Millets and Food Security

• Inaugurating Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference at Pusa, New Delhi, PM also launched a compendium of Indian Millet (Shri Anna) Start-ups and Book of millet (Shri Anna) standards.
• Also, Indian Institute of Millets Research of ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) is declared as a Global Centre of Excellence.

About Millets

• Millets, also known as nutri-cereals, are a collective group of small, round seeded (coarse grains) annual grasses that are grown as cereal crops/grains for human food and as fodder.
• They are called superfoods for having nutrients like protein, Vitamin-A, Iron and Iodine, antioxidants, etc.
• Globally millets are grown in more than 100 countries and are traditional food for more than 500 million people.
• Millets are mainly grown on marginal land in dry areas of temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions.
• India accounts for 80% of Asia’s production and 20% of global production.
• They require much less water than rice and wheat, and are mainly grown in rainfed areas.
• Initiatives to promote Millets
  • National Year of Millets celebrated in 2018.
  • Millets notified as nutri-cereals and included under POSHAN Mission Abhiyan.
  • United Nations General Assembly declared the year 2023 as International Year of Millets.