International Year of Millets

                 The U.N. General Assembly recently adopted a resolution, sponsored by India and supported by more than 70 countries, declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The resolution is intended to increase public awareness on the health benefits of millets and their suitability for cultivation under tough conditions marked by climate change.  

                      The adoption of the resolution elated Karnataka’s farm sector as the State, spearheaded by the then Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, had put in efforts to give a push to the idea after its experiments in organising international organic and millets trade fairs yielded encouraging results. The Centre, which was convinced about such a proposal, had played a decisive role in building consensus among the other countries.

                      However, the initial euphoria about the resolution getting adopted is now slowly paving way for anxiety among experts in Karnataka’s farm sector, which is one of the prominent cultivators of millets. This is because of the alleged lack of preparation and plan of action, both on the part of the State and the Centre, to capitalise on the U.N.’s declaration.