India must strive to become global capital of millets, says Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal has said that India must strive to become the global capital of millets adding as these crops require less water and pesticides, and can become a reliable source of income for low and middle class farmers.

New Delhi: Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said that India must strive to become the global capital of millets as these crops require less water and pesticides, and can become a reliable source of income for low and middle class farmers. Piyush Goyal was speaking at the Millets-Smart Nutritive Food’ conclave in New Delhi on Monday.

The Union Minister said that the United Nations (UN) has accepted 2023 to be the international year of millets at India’s request which was endorsed by over 72 countries and hailed PM Modi's “dynamic leadership” for taking this initiate at the international level. "Millets are not just a crop and it shouldn't be seen just with the prism of agri-economy because millets have been a traditional form of crop since centuries in India and in a way represents our civilization", said Goyal.

As the World battles the economic slowdown and food insecurity after Covid-19 and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the promotion of millets as an alternative form of crop is being viewed as a measure to stabilize food insecurity that is being felt mainly by the Global south.

Applauding the efforts of PM Modi for raising India’s voice at the global level, Goyal said "World is looking towards PM Modi's leadership for settling climate change, economic issues and also the Russia-Ukraine war." The world has accepted several such initiatives championed by India from Yoga to Millets, a clear reflection of the Prime Minister’s global leadership and the success of his bid to promote the India-story across the world, he opined.

The Union Minister called for many more such international buyer-seller meets, food festivals, culinary competitions around millets and opined that millets could also be made a part of the mid-day meal program. He pointed out there were around 250 startups being supported by the centre working on millets and that the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) has been incubating start-ups on millets and suggested that the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) could be roped in to innovate and improve packaging of millets and millet products.

The event on Monday was organized by Ministry of Commerce and Industry at The Ashok Hotel which hosted several stalls led by various startups who are working in the millets industry. Talking to ETV Bharat, Pallavi Upadhyay, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Millets for Health said that this initiative by the Government of India is an optimistic approach since millets are a rich source of proteins, vitamins and it has been a traditional form of crop of India.

Several start-ups while talking to ETV Bharat hailed Modi government's approach for promoting millets but said that it is a long process as the crop in the past years has been replaced by other crops and it will take time to make a comeback. At the event, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Manoj Ahuja, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, S Srinivas, Chairman, APEDA, Angamuthu, senior government officials and other dignitaries were present on the occasion including various Ambassadors and High Commissioners.