LG Sinha pushes millets for health, farm resilience in J&K
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today inaugurated the National Dialogue on Millets for Health: Building Healthy Ecosystems, Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems at SKUAST, Jammu.
Expressing gratitude to Padma Shri Dr. Khadar Vali, popularly known as the “Millet Man of India” and Umendra Dutt of Kheti Virasat Mission, the Lieutenant Governor lauded their efforts in creating a new awakening through the Millets Mission in UT of Jammu Kashmir. He emphasized that the occasion was not merely a seminar but a celebration of a revolution rooted in India’s villages.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the pioneering role of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who declared millets as “nutri-cereals” in 2018 and gave them the name Shree Anna, will be remembered by history. Prime Minister’s initiatives led to the United Nations declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets, bringing global recognition to India’s traditional wisdom.
Tracing the heritage of millets, the Lieutenant Governor noted that sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, and barnyard millet have nourished generations of farmers and families. Once sidelined as “food of the poor,” millets are now reclaiming their place at the intersection of tradition and modern science.
“The experts are aware that millets nourished the families of small and marginal farmers in different parts of the country for many decades. At that time, modern irrigation facilities were not available. Marginal farmers had neither access to fertilisers nor accurate weather forecasts. However, millet crops did not require these to the same extent, because they could grow even in the most difficult weather conditions and provide support to families.
Today, science is understanding this traditional wisdom through new research and evidence. Countries across the world that are facing the challenge of climate change are also realising that the food of the future will not merely be food that can be produced in large quantities. It will have to be nutritious, profitable for farmers and sustainable for the planet,” he said.
Highlighting the relevance of millets for Jammu Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor underscored that over 80% of the region’s farmers are small and marginal, dependent on uncertain weather. Millets, requiring less water and fewer inputs, offer them confidence and sustainability. He urged farmers to embrace millet cultivation as a pathway to self-reliance and resilience against climate change.
He also emphasized the health benefits of millets, noting their dietary fibre, low glycaemic index, and rich nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. He called upon citizens to bring millet-based foods like bajra rotis, ragi dishes, and barnyard millet rice back to their plates to combat lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
On the economic front, the Lieutenant Governor highlighted the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of creating a millet economy from farm to market.
“With India producing 18 million tonnes of millets in 2024–25 and accounting for 38% of global production, the importance of value-added millet products is immense. We must encourage women’s self-help groups and young entrepreneurs in Jammu Kashmir to innovate with millet-based enterprises, packaging, and branding under initiatives like One District, One Product,” he said.