Agriculture Current Affairs- Feb 4, 2023
1-The only time Telangana was mentioned in the Union Budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was when she said that the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), a subsidiary of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), would be transformed into a centre of excellence to make India a hub for millets on a global scale.
2-Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reported by Sitharaman as saying that India is at the forefront of popularising millets, whose consumption enhanced food security and the well-being of farmers. Sitharaman referred to millets as “Shree Anna,” or the mother of all grains.
3- India is the world’s top producer of millets and its second-largest exporter.
Agriculture Current Affairs
- A variety of Shree Anna (millets) are grown by Indian farmers, including Jowar, Raagi, Bajra, Ramdana, Cheena, and Saama. These have been a staple of diet for ages and provide a lot of health benefits.
5-At the request of the Indian government, the UN designated 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM) in order to improve awareness of millets as well as their production and consumption.
6-According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), India will produce the most millet in the world in 2020, accounting for 41% of global production.
Agriculture Current Affairs
7-More than 20 states plant seven to nine different kinds of millets as Kharif crops. The top producers are Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
8-The Economic Survey 2023 noted that 20% of the world’s output of millets and 80% of Asia’s production of millets were produced alone by India.
9-India produces 1,239 kg/ha of millet on average, compared to 1,229 kg/ha globally.
Agriculture Current Affairs
10-Prime Minister Modi had urged BJP MPs to encourage the usage of millets throughout the nation, arguing that doing so would improve the financial situation of the small and marginal farmers who cultivate these crops.
- Millets should be utilised in the mid-day meals served to students in schools, according to the prime minister.
11-India’s G20 presidency presents a chance to popularise millets because approximately 1,000,000 foreign delegates are anticipated to visit the nation in 2023.
12-Research on millets is being conducted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), which has its headquarters in Patancheru, close to Hyderabad.
Agriculture Current Affairs
13-Some of the important organisations driving the cause of promoting millets include ICRISAT, ICAR-IIMR, and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), all of which are situated in Hyderabad.
14-A number of research conducted under the direction of ICRISAT, NIN, and others found that regular consumption can help reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity while enhancing cholesterol levels and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.
15-An initiative to raise onions for a “community pantry” or food bank project included a retail business in the Philippines accepting onions as “payment” for a limited number of in-store items on Saturday.
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