The Indian embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement that the event was also attended by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR). Govind Prasad Sharma, Secretary (Agriculture Development), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal, led the Nepali delegation to the event.
The resolution to commemorate the International Year of Millets 2023 (IYM 2023) was adopted by the United Nations in 2021 at India's initiative, with the support of 72 other countries.
"India is the world's largest producer of millets, producing 17 million tonnes annually of nine different varieties of millets, about 20 percent of the global production. Millets have unique nutritional benefits, can grow on arid land with little rainfall, and are relatively resistant to climate change, according to a statement from the Indian embassy in Kathmandu.
According to the FAO, they are an excellent way for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains.
"Indian-Nepal agricultural cooperation is anchored in the 'India-Nepal New Partnership in Agriculture,' which was launched in 2018 with a focus on collaborative projects in agricultural research, development, and education. "India and Nepal are also significant trading partners for a variety of agricultural products, including millets," according to the embassy.
In his address to the gathering, Prasanna Shrivastava, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Kathmandu, emphasized the importance and potential of millets in ensuring global food security. Tarun Bajaj, Director of APEDA, spoke about APEDA's export promotion and capacity-building efforts in preparation for IYM 2023.
Dr. Govind Prasad Sharma, Secretary (Agriculture Development), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal, spoke about the importance of millets in Nepal and identify areas of bilateral agricultural cooperation.
Dr. Ram Krishna Shrestha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development delivered a presentation on the "Millets Promotion Endeavours of the Government of Nepal and International Year of Millets 2023". The Indian embassy stated that it will continue to promote India-Nepal agricultural and millet cooperation through various activities centred on the International Year of Millets 2023.
