The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 18-03-2023 | 01:45 pm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said that it is a great honour for us that after India’s proposal and efforts, the United Nations declared 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’.He was speaking at the ‘Global Millets (Shri Anna) Conference’ in New Delhi after inaugurating the conference. PM Modi also unveiled a customised postal stamp and Rs 75 currency coin on International Year of Millets (IYMI)-2023 as a part of the event.He said that India is continuously working to promote millets or ‘Shri Anna’ as a global movement.“Today millets constitute only 5-6 per cent in the national food basket. I urge India’s scientists and farm experts to work expeditiously to increase the share. We will have to set achievable targets for it,” he said, adding that millets can be grown easily in adverse climatic conditions and without chemicals and fertilizers.The Prime Minister noted that millets can play a pivotal role in dealing with food security challenges besides benefitting the livelihoods of 2.5 crore small and marginal farmers in the country.Millet is a common term to categorise small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals or dryland-cereals and includes Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Little Millet (Kutki), Foxtail Millet (Kakun), Proso Millet (Cheena), Barnyard Millet (Sawa), Kodo Millet (Kodon) and other millets.India produces more than 170 lakh tonne of millet, which is 80 per cent of Asia’s and 20 per cent of global production. While the global average yield of millet is 1,229 kg/hectare, the yield in India is 1,239 kg/ha.(With inputs from PTI)
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