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The Millet Network of India (MINI) and farmers have asked the Centre and State governments to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for millets to encourage farmers grow the nutrient rich crops. Keeping in view the importance of millets for a country like India, the MINI wanted national agricultural institutions to focus on research in millets.
It asked the governments and civil society organisations to promote millets by celebrating National and International Day of Millets to recognise and respect the contribution of millets to human health and environment.
The fourth National Convention of Millets, held here for two days, has also appealed to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to have an eye on the misleading agricultural advertisements to safeguard interests of consumers and farmers.
About 40 farmers and other stakeholders from different parts of the country, including Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland, have participated in the deliberations to take stock of millet cultivation and challenges the community is facing.
At the end of second day, the convention has come out with a set of recommendations to improve the lot of millet farmers and to increase millet consumption in the country. It wanted the government to serve millet food in all the government hospitals to help patients regain health.
“In the light on the Paris summit on climate change, India should make a climate commitment to the world assembly saying that it is providing guaranteed MNREGA employment for millet farming,” PV Satheesh, National Convener of Millet Network of India (MINI) and Director of Deccan Development Society (DDS), has said.
“While the entire world is turning towards ecological organic agriculture, India is still grappling with conventional models of chemical and high input agriculture. We recommend the government to take note of changing food consumption habits and make India a strong base for ecological agriculture,” he said.
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