Three-Day Program on 'Millets Agri Expo and Rising Haryana'

• 11 Apr 2023

Why in News?

On 7 April 2023, Haryana's Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Jai Prakash Dalal inaugurated a three-day program organized by a media group on the theme 'Millets Agri Expo and Rising Haryana' by lighting the lamp here.

Key Points

• At the expo, a brainstorming session will be held for 3 days on the modern techniques of agriculture for farmers.
• On this occasion, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Jai Prakash Dalal also honoured progressive farmers by giving them the Kisan Ratna Award.
• The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that on the proposal of the Government of India, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Nutritious Food. Nutritious cereals like millet and Jowar hold immense potential in the fight against climate change, food, nutrition and livelihoods and poverty. It helps in mitigating the effects of climate change as compared to wheat and rice.
• He said that the state government is promoting millet as a nutritious food in the state under the National Food Security Mission from 2018-19. In Haryana, millet is grown in an area of about 10 lakh acres to 12 lakh acres, with an estimated yield of 800 kg per acre and production of 12 lakh metric tonnes. Besides this, Jowar is grown in an area of about 0.60 lakh acres to 1.10 lakh acres.
• Seeing its many health benefits, now people have started including it in their diet. Under the National Food Security Mission, grants are being given to farmers by the state government to promote jowar.
• The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that the Millets Conference to be held in this context is an important initiative. In this, many topics like the cultivation of millets, the economy related to it, its effect on health, and the income of farmers, will be discussed.
• It is known that during the recent G-20 program organized by the state government, foreign guests were also fed food prepared from millet, which was also appreciated by the delegation.
• Under the International Nutritious Food Year-2023, monthly programs are being organized by the state government in various districts, in which farmers are being made aware of nutritious food. Apart from this, they are also being informed about the various health benefits of including nutritious food in the diet.
• Nutritious foods are not only nutritious, but they can also be grown easily in dry land and with less rainfall. Several initiatives are being taken by the state government to promote bajra and jowar. Wide publicity is being spread by the Agriculture Department to make the International Nutritious Food Year-2023 a mass movement.