and environmental significance, their integration into regular urban diets remains limited. Strengthening awareness through government initiatives, extension services and market support can play a crucial role in enhancing millet awareness among masses.

References

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