Millets are food grains with high nutritional value and health benefits that can be grown with little water and input. They are grown throughout the country in various agro-ecological regions with less pest and disease infestation and thus can be grown easily as organic crops.
"We have been invited by Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to represent the food items that could be served to devotees partaking in the langar," Dutt explained.
Dutt was in attendance, along with farmers who are successfully growing millets, to commemorate the International Year of Millets 2023. He urged both the federal and state governments to establish a minimum support price (MSP) for the crop.
He also urged the government to increase millet crop production to encourage farmers to cultivate it. He claimed that growing millets such as Kodra, Swank, Kangni, Kutki, Ragi, Bajra, and Jowar could help the state's declining water table. "The amount of water used to irrigate one acre of rice crop land is enough to irrigate the millet crop for 26 years," Dutt explained.
According to Dutt, as a pilot project, they have identified 200 schools across the state where special workshops will be held to teach parents and teachers how to prepare meals using millets.
"We have four branches and decided that lunch prepared with millets would be offered in the meal of students twice a week," said Balmit Kaur, principal of DPS Ludhiana. The Central Bureau of Communication, Chandigarh, and the Press Information Bureau, Chandigarh, organised the media interaction programme.
"Millets are no longer considered fringe crops," Dutt said. They compete with cyclical agriculture in wheat and rice. They can also help us to reduce our carbon footprint."
"Millet stalk is a very good fodder for cattle," he said when discussing stubble burning. As a result, farmers do not burn them. This could be a solution to Punjab's stubble-burning problem."
"Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets will become a game changer in times to come," said Rajender Chaudhry, ADG, PIB Chandigarh. “Many health-related issues confront today's youth from an early age. Millets can help to combat these health issues. Millets have a low glycemic index, a high protein content, and no gluten. They can also help you lose weight."
