Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar during his visit to Gwalior on Monday said that the United Nations has agreed to India's proposal to declare 2023 as a year of millets. The minister further added that India is committed to promoting biofortified varieties of crops to fight malnutrition and turn the nation into a destination for healthy food items.
Earlier, the Indian government had sent a proposal to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to celebrate the 'International Year of Millets'.
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"The Government of India has emphasised on re-introducing traditional food items including millet, other nutritious cereals, fruits and vegetables, fish, dairy and organic products in the diet of the people. Their production has been phenomenal in India in recent years and India is becoming a destination country for healthy food items," Tomar said.
"Biofortified varieties are the source of a staple diet rich in micronutrients. They are being promoted to remove malnutrition. Seventeen such varieties of different crops have been developed and released for cultivation. The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken steps to increase the optimal use of water resources, create infrastructure for irrigation, conserve soil fertility with balanced use of fertilizers, and provide connectivity from farms to markets," the Agricultural Minister further added.
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Congress is dreaming, in democracy dreaming isn't forbidden
Reacting to the claims of Sajjan Singh Verma, a Congress leader and former minister in Kamal Nath's government about a change of leadership in the state within 15 days, Tomar said that Congress is dreaming, and in democracy, it isn't forbidden to dream. He further added saying that Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and the government is doing good work under his leadership.
