Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA)

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What is the Background of MIIRA’s Announcement? 
• What is Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA)? 
• What is the Importance of Millets?

Why in News?

• With food security and nutrition a top priority in agriculture during its G20 Presidency, India is planning to propose the launch of a global initiative – MIIRA, to encourage the consumption and production of millets.
• A draft charter of the initiative is ready and will be placed for approval at the first meeting of the Agricultural Deputies (under G20) from February 13-15 at Indore, MP.

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What is the Background of MIIRA’s Announcement? 

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM), a proposal sponsored by the Government of India to promote these “nutri-cereals.” 
• The declaration will be helpful to the Government of India in articulating its goal of making IYM 2023 a “People’s Movement” as well as presenting India as the “Global Hub for Millets,” as India produces one-fifth of the world’s millets.
• The year 2023 is also significant because of India’s G20 Presidency, which will also have five meetings on agriculture.
• In her Budget speech (2023-24), while describing various types of millets as ‘Shree Anna’, the Union Finance Minister said that the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be supported as the Centre of Excellence.
• This will help in sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level.

​​​​​​​What is Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA)? 

• The global initiative will be aimed at coordinating millet research programmes at the international level and will be launched keeping in mind the nutritional value and the climate resilient nature of millets.
• Besides setting up a web platform to connect researchers and holding international research conferences, the plan is also to promote millet consumption by raising awareness.
• India would provide the “seed money” for MIIRA to take off, and each G20 member will subsequently be required to pay to its budget in the form of a membership fee. 
• According to the sources, the MIIRA secretariat will be in Delhi, and India being a major producer of millets, will ensure a flow of investment from the country’s industry and research bodies.

​​​​​​​What is the Importance of Millets?
 

Image Caption: India’s Millets Map

• Millets are small-grained cereals such as sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (kangni/ Italian millet), little millet (kutki), kodo millet, finger millet (ragi/ mandua), proso millet (cheena/ common millet), etc. 
• These crops require less water than rice and wheat, and are mainly grown in rainfed areas.
• Now grown in more than 130 countries, millets are the traditional food for more than half a billion people in Asia and Africa. 
• Gobally, jowar is the most widely grown millet cro and its major producers are the US, China, Australia, India, Argentina, Nigeria, and Sudan.
• Bajra, another major millet crop, is mainly grown in some African countries and India, where millets are mainly a kharif crop. 
• In India, bajra (3.67%), jowar (2.13%), and ragi (0.48%) accounted for about 7% of the gross cropped area in the country (during 2018-19).
• In 2018, the Agriculture Ministry declared millets such as jowar, bajra, ragi/ mandua, some minor millets such as kangani/ kakun, cheena, etc, and the two pseudo millets [buckwheat (kuttu) and amaranth (chaulai)] – as ‘Nutri Cereals’ for their “high nutritive value”.
• Millets are important by virtue of its mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income and ensure food and nutritional security all over the world.

Q1) What are ‘Nutri Cereals’?

In 2018, the Agriculture Ministry declared millets such as jowar, bajra, ragi/ mandua, some minor millets such as kangani/ kakun, cheena, etc, and the two pseudo millets [buckwheat (kuttu) and amaranth (chaulai)] – as ‘Nutri Cereals’ for their “high nutritive value”.

Q2) Why is Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA) launched?

It is the global initiative aimed at coordinating millet research programmes at the international level. It will be launched keeping in mind the nutritional value and the climate resilient nature of millets. The plan is also to promote millet consumption by raising awareness.