Consumption pattern of millets in Amravati district of Maharashtra

Abstract:

Millets are nutritionally rich and climate-resilient cereal crops that have traditionally been an important component of the Indian diet. They are valued for their nutritional qualities, adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions and relatively lower water requirements. However, changing dietary preferences, urbanization and increasing dependence on rice and wheat have contributed to relatively low millet consumption. In this context, the present study was undertaken to examine the consumption pattern of millets and determine the factors influencing millet consumption among selected cultivators in Amravati district of Maharashtra. The study was based on primary data collected from 120 respondents selected from eight villages of two randomly selected tehsils of Amravati district for the year 2025. Simple tabular analysis, multiple linear regression and Garrett’s ranking technique were used for analysing the data. The findings revealed that average annual household consumption increased with farm size, from 2520.40 kg among small farm households to 3369.14 kg among large farm households. Non-food items constituted the major share of total household consumption, accounting for 75.64 per cent, whereas food items accounted for 24.36 per cent. Among the selected millets, jowar was consumed in substantially greater quantity than bajra across all farm-size groups. Overall, jowar accounted for 3.00 per cent of total household consumption, while bajra accounted for 0.67 per cent. Household expenditure also increased with farm size, and non-food items accounted for 56.46 per cent of total expenditure. Jowar expenditure was higher than bajra, accounting for 2.62 and 0.39 per cent of total household expenditure, respectively.
The regression analysis showed that education was the only significant factor influencing millet consumption. Education had a negative and significant effect on both quantity-wise and expenditure-wise millet consumption, while age, family size and income were statistically non-significant. The R² values of 0.09 in both models indicated that the selected socio-economic variables explained a limited proportion of the variation in millet consumption. The Garrett ranking analysis identified habitual consumption of other cereals as the major constraint to millet consumption, followed by taste preferences and limited knowledge regarding millet culinary preparation. Health concerns and high price were other important constraints, whereas lack of availability was ranked as the least important constraint.
Overall, the study indicated that millet consumption among the selected households remained relatively low, with jowar being more preferred than bajra. The findings highlighted the importance of addressing traditional cereal preferences, taste-related concerns and limited culinary knowledge to promote millet consumption. Nutrition awareness programmes, recipe demonstrations, consumer education and promotional activities focusing on the nutritional benefits and diverse uses of millets could contribute to increasing their consumption, improving dietary diversity and strengthening household nutritional well-being in Amravati district.