MIIRA: India readies plan to popularise millets globally.

• India plans to propose a global initiative called “MIIRA” or Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness for global coordination of millet research programs.
• The millet research programs will coordinate millet research programmes at the international level.
• India’s plan to launch MIIRA is in line with the United Nations declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
• “MIIRA” or Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness will be aimed at coordinating millet research programmes at the international level.
• For MIIRA to take off, India will contribute the “seed money” while each G20 member will later have to contribute to its budget in the form of a membership fee.
• The Indian Institute of Millet Research in Hyderabad will be supported as the Center of Excellence for sharing best practices, research, and technologies at the international level.
• The Indian Institute of Millet Research in Hyderabad will be supported as the Center of Excellence for sharing best practices, research, and technologies at the international level.
• MIIRA’s secretariat will be in Delhi.

About Millets

• These are small-grained cereals that require less water than rice and wheat and are mainly grown in rainfed areas.
• Major millet crops: sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (kangni/Italian millet), and finger millet (ragi/mandua).
• According to the Ministry of Agriculture, bajra, jowar, and ragi accounts for nearly 7% of the gross cropped area in India.
• About 41% of global food production of millets takes place in India making India the largest producer of millet in the world.