National meet on millets to kickstart today

Hyderabad: Industry body Assocham in association with Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, ICRISAT, ICAR – NAARM, ICAR – IIMR and ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition, are organising a National Conference on Millets: The Future Super Food for the World at Novotel HICC, Hyderabad today. The conference aims to engage stakeholders from domestic and international level and continue to promote and support the growth of millets, in order to create a more sustainable and equitable food system for all.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in alternative, more sustainable food sources. One such food source is Millets, a group of small-seeded cereal grains that are grown in dry and semi-arid regions of the world. They have been staple foods for thousands of years in many parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, but have declined in popularity in recent times due to the increased consumption of wheat and rice. They are known for their high nutritional value, drought tolerance, and resilience to extreme weather conditions. In India, millets have been traditionally grown and consumed by the rural population but have recently gained popularity as a “super food” due to their health benefits and suitability to the changing climate conditions. Millet is a storehouse of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. International Year of Millets will raise awareness about the contribution of millets for Food Security and Nutrition, motivate stakeholders for continuous production and quality improvement of millets and attract attention to increase investment in research and development services.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described millets as ‘Shree Anna’ – the mother of all grains – during her budget speech for the year 2023-24. India is the largest producer and second largest exporter of ‘Shree Anna’ in the world, and that several types of millets such jowar, ragi, bajra, kuttu, ramdana, kangni, kutki, kodo, cheena, and sama are grown in the country.