A G20 opportunity for millets

The heads of the apex agricultural research bodies of the G20 countries, who are holding a three-day conference in Varanasi from Monday (April 17-19), have their task cut out for them. They need to devise a science-based strategy to confront the challenges faced by agriculture, which are becoming all the more formidable with time. While the requirements for plant-based food, feed, fuel, and fibre are growing rapidly, the farm sector’s capacity to satisfy these needs is getting constrained. This is largely the result of the shrinkage and steady degradation of arable land, overexploitation of natural resources, dwindling biodiversity, and huge