Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the ‘Global Millets (Shri Anna) Conference' and said millets can help tackle challenges of food security as well as food habits and asked farm scientists to work towards increasing the share of nutri-cereals in the national food basket.

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Addressing the gathering after inaugurating, the prime minister said it is a matter of great honour for the country that after India's proposal and efforts, the United Nations declared 2023 as 'International Year of Millets'.

millets or Shri Anna as a global movement.

Stressing that millets can be grown easily in adverse climatic conditions and without chemicals and fertilizers, the prime minister said India's millets mission will benefit 2.5 crore small and marginal farmers in the country.

Millets in March 2021.

Millet is a common term to categorise small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals or dryland-cereals and includes Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Little Millet (Kutki), Foxtail Millet (Kakun), Proso Millet (Cheena), Barnyard Millet (Sawa), Kodo Millet (Kodon) and other millets.

India produces more than 170 lakh tonne of millet, which is 80 per cent of Asia's and 20 per cent of global production. While the global average yield of millet is 1,229 kg/hectare, the yield in India is 1,239 kg/ha.

The prime minister also unveiled a customised postal stamp and Rs 75 currency coin on International Year of Millets (IYMI)-2023.

With PTI Inputs