NEW DELHI: Millets have become the new soft power of India, just like Yoga, ayurveda and Global Solar Alliance are in the international community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called millets a symbol of the country’s responsibilities towards global good, emphasising that their production and consumption can help face the twin challenges – food security of global South (developing countries) and unsustainable food habit problems of global north (developed nations).
Inaugurating the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference in the national Capital last week, the PM said, “Millets have been part of India’s lifestyle for centuries. We want to share our experience linked to millets and its farming with the world.
I would therefore like to request the agriculture ministers of other countries to jointly develop a stable mechanism in this direction.” Highlighting the importance of turning a resolution into a desirable outcome, the Prime Minister reiterated that the year 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets by the United Nations after persistent efforts by India.
He expressed delight that India’s campaign is a significant step in this direction when the world is celebrating the International Year of Millets. Informing that about 2.5 crore small farmers are directly involved in the production of millets in India, the Prime Minister noted that they faced the challenges of climate change even though they own very little land. “India’s Millet Mission – The campaign for Shri Anna will prove to be a boon for 2.5 crore farmers of the country”, the Prime Minister said.
“On one hand we have the problem of food security, and on the other hand the problem of food habits”, he said pointing out the concerns about heavy use of chemicals in the produce. The Prime Minister remarked that Shree Anna provides solutions to every such problem as it is easy to grow, is less costly, and it gets ready for cultivation faster than other crops. The Prime Minister listed the benefits of Shree Anna and said that it is rich in nutrition, special in taste, high in fibre content, beneficial for the body and health, and helps in preventing lifestyle-related diseases.
