Published: 23rd Mar, 2023
Context
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference in New Delhi.
About the conference:
- It is a two-day global conference.
- It will consists of sessions on all important issues related to millets (Shree Anna) like promotion and awareness of millets among producers, consumers and other stakeholders.
What is Millet?
- Millet is a collective term referring to a number of small-seeded annual grassesthat are cultivated as grain crops, primarily on marginal lands in dry areas in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions.
- Examples: jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), Kodo (Kodo millet), kutki (little millet), kakun (foxtail millet), Sanwa (barnyard millet), cheena (proso millet), kuttu (buckwheat) and chaulai (amaranth).
Positives of millets:
- Nutritionally superior traits:Millet’s score over rice and wheat in terms of minerals, vitamins, and dietary fibre content, as well as amino acid profile.
- For example,Bajra (pearl millet) has iron, zinc, and protein levels comparable to that of wheat, but it’s gluten-free and has more fibre.
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It can address the problem of “hidden hunger” arising from the consumption of energy-dense but micronutrients-deficient foods. |
- The rotis from bajra make one feel fuller for longer, as they take more time to digest and do not raise blood sugar levels too fast.
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Advantages as a crop:
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Government Intervention:
- The Centre has two existing schemes:
- Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman and
- Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 — with a combined budget of Rs 30,496.82 crore in 2022-23.
- These can be better leveraged by making them more millets-focused.
- MSP procurement of milletsshould be part of a decentralized nutritional programme specifically targeting tomorrow’s citizens.
- Centre could fund any state willing to procure milletsspecific to their region exclusively for distribution through schools and anganwadis.
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