Sign In
Learn bits
World Affairs, Economy
Mahesh

03/01/23 07:30 AM IST

International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 kick starts

In News
  • The Government of India sponsored the proposal for International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 
About Millets
  • Millets are small-seeded grasses that are often referred to as “Nutri-cereals”. Some common types of millets include sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), little millet (kutki), foxtail millet (kakun), proso millet (cheena), barnyard millet (sawa), and kodo millet (kodon).
  • These grains are a staple cereal crop for millions of smallholder dryland farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and offer a variety of benefits such as nutrition, income, and livelihood for farmers. They can also be used for food, feed, fodder, biofuels, and brewing.
  • ‘Millets’ were among the first crops to be domesticated in India with several evidence of its consumption during the Indus valley civilization.
Benefits
  • Millets are nutritionally superior to wheat and rice due to their higher protein levels and a more balanced amino acid profile.
  • They also contain various phytochemicals which have therapeutic properties due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.
  • In addition to being climate resilient, millet grains are rich in nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, and good-quality fat; minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, and B complex vitamins.
  • Importantly, millet production does not depend on the use of chemical fertilizers, making it a sustainable and environmentally friendly option.
Efforts by Indian Govt.
  • In April 2018, Millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals”, followed by the year 2018 being declared as the National Year of Millets, aiming at larger promotion and demand generation. The global millets market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period between 2021-2026.
  • The Indian Government has recognized the significant potential of millets and has prioritized them, aligning with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In December 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations hosted the opening ceremony for the International Year of Millets – 2023 in Rome, Italy, which was attended by a delegation of senior government officials from India.
  • The High Commission of India in Abuja and Consulate General of India in Lagos, as part of promotion of IYM, have planned a Millets Food Festival and a Millets Food preparation competition in January 2023.
Source- PIB

More Related Current Affairs View All

05 Mar

First-ever comprehensive survey of India’s river dolphins

'Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the results of the first-ever comprehensive population estimation of riverine dolphins – Gangetic and Indus dolphins – done in In

Read More

05 Mar

Arresting women at night

'The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court in Deepa versus S. Vijayalakshmi and Others ruled that the legal provision in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which

Read More

05 Mar

Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

'The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) looking to wrap up public consultations on the draft Rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 by Mar

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps