Karnataka today sought support from north Indian states in popularising millets as it prepares to hold the international trade fair on the forgotten grain in Bengaluru in January.
Karnataka Agriculture Minister Byre Gowda called upon nutritionists, chefs, food processing companies and other stakeholders to spread awareness about the health benefits of millets so as to generate demand and develop the market.
"Once there is market for millets, farmers will respond. Right now, they are not keen to scale up as they are not sure of...the market," Gowda said.
"We are advocating millets as we see huge opportunity both in domestic and global market," he said while announcing the 'Organics and Millets 2018' global trade fair, to be held from January 19-21.
Besides health benefits, millets are best crops to cultivate amid growing challenges of climate change, he said, adding that they are drought tolerant and require less water to grow.
There is a need to revive millets cultivation as its acreage has come down not only in Karnataka but other parts of the country as well, he said.
In the wake growing lifestyle diseases, Gowda said, millets are catching up as healthy food in southern states but not so much in other parts of the country.
"We hope it will soon get popularised in North India as an alternative health food," he said and sought support from north Indian states to popularise the millet movement.
He said his state is promoting organic farming of millets and other crops not only because of growing health consciousness but also to promote sustainable agriculture practice and reduce the carbon footprint.
The organic food market has the potential to double quickly from the current Rs 5,000 crore. India's share in the global market is less than 1 per cent and therefore there is a lot to catch up, he added.
Lauding Karnataka government's efforts to find market for millets, National Rainfed Authority of India CEO Ashok Dalwai said: "It is good to see Karnataka is looking at marketing of the produce first before encouraging production."
Millets are largely grown by small and marginal farmers and better market opportunities will help boost their incomes and lift them from the BPL (below poverty line) category, he said.
Besides, he added, millets would have a major role to play when climate change shifts cultivation practices and creates uncertainty in agriculture.
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