Why is the year 2023 being observed as the International year of millets?

Why is the year 2023 being observed as the International year of millets?
Did you know that the coming year is the year of millets?

But what is this declaration and why is the year 2023 observed as the International year of millets?

And did you know that this declaration has a deep Indian connection?

To know all this and more, read further and find some interesting nuggets of information.

Declaration of the International year of millets

The government of India decided to put forward a proposal to United Nations for declaring the year 2022-2023 as the "International year of millets”. The proposal got support from over 70 countries and the United Nations declared 2023 the international year of millets.  

Why Millets?

Millets are a group of varied small-seeded grains belonging to the Paniceae family. They are high in protein, fiber, and other nutrients like Iron, manganese, phosphorus, etc. Millets are often considered a “Superfood”, because of their impressive nutritional profile.  

Millets offer various amazing health benefits. They help in weight loss and reduce the risk of various lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. They have a low Glycemic index and help in lowering bad cholesterol levels. Research shows millet-based diet improves the growth of children and helps in tackling child malnutrition and anemia.  

Besides these health benefits, millets are also well-known for their natural resistance to drought and other changing weather conditions. They can grow in less fertile soil and require less water than other typical cereal crops like wheat and rice.  

Considering all these incredible benefits millets were a natural choice, as apart from being healthy they can truly make a difference in terms of offering food security to the world.

Impressive facts about Millets in Indian history  

Millets have been labeled as “Nutri- cereals” by the government of India due to their high nutrition quotient (in the year 2018).  

The government of India has declared 2018 as the “National Year of Millets" "to raise awareness about the health benefits of millets and boost millet production.  

Significance of declaring 2023 as an “international year of millet” 

Elevate awareness about the contribution of millet to the nutrition and food security system. 

Motivate stakeholders and other interested parties to improve sustainable production and quality of millets. 

Furthermore, the agricultural ministry of India is focusing on enhanced investments in research and development and extension services to achieve the above-mentioned goals.

What steps have been taken by the Indian government to make “IYOM” a success? 

The agriculture ministry and the Indian government have undertaken various initiatives to make IYOM a success.  

Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched various events to raise awareness about the health benefits of millet. Recently, the agriculture ministry organized a contest to create a comic story with the theme “India's wealth, millet for health”. The contest was open from 5 September 2022 to 5 November 2022. 

The millet start-up innovation challenge and mighty millet quiz are some other exciting contests that the Indian government is launching for promoting awareness and consumption of millet.  

The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi addressed the importance of millet in his monthly radio show “Mann ki Baat". He said that “Millets can grow well in less water. They are immensely popular globally, now with corona, they are gaining importance as an immunity booster”. He emphasized that the food sector should gear up for millet production.  

Indian Institute of millet research (IIMR) is an agriculture research institute that organizes and facilitates millet research at the national level to improve millet productivity and enhance profitability.  

For increasing awareness, millets have been showcased in various reputed events like India international trade fair New Delhi, Dubai Expo (FEB. 2022), and Surajkund Mela (March to April 2022). 

IIMR has prepared a positive paper on millet and shared it with stakeholders.  

The ministry has requested all the state chief ministers and Lt. Governors of UT to gear up for the celebration of IYOM 2023.  

Takeaway  

Conclusively, promoting millet can be a turning point for India’s nutritional programs. Millets are not only good for our health, but they are also equally beneficial for farmers and the planet. Boosting millet production and consumption will also help further the sustainable development goals set by the UN as food security and nutrition form a major part of those UNSDGs. As a business, we are already promoting millet as a superfood and have a wide variety of products that are both delicious and healthy. Now that you are aware of the IYOM, How do you plan to celebrate the International Year of Millets?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Environmental Friendly and naturally Organic, Millets are the new-age global grain

Image
In recent years, millets have made a powerful comeback. Since the declaration of "2023 as an “International Year of Millets” , people across the globe are making conscious efforts to include millets in their diets.  Millets are small-sized, round-shaped grains belonging to the Panacea family. They are ancient grains and we can find evidence of millet consumption in the prehistoric era too. Millets come in various varieties such as little millet, Kodo millet, Finger millet, and foxtail millet, etc. India itself has around seven popular millet varieties . Millets are environment-friendly grains and require less water and pesticides to grow and survive. Increasing millet production and consumption can be a great way to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce the carbon footprint on the environment. This is one of the reasons for millet to be considered as the new-age global grain. Read on to know more about the environmental benefits of millet and its role in providing foo...
Read more

All you need to know about ready to cook millets.

Image
We are busy people. Our routine life is often occupied with multiple personal and professional obligations. The hectic routine often leads to frantic stress and as a result, we tend to look for ready to cook alternatives.    As per a recent Femina India survey report, 85% of millennial working women do not cook at home and find it hard to take out time for preparing homemade meals for their families.  Nuclear families and lack of efficient cooking skills are other factors that demand convenient and easy-to-cook food options.  Nowadays, modern consumers are looking for options that take less time to cook and require less or minimum effort. However, it does not mean that they are ready to compromise on the nutrition quotient. They want quick yet healthy homemade meals that suit their busy lifestyle and fulfill the body’s nutritional requirements too.  Considering this aspect, ready-to-cook millets seem like a great option to prepare quick and healthy m...
Read more

7 Millet dessert recipes for healthier Indulgence in 2023

Image
Desserts are the fairy tales of the kitchen—a happily-ever-after to supper.” - Terri Guillemets.  Of course, desserts are tasty treats. Having dessert after the main meal is a common food tradition in many parts of the world, including India.  Though eating desserts is a great way to complete a meal and to satisfy our sweet cravings, most of the typical desserts are made of unhealthy ingredients like Maida, white sugar, etc., and may not be a healthy option to include in our routine diet. But what if you could convert your dessert obsession into a healthier indulgence?  Yes, we are talking about millet desserts.  Including millet desserts in your diet is a great way to enjoy everyday dessert recipes with a healthy twist. We are sharing 7 amazing millet dessert recipes that are perfect to satisfy your sweet cravings. Millet Cake Millet cake is one of the best dessert recipes made with millet. For making millet cake, you can either use mixed millet flou...
Read more