PM Modi: The prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, claimed on Saturday that India had similarly pushed millets for world good, citing instances of the country’s leadership in making yoga a global phenomenon and developing an international platform for promoting solar energy. He claimed, in a speech at the World Millets Conference in New Delhi, that millets will increase revenue for the nation’s small farmers, address the problem of food security, reduce the prevalence of lifestyle diseases, and promote climate change resilience.
Government took notice of the difficulties of small farmers
Almost 75 lakh farmers virtually attended the conference at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Pusa in addition to representatives from nations including the Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, and the Gambia. At the event, a commemorative stamp and coin were also unveiled. The 2.5 crore small and marginal farmers who depend on these commodities will benefit from millets’ international branding, the prime minister said in his opening statement. He said this was the first time after Independence that the government took notice of the difficulties of small farmers at this level.
More than 500 start-ups have been created to produce millet products
In his speech, PM Modi claimed that since India began marketing millets in 2018, consumption in the roughly 12 states where millet is grown has increased from 2-3 kg per person per month to 14 kg per person per month. He said that more than 500 start-ups have been created to produce millet products. Self-help organisations and farmer organisations are also moving in this approach. Millet goods have been chosen as part of the government’s “one district, one product” initiative in 19 districts.
Millets will be cultivated without the use of chemicals
The prime minister also discussed millets’ contribution to climate resilience. Millets, according to him, may be cultivated without the use of chemicals, with very little water, and in unfavourable climates. This indicates that millets safeguard both human and environmental health, according to PM Modi. Millets’ resilience, he continued, might help countries in the global south manage the issue of food security for their populations while also tackling the issue of dietary habit-related diseases in the global north. He said that millets’ high fibre content aids in the prevention of lifestyle disorders. “Sree Anna offers remedies from individual health to global health,” he said.
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Millets make up approximately 5 to 6 percent of the country’s total nutrition
In order to promote millets further, he added that more and more food processing plants that operate with millets might be encouraged through the government’s production-linked incentive schemes. The prime minister urged other leaders to follow the example of the several states that already purchase millets as part of their public distribution system. He suggested including millets in the mid-day meals to provide them more diversity, newer tastes, and nourishment. Millets make up approximately 5 to 6 percent of the country’s total nutrition, according to him, thus there are lots of chances.
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