International Year of Millets: The Food Safety Department of the Delhi government while celebrating the International Year of Millets, hosted a vibrant "millet mela" at Dilli Haat in Pitampura on Saturday.
With the aim of promoting the diverse benefits of millets, officials announced their plans to organize similar events throughout the year in all districts, combining yoga sessions with millet melas.
The millet mela held in Pitampura showcased an impressive array of over 50 stalls, each offering millet-based food items. Neha Bansal, the Commissioner of the Department of Food Safety, expressed enthusiasm about their future plans, stating that they intend to arrange more of these melas, including smaller-scale yoga-cum-millet gatherings, in every district this year.
Highlighting the untapped potential of millets, Ms. Bansal emphasized their significance in various areas such as nutrition, food security, sustainable agriculture, and preventive healthcare. By shedding light on these aspects, the organizers aimed to raise awareness and encourage the incorporation of millet into people's daily diets.
Through these initiatives, the Delhi government seeks to underline the importance of millets and their ability to contribute to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.
India produces over 170 lakh tonnes of millet, accounting for 80 per cent of Asia’s and 20 per cent of global production.
Also, the grain was among the “first crops to be domesticated in India with several evidence of its consumption during the Indus Valley civilization”, as mentioned in the agriculture ministry statement.
