International Year of Millets

In News

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi conveyed his message at the opening ceremony of the International Year of Millets at the headquarters of the Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome, Italy. 

About International Year of Millets

• The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the  ‘International Year of Millets’. 
• It is the Prime Minister’s vision and initiative that led to this United Nations Resolution being adopted with support from more than 70 nations across the globe. 
• It will help in creating awareness throughout the world about the significant role of millet in sustainable agriculture and its benefits as a smart and superfood.
• India is poised to become the global hub for millets with a production of more than 170 lakh tonnes which makes for more than 80 % of the millets produced in Asia. 
• The earliest evidence for these grains has been found in the Indus civilization and was one of the first plants to be domesticated for food. 
• It is grown in about 131 countries and is the traditional food for around 60 crore people in Asia & Africa.
• Objectives: The Government of India has declared to celebrate IYOM, 2023 to make it a people’s movement so that the Indian millets, recipes, and value-added products are accepted globally. 

Source:PIB