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Udupi: India will become a hub for exporting quality millet goods to the entire world by producing high quality commodities and exporting high quality natural ingredients over the next 2 years, said State Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje.

She was addressing after the inauguration of International Year of Millets-2023, Nutrition and Vegetation Campaign at Brahmavar Agriculture Science Center here on Friday, September 17 under the aegis of Keladi shivappa Naik Agriculture and Horticulture Sciences University Shivamugga, Indian Agricultureal Anusandan Parishad New Delhi, ICAR-Agri-Science Center Brahmavara, Zone Agricultual and Horticultural Research Centre, Brahmavara.

India is a rain-fed country and its climate is conducive to millets agriculture. In the millets products chemicals are low in chemical content, high in calcium, protein, vitamin content, and are recommended by doctors for many problems, including diabetes control. It also supports the development of immunity in the body. The United Nations has declared 2023 as the year of international millets, according to India’s demand, during which the country should become a hub for exporting millets goods to the international market, with the farmers becoming increasingly wealthy and exporting to the international market, she said.

She said that once upon a time India was one of the millets producing country and consuming country and during the Harappa and Mohenjadaro civilization people were used to consume millets products as per the research. In Karnataka, the area was growing in the past 8 lakh hectares and now it has dropped to 3.5 lakh hectares. She said that the next two years will be a series of programs to increase the production of cereals and the embassies will also try to address the importance of the use of these millets products.

Minister Shobha Karandlaje said that she would discuss every possible effort with the state government to set up an agricultural college in the district.

At the same time the Minister inaugurated the exhibition on various products and commodities made from syringes. She also distributed saplings of nutrition producible plants in order to support the campaign.

Shivappa Naik Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences University, Shivamugga Chancellor Dr. Manjunath Nayak spoke introductory remarks and said that the program was launched today at 800 centers across the country and pointed out the privileges to consume the millets products which contains all needed nutrition related to the body.

Mattar Rathnakar Hegde, Coastal Developmental Authority Chairman, Chantaru-Herror Gram Panchayat president Meera Sandanand Poojary, State level Organic Agriculture High Level Committee member Raghavendra Uppoor, District Collector Kurma Rao M., ZP CEO Dr. Naveen Bhat, Agricultural officers KC Shashidara, Joint Director Agricultural Department kempegowda Dr. Laxman, Dr. B. Dhananjaya and others were present on the dais.