Dimapur, March 20 (MExN): A programme to raise awareness about the benefits of millets and encourage farmers to increase their cultivation was organised by ICAR-IIMR Millets Promotion Scheme in collaboration with Farmers’ Cell NU: SASRD, Medziphema Campus on March 18.
Addressing the gathering, Additional Director of Agriculture Jacob Yanthan highlighted that millets have been an integral part of the Indian diet for centuries and are a good source of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. He also emphasized that millet seeds are highly tolerant to drought and extreme weather conditions and can be grown with minimal inputs, making them a sustainable alternative food system.
Yanthan informed the audience that the United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, and the Indian government has proposed millets as the 21st Century superfood in a sustainable manner with the aim of increasing production and consumption. The Department of Agriculture, Nagaland has also prepared a set of calendar events to be followed in line with International Year of Millets (IYOM) 2023, including documentation and publication of millet crops, exhibitions, celebration of millet festivals, dissemination of best practices, and exposure tours for farmers and extension workers.
In addition, the Department of Agriculture Nagaland has strategized to encourage farmers to emphasize more on millet crops and targeted to increase the area of millets in the state by about 10,000 hectares more from the existing area which is approximately 8,000 hectares. The department has also procured 20 MT of local millet seeds and distributed the seeds to the farmers as inputs support, free of cost.
Earlier, the Additional Director also inaugurated the Primary Millets Processing Unit at the Department of GPB, NU, SASRD. The programme was followed by live streaming of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address from ICAR, New Delhi.
In the technical session, the importance of millets was highlighted by Dr Pankaj Shah and Package of practices on Millet production with special reference to Nagaland was presented by Dr Debika Nongmaithem. Farmers’ – scientists’ interaction was also conducted along with visitation to Primary Millet processing unit and distribution of inputs.
