Cultivate Millets, Save Soil and Strengthen Sustainable Agriculture in India and Africa

Millets are declared as nutria-cereals with the consistent efforts of India in the UNO. Narendra Modi has strongly raised this concern before the UNO and persuaded the world community, about the need of revival of soil nutrients in the world. 

- Prof. Suresh Kumar & Dr. Vibha Gupta

Subsequently, UNO has declared the International Year of Millets 2023 (IYOM) and appealed to regain the lost prestige of millets (such as Jowar, Raggi, Bajra, Ramdana, Cheena and Saama) for the benefits of human kind.

India has launched the millet global movement entitles Shree Anna to benefit the large section of society. The history of richest civilization of the last 5000 years of Indian i.e., India have been procured the millets in everyday people's lives. ICRISET mentions that 'some of the oldest Yajurveda texts mentions the foxtail millet (priyangava), barnyard millet (aanaya) and black finger millet (Shyaamaka) and indicated the consumption pattern of millets from predating to the Bhartiya Bronze Age of about 4500 BC' (2023). The rich history of Africa's mankind denotes the use of millets on special occasions as well as in their daily lives. The archaeobotanical analysis in West Africa and L Champion explains that "the site of Tongo Maar'e Diabal (TMD) in Mali are composed primarily of pearl millet remains. The contemporary urban sites of the West African Sahel often comprise combined and diversified farming systems of millet (pearl millet and wild millet) and it spread south of the Niger river dates from 1900 to 1700 BCE" (2021: 1-9). African millets (broomcorn millet in particular) as material objects either supplied as a commercial value or developing cultural connection during the Indus valley period particularly in Lothal port in Gujarat signifies its vitality.