Raipur: As the country is observing this year as the ‘International Year for Millets’, Union Finance minister in her budget proposed Global Hub for Millets: ‘Shree Anna’ 20- a proposal that will benefit Chhattisgarh- the state responsible for producing highest quantity of millets in the country. The announcement is a part of the centre’s plan to launch an ‘Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Program’ with an outlay of 2,200 crores which will boost availability of disease-free, quality planting material for high value horticultural crops.
The finance minister in her budget speech had said, “We are the largest producer and second largest exporter of ‘Shree Anna’ in the world. We grow several types of 'Shree Anna' such as jowar, ragi, bajra, kuttu, ramdana, kangni, kutki, kodo, cheena, and sama. These have a number of health benefits, and have been an integral part of our food for centuries. I acknowledge with pride the huge service done by small farmers in contributing to the health of fellow citizens by growing these ‘Shree Anna’”.
To accelerate the pace of the quality millet products in the country, the finance minister not only proposed for this Global Hub for Millets: ‘Shree Anna’ 20 but she also said that the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be supporting the project as the Centre of Excellence for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level.
Interestingly enough, the announcement will benefit Chhattisgarh the most because the state is among the highest millet-producing state in the country. Several types of 'Shree Anna' such as Kodo, Kutki, Jowar, Raagi, Bajra, Ramdana, and Cheena are grown in the state. Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country for declaring and procuring millets on MSP.
Shyamlal Khalko, a farmer from Khairbar village of Ambikapur, says, "Awareness about millet is increasing, and farmers are getting benefited from it." The area under cultivation of Kodo, Kutki, and Ragi has doubled in Chhattisgarh from 69 thousand hectares to one lakh 88 thousand hectares. The productivity of millet has also increased and the government targets to increase it from 4.5 quintals per acre to 9 quintals.
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In Chhattisgarh, the State Minor Forest Produce Association has bought 5,273 tonnes of millet at the support price of Rs 16.03 crore in the year 2021-22. In the year 2022-23, the target is to purchase 13,005 tonnes of millet at the support price of Rs 39.60 crore. The biggest processing plant of millets has also been set up at Nathia Navagaon in Kanker district.
Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey says that "the Central Government has now announced additional funds for the Millets Mission and it will benefit Chhattisgarh. We are already buying crops like Kodo, Kutki, and Ragi at a minimum support price but the central government should announce the support price.''
The central government has announced 2023 as the International Year of Millets 2023. On December 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon the members of the parliament and asked them to make this a mass movement.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi quoted the Prime Minister also said the government will emphasize of two aspects. First, promotion of an ongoing nutrition campaign through millets, and second, food items made from millets can be served to the guests who would attend the G20 meetings and events so that they can understand the importance of millets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other leaders also attended a lunch in Parliament today where millet dishes were served as India prepares to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
