According to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar, more people becoming aware of the nutritional qualities of millets would raise demand, making farming more viable
Speaking on the final day of the four-day Shree Anna Mahotsav in Dehradun, Tomar highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in convincing the world of the nutritional significance of millets and convincing the UN to declare 2023 the International Millet Year. The festival was organised to commemorate the International Millet Year 2023.
"All this was necessary to give a respectable place to millets in our thali," the Union Minister said.
People will learn about the health benefits of millets as a result of occurrences like this, and their demand will rise. When the demand for it rises. Farmers will plant millets and profit from them, he claims. According to Patanjali's MD, Acharya Balkrishna, Uttarakhand has long been a millet production centre. The event will serve as a watershed moment in the development of millet production.
India is a leading millet producer. Sorghum, Pearl millet, and Finger millet are the three most important millets in India, and are also known as Jowar, Bajra, and Ragi.
Millets have been a staple of our diet for ages. They have numerous health benefits and are also good for the environment due to their low water and input requirements for cultivation. The Indian government has taken several initiatives to ramp up millet production and consumption. It has been organising festivals and activities to highlight the nutritional benefits to the public. It has also been promoting millets as a sustainable crop which is climate resilient and hence beneficial to the farmers.