Opening Ceremony of International Year of Millets 2023 Held in Rome: In Rome, Italy, the International Year of Millets – 2023 (IYM2023) was officially launched by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). An Indian delegation led by Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare were present at the opening ceremony. Sushri Shobha Karandlaje conveyed the ceremonial message from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of India during the event.
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India’s Approach: What The Prime Minister Conveyed:
Sushri Shobha Karandlaje expressed Prime Minister Modi’s gratitude to the UN for designating 2023 as the International Year of Millets. PM, through his message, thanked the global community for supporting India’s proposal to mark the International Year of Millets (IYM).
Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, in her speech, said nations need to collaborate to develop a sustainable future, and millets will play a pivotal role in the process. There is an opportunity to contribute to the future well-being of mankind by bringing back ancient food grains through IYM. India will steer the IYM2023 celebrations worldwide and organise campaigns to promote the cultivation and consumption of Millets, both in India and abroad during the next year.
What Has Been Said:
IYM2023 will bring India toward food and nutritional security, according to Sushri Shobha Karandlaje. According to her, millets are regarded as “Smart Food” since they are simple to grow, often organic, and have a high nutritional value. With PM Modi’s vision of “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam” (The World is One Family), the IYM2023 celebration is an opportunity for India to promote Nutri-cereal Millets globally and place them in the world’s ‘food map‘, she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Director General, FAO Mr. QU Dongyu said the IYM2023 will provide us with a unique opportunity to give visibility to crops that have great potential to strengthen global nutrition, food security, decent jobs & economies, while accelerating Climate Action. Millets are basically Asian crops, climate resilient, lead to sustainable development and help ensure Food Security & Nutrition for all, he said.
Importance Of Millets:
It was mentioned that Millets are good for the consumer, cultivator and climate. Millets are nutritious and can be cultivated in semi-arid zones besides consuming less water for irrigation. There is need for diversity on our land and our dining tables. An essential component of this approach is creating “Millet Mindfulness” by increasing awareness.
Millets are resilient and rain-fed crops that thrive in dry regions and grow well in conditions of low soil fertility and moisture. In terms of nutritional value, millets are superior to popular cereals like wheat and rice. Millets are a good source of calcium, iron, and fibre, which are crucial elements for kids’ healthy growth.
