A four-day millet festival was launched here on Saturday by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, with thousands of farmers from the state taking part. The festival aims to promote millet cultivation.

“Shree Anna Mahotsav 2023 will prove to be a milestone in the promotion of millet production in the state,” Dhami said in his inaugural address at the festival.

Also read: BJP’s Defeat Is The Start Of New Beginning For India: Mehbooba Mufti

It will not only encourage millet farming but also provide necessary information to farmers interested in growing millets. 

He said the credit for the declaration of 2023 as the International Millet Year by the  United Nations goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had moved the proposal for it.

“Millets are not only nutritious but also rich in medicinal properties. Such events will help millets like Mandwa, Chaulai, and Jhingora become part of the staple diet of every household,” Dhami said.

He discussed actions taken by the state government to encourage millet production, such as setting an MSP (minimum support price) for millet crops, making it easier for farmers to receive payments online for crops they sell to the government for distribution through the PDS, and including millet in the mid-day meal programme.

According to him, this has inspired farmers to produce millets and boost their revenue.

Also read: “Victory Of Politics That Unites Country”, Says Priyanka Gandhi On Karnataka Poll Results

The state has allocated Rs 73 crore for the Millet Mission in the budget.

The chief minister inspected the stalls of millet-based products at the event and released a book on the nutritious crops of Uttarakhand titled “Swad Ke Saath Swasthya.”

Uttarakhand agriculture minister Ganesh Joshi said the state has set a target of doubling millet and horticulture production by 2025.