A major international event, titled “Magic Millets-2023”, has been planned for September-end this year in Jaipur to mark the International Year of Millets, designated by the United Nations General Assembly, to promote the consumption of coarse grains. Rajasthan ranks at the forefront of millet cultivation in India, producing about 41% of the country’s yield.
Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan virtually launched a campaign to promote millet consumption by releasing a poster of the international conference at a programme hosted in New York. Mr. Muraleedharan said millets were an affordable food source and had the potential to maximize the farmers’ yields and income.
Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal, Jaipur Foot USA chairperson Prem Bhandari and Rajasthan Association of North America’s Ravi Kant Jargad attended the launch ceremony in New York. The event in Jaipur will be organized by Lok Samvad Sansthan (LSS), an advocacy group on public issues, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Mr. Muraleedharan said millets were a “reliable crop” in the midst of climate change and unpredictable weather because of their resilient properties. “The millet crop must get the recognition it deserves through education, research, and promotion... Its role in improving food security and sustainability will be highlighted at the Magic Millets event,” he said.
Magic Millets secretary-general Kalyan Singh Kothari, who is also the LSS secretary, said here on Monday that the global conference would make a significant contribution to the efforts being made by the Union and State governments as well as the U.N. bodies to bring millets back to people’s lives. The campaign to promote millet consumption would directly connect farmers, consumers, value chain components, and decision-makers, he said.
Rajasthan has the largest area under pearl millet with the highest production in the country. The desert State occupies about 46 lakh-hectare areas with an average production of about 28 lakh tonnes and productivity of 400 kg per hectare. Millet is intercropped with legumes or sesame and is also grown as irrigated green fodder in summer.
A large number of agricultural, medical, and dietary experts from several countries as well as progressive farmers from Rajasthan and other States are expected to take part in the week-long event, aimed at making the International Year of Millets a people’s movement. The findings of UNICEF-Rajasthan s studies on changes in dietary patterns and the share of cereals in calorie contribution will also be presented.
The organizations supporting the LSS in holding the event include Doctors of Rajasthan, International (DORI); Global Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security; Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur; Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad; Sustainable Development Forum, Kochi; Rupayan Sansthan, Jodhpur; and One World Foundation, New Delhi.
