Promoting millets in diets: NITI Aayog report

The NITI Aayog has just released a report on 'Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India' to serve as a guiding repository to revive and mainstream millets in our day-to-day food. The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by states governments and organisations in various aspects of millet value-chain especially production, processing and consumption.

The report is divided on three themes: (a) State Missions and initiatives to promote millets; (b) inclusion of millets in ICDS; and, (c) research and development and use of technology for innovative practices.

Speaking on the occasion, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery said, “The release of the publication is very timely. Prime Minister has provided strategic leadership in raising the importance of millets. Slowly, there have been shifts in diets which is linked to environmental sustainability and health impacts and people are now beginning to appreciate the medicinal, nutritional and anti-inflammatory value of millets. As a way forward, we need to leverage the power of branding and marketing to popularize millets as a super food and make it fashionable”.

Member NITI Aayog Dr. V.K. Paul said, “Millets are nutritionally wholesome crops. Having a document of this nature is vital as it will give confidence to people and those engaged in millets who look at data, evidences and practices to mainstream millets in our diets and systems”.

Another member NITI Aayog, Prof Ramesh Chand said, “Our Prime Minister has taken personal interest in giving millets a respectable status both nationally and globally. This report comprehensively covers good practices in policy, state missions and research & development and technological innovations to boost millets which will help in capturing people’s imagination of millets”

CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said, “Millets were very common part of our diets. However, our dietary patterns have slowly shifted more towards rice and wheat. With rise in non-communicable diseases like diabetes, millets are coming back to our diets. There is an immense potential of millets in nutritional security of the nation. Our Prime Minister has played a vital role in mainstreaming millets and this compendium will further contribute to the same”.