NEW DELHI: Continuing its efforts to get ‘millets’ a global recognition for its promotion among consumers, India has written to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the
United Nations proposing declaration of the upcoming year as “International Year of Millets”.
"To garner wider global attention and action, India has mooted a proposal to FAO for declaration of the upcoming year as International Year of Millets..", said India’s agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh in his letter to Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general, United Nations FAO.
Requesting inclusion of this proposal in the agenda of the 26th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) meeting, scheduled from October 1-5, 2018 in Rome, the minister said, "Adoption of this proposal by FAO with the support of its member nations will enable it to be moved to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for declaration of the upcoming year as International Year of Millets."
This letter follows his earlier communication to the UN secretary general in this regard in November last year. The proposal, if agreed, will raise awareness about millets among consumers, policy makers, industry and R&D sector.
In order to promote ‘millets’, India had on its part notified these climate resilient crops as “Nutri-Cereals” and allowed its inclusion in the
Public Distribution System (PDS) for improving nutritional support in April.
Recognising millets’ anti-diabetic properties, the notification called it a "powerhouse of nutrients" and identified several varieties of millets for promotion. The millets in the category of "Nutri-Cereals" include Sorghum (Jowar),
Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Foxtail Millet (Kangani/Kakun) and Buckwheat (Kuttu) among others.
Besides, the government had in July substantially hiked the minimum support price (MSP) of millets so that more and more farmers may opt for cultivation of these less water consuming crops.
Referring to the country’s efforts to promote millets, Singh in his letter to the FAO director-general said, "India is celebrating 2018 as the ‘National Year of Millets’ and is promoting cultivation by amending cropping pattern of areas which are especially susceptible to climate change."
Pitching for global recognition of these crops, he said, "It is highly desirable that global efforts are stepped up to bring these nutria-cereals back to the food basket of a wide range of consumers, rural and urban as well as rich and poor, for boosting their production as well."
Nutritionally superior to wheat and rice due to their higher levels of
protein with more balanced amino acid profile, crude fibre and minerals such as Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous, millets can provide nutritional security and act as a shield against nutritional deficiency, especially among children and women.
Adapted to harsh environment of the semi-arid tropics, millets are considered the backbone for dry land agriculture. Being climate resilient crops having low carbon and water footprint, the millets can withstand high temperatures and grow on poor soils with little or no external inputs.
