New Delhi: In a bid to promote 'millets' as sustainable alternative crops in agri economy, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is hosting a “millet-only" lunch for all the members of Parliament (MPs) on the Parliament premises.
As per the ANI, the menu for today's lunch at the Parliament House, Courtyard 9, includes 'Ragi Dosa', 'Ragi Roti, 'Ragi Halwa', 'Jowar Halwa', 'Bajra Kheer', 'Bajra Cake' and others manifesting the keenness of the Modi government to promote 'millets' as an alternative to the traditional form of farming as the crop requires less water and fewer use of pesticides.
It is pertinent to note here that after the initiative was launched by PM Narendra Modi, the United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millet (IYOM). A few days back when External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar visited New York for a two-day meeting at the United Nations, the Union Minister welcomed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other UNSC member states for a millets-based luncheon in New York.
"Delighted to welcome UNSG @antonioguterres and UNSC members for a 'millet lunch' in New York today," Jaishankar had tweeted. "As we head into International Year of Millets 2023, a strong message for their greater production, consumption, and promotion would help global food security and enhance sustainability in agriculture," he said in another tweet.
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has taken several initiatives to promote domestic and international millets. A series of pre-launch programs and initiatives were also organized on the MyGov platform for the International Year of Millets 2023 to create awareness and a sense of public participation about this ancient nutritious grain (millet). MyGov has become a very important and successful medium for raising awareness through contests.
India is the major production country of millets in which Kangni, Kutki or small millet, Kodon, Gangora or Barnyard, china and Brown top are included with Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and small millets. Most of the states in India grow one or more millet crop species. During the last 5 years, our country produced more than 13.71 to 18 million tonnes of millets with the highest production in 2020-21.
