E-Paper
Coarse grains, a door to prosperity of small farmers, says JP Dalal
Haryana's agriculture minister JP Dalal said the state government is promoting millets as a nutritious food and a doorway to prosperity for small farmers. Millet is grown in an estimated 10-12 lakh acres in the state and the government is providing grants to farmers under the National Food Security Mission. The UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millet. The government is organising monthly programmes for awareness under this initiative.
Haryana agriculture and farmers welfare minister JP Dalal said on Friday that the state government has been taking numerous steps to promote millets, as production of coarse grains is a doorway to prosperity of small farmers of the country.
Inaugurating the three-day ‘Millets and agri food processing organic expo’ and ‘Rising Haryana’ here and also felicitating progressive farmers with kisan ratna award on this occasion, Dalal said that in Haryana, millet is grown in an area of about 10 lakh acre to 12 lakh acre with an estimated yield of 800 kg per acre and production of 12 lakh metric tonnes.
“The Haryana government is promoting millet as a nutritious food under the National Food Security Mission since 2018-19,” said Dalal, adding that it was on the proposal of the Union government that the United Nations (UN) has declared 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millet’.
The agriculture minister said that under the National Food Security Mission, grants are being given to farmers by the state government to promote coarse grains.
“A millets conference to be held in this context is an important initiative. Several topics like cultivation of millets, economy related to it, its effect on health and income of farmers, will be discussed,” he said, adding that coarse grains mean door to prosperity of small farmers of the country.
Dalal said that during the recent G-20 meetings organised in Haryana, foreign delegates were served dishes prepared from millets. He further said the state government is organising monthly programmes at district and village levels for awareness among people under the International Year of Millets-2023.
