Sources told City Express that millet was produced in nearly 18 districts of the State, but now only a handful of them produce the crop. In 1980, millet was cultivated on 35,00,000 acres of rain-fed areas, mostly by tribal communities. In 2010, the area of cultivation was around 15,00,000 acres. It is believed that many tribal areas have switched over to rice.

Organic millet is rich in iron. The rate of anaemia is high among young girls in the State and millet could be an alternative to the iron folic tablets. The nutritive value of millet is believed to be higher than that of rice and wheat, and the State Rural Department has launched a Puthu Vazhvu project to train womenfolk to cook millet-based dishes and to conserve millet.

Sultan Ahmed Ismail, ecologist and director of Ecoscience Research Foundation, says that organic millet is the best crop to tackle climate change as well as the problem of anemia in young girls. It was after the Bengal famine that the excessive use of chemical fertilisers began, says Sultan. Chemicals, some detrimental to health, were used to give colour to the food. Sultan says that the consumption of chemically-treated food resulted in hyperactivity among children.

Sivaraman, an activist with Poovulagin Nanbargal, says the consumption of organic millet is slowly picking up. It could be consumed by all if the government supported its procurement as it does for cereals.

He said the cost of producing organic millet is lower than that producing it by conventional procedures.

The State government is planning to make millet available in the public distribution system, sources say. Sivaraman said organic millet has a huge market due to its therapeutic nature. It heps in the control of diabetes, cholestrol and non-communicable diseases.