NEW DELHI: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (
FAO) of the United Nations has accepted discussing India’s proposal of declaring 2019 as ‘International Year of Millets’ as one of its agenda items in its next session in October.
Adoption of this proposal by the FAO member countries will enable it to move to the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for getting final nod on declaration.
The FAO’s move came in response to the agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh’s recent letter to the director-general, FAO, Jose Graziano da Silva.
“I am delighted that the FAO has accepted India’s request to include an upcoming year as International Year of Millets in the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) meeting agenda in Rome, Italy during October 1-5,” said Singh on Tuesday.
The declaration, if happens, may help millets get a global recognition for its promotion among consumers, farmers, policy makers, industry and R&D sector.
In order to promote ‘millets’, India had in April notified these climate resilient crops as “Nutri-Cereals” and allowed its inclusion in the
Public Distribution System (PDS) for improving nutritional support.
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.
Later in July, the government had 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.
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.
