India
urges UN to declare 2018 as 'International Year of
Millets'
by Vishwa Mohan | Times of India| Nov 22,
2017
NEW DELHI: India has sent a proposal to the
United Nations (UN) for declaring the year 2018
as 'International Year of Millets'.
The proposal, if agreed, will raise
awareness about millets among consumers, policy makers,
industry and R&D sector. Millet is a common term to
categorise small-seeded grasses that are often termed
nutri-cereals or dryland-cereals. It includes sorghum,
pearl millet, ragi, small millet, foxtail millet, proso
millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet and other millets.
The country's proposal was sent to the
global body recently by the Union agriculture minister
Radha Mohan Singh.
"Promotion of production and consumption of
millets through conscious efforts at global level is
likely to contribute substantially in the fight against
targeted hunger and mitigate the effect of climate
change in long run. Popularising millets would benefit
future generations of farmers as well as consumers,"
said an official statement.
Eminent agriculture scientist, M S
Swaminathan, is learnt to have suggested the central
government for this move in order to popularise
cultivation and consumption of millets. Nutritionally
superior to wheat and rice due to their higher levels of
protein with more balanced amino acid profile, crude
fiber and minerals such as Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous,
millets can provide nutritional security and act as a
shield against nutritional deficiency, especially among
children and women.
Swaminathan, popularly known as father of
green revolution in India, had even suggested the Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for declaring one
year in the current decade as International Year of
Millets and Underutlised Crops. The FAO is specialised
agency of the UN that leads international efforts to
defeat hunger.
"The anaemia (iron deficiency), B-complex
vitamin deficiency, pellagra (niacin deficiency) can be
effectively tackled with intake of less expensive but
nutritionally rich food grains like millets. Millets can
also help tackle health challenges such as obesity,
diabetes and lifestyle problems as they are gluten free,
have a low glycemic index and are high in dietary fibre
and antioxidants", said the statement, issued by the
agriculture ministry on Wednesday.
Adapted to harsh environment of the
semi-arid tropics, millets are considered backbone for
dry land agriculture. Millets are climate resilient
crops that have a low carbon and water footprint. These
crops can withstand high temperatures and grow on poor
soils with little or no external inputs.
"In times of climate change, they are often
the last crop standing and, thus, are a good risk
management strategy for resource-poor marginal farmers",
said the ministry.
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