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13/02/23 11:16 AM IST

MIIRA Initiative

In News
  • India is planning to launch of a global initiative to encourage the consumption and production of millets.
  • MIIRA or Millet International Initiative for reasearch and awareness will be aimed at coordinating millet research programmes at hte international level.
About MIIRA
  • MIIRA will be launched keeping in mind the nutritional value and the climate resilient nature of millets.
  • It will aim to connect the millet research organisations across the world while also supporting research on millet crops.
  • Besides setting up a web platform to connect researchers and holding international research conferences, the plan is also to promote millet consumption by raising awareness.
  • The MIIRA secretariat will be in Delhi.
  • To make India a global hub for Shree Anna, the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be supported as the centre of Excellence for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level.
About Millet
  • It is a common term to categorise small-seeded grasses that are often termed Nutri-cereals or dryland-cereals and includes sorghum, pearl millet, ragi, small millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet and Kodo millet, among others.
  • They are also hardier and drought-resistant crops.
  • Millets can grow in poor soil conditions with less water, fertiliser and pesticides.
  • They can withstand higher temperatures, making them the perfect choice as ‘climate-smart cereals.
  • India, Nigeria and China are the largest producers of millets in the world, accounting for more than 55% of the global production.
Benefits
  • Millets can also help in tackling health challenges such as obesity, diabetes and lifestyle problems as they are gluten-free, have a low glycemic index and are high in dietary fibre and antioxidants.
  • Millets are Nutri-cereals that are highly nutritious and known to have high nutrient content which includes protein, essential fatty acids, dietary fibre, B-Vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium.
  • It can provide nutritional security and protect against nutritional deficiency, especially among children and women.
  • It will also be critical for climate change measures in drylands and important for smallholder and marginal farmers.
Source- Indian Express

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