PM inaugurates the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference

Source: The post is based on the article “PM inaugurates the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference” published in PIB on 19th March 2023

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has inaugurated the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference.

What is the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference?

Organized by: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

Purpose: The conference will have sessions on all important issues related to millets (Shree Anna) like promotion and awareness of millets among producers, consumers and other stakeholders; millets’ value chain development; health and nutritional aspects of millets etc.

About Millets Production in India

India is the largest producer of millets.It is enriched with a wide range of millets produced in major millet-growing states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh etc.

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What are the steps taken by the government to promote Millets production in India?

Millets were declared nutri-cereals in 2018. Thus making the farmers aware of its benefits, and generating interest in the market.

Millets have been selected in 19 districts of the country under the ‘One District, One Product’ scheme.

The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) as NFSM-Coarse Cereals is implemented in 14 States.

In 2021, the PM POSHAN (earlier known as the mid-day meal scheme) was approved to include millet to enhance the nutritional outcome.

India is planning to launch a global initiative – Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA), to encourage the consumption and production of millets.

APEDA in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Millets Research and respective State Agricultural universities has incubated more than 200 start-ups to develop a range of millet-based value-added products.