Government to roll out several programmes in India and abroad for popularizing Millets and other Nutri Cereals: Agriculture Minister
At the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the United Nations
declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets: Narendra Singh Tomar
Tomar chairs the meeting of
Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare on the subject ‘International Year of Millets’
Government of
India plans to hold several programmes in the country and abroad for popularizing
Millets and other nutri cereals. Besides, all Ministries/ Departments of the
Government, along with the State Governments, will promote the nutri cereals in
coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW)
and Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE). This was stated
by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar,
while chairing the meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the subject ‘International Year
of Millets’.
At the
initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India had
proposed to the United Nations for declaring 2023 as International Year of
Millets (IYoM). The proposal of India was supported by 72 countries and United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as International Year of Millets
(IYOM) in March, 2021.
Addressing the meeting, Tomar said the Government of
India has planned activities for grand celebrations of IYoM - 2023. The action
plan of IYOM-2023 focuses on strategies to enhance production, consumption,
export, branding etc. The Government has also launched PLI scheme for promotion
of Millets, he said.
As part of the Prime Minister’s announcement of
Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Government, on 31st March,
2021, approved a Central Sector Scheme, namely Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Food Processing Industry
with an outlay of INR 10,900 crores to be implemented for a period of seven
years from 2021-2022 to 2026-27.
The primary objectives of this scheme include support to
creation of global food manufacturing champions and support Indian brands of
food products in the international markets. Specific food product segments
having high growth potential have been identified for providing support under
the scheme. These include ready to cook/ ready to eat (RTC/ RTE) foods
including millet based products.
Tomar said a Committee of Secretaries under the
Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary and a Core Committee chaired by Secretary,
DA&FW and Secretary, DARE has been constituted to oversee the programmes
and policies on popularizing Nutri Cereals.
The Government has evolved the ‘Seven Sutras’ (themes) in
the run up to the IYOM, which will be rolled out by the concerned Ministry/
Departments:
Enhancement of
Production/ Productivity (DA&FW/ DARE)
Nutrition
& Health benefits (Ministry of Health/ FSSAI)
Value
Addition, Processing & Recipe Development (Ministries of Food Processing
Industries & Tourism)
Entrepreneurship/
Startup/ Collective Development (Commerce and DA&FW)
Awareness
creation including Branding Labelling & Promotion (All Ministries)
International
Outreach (Commerce & Ministry of External Affairs)
Policy
Interventions for Mainstreaming (Department of Food & Public Distribution
and DA&FW)
Millets are a
rich source of Protein, Fibre, Minerals, Iron, Calcium and have a low glycemic
index. India is a major producer of Millets, accounting for 80% of Asia’s
production and 20% of global production. India’s average yield of Millets (1239
kg/hectare) is also higher than Global average yield of 1229 kg/ hectare. Major
Millet crops grown in India and their percentage share of production are Pearl
Millet (Bajra) – 61% share, Jowar (Sorghum) – 27%, and Finger Millet
(Mandua/Ragi) – 10%.
The Government has taken several steps for promotion of
Millets. To create domestic and global demand and to provide nutritional food
to the people, The National Year of Millets was celebrated in 2018. In view of
the nutritional value of the millets, the Government also notified Millets as
nutri cereals in April, 2018 and Millets were included under the POSHAN Mission
Abhiyan. Over 500 Startups are working in Millet value chain while the Indian
Institute on Millet Research, has incubated 250 Startups under RKVY-RAFTAAR.
More than Rs 6.2 crores has been disbursed to over 66 Startups while about 25
Startups have been approved for further funding.
Today’s Meeting of the Consultative Committee was
attended by the Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shobha
Karandlaje and Kailash Choudhary. Members of Parliament who attended the meeting
were Asit Kumar Mal, Bellana Chandrasekar, Jaskaur Meena, Pradeep Kumar
Chaudhary, Rama Devi, S Ramalingam, Shrinivas Dadasaheb Patil and Ram Shakal. Secretary,
DA&FW, Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DARE and Director General of ICAR, Dr Trilochan
Mohapatra and Senior Officers of the Ministry and ICAR also participated in the
deliberations.