Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Sep 22
Jammu and Kashmir can strengthen its farm economy and create new opportunities for women and young people by expanding millet cultivation and related businesses, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the conclusion of a Millets Mission programme in Srinagar, Sinha said millets could help address malnutrition, lifestyle-related diseases and the economic challenges facing marginal farmers.
He said crops such as jowar, bajra, ragi, kodo, kangni and kutki require relatively little water and can grow on rain-fed land while providing fibre, iron, calcium and protein.
Sinha called for a broader ecosystem covering seed diversity, farmer training, processing, value addition, chef training and promotion of millet-based foods.
He urged stakeholders to move beyond conferences and take millet initiatives into farms and markets.
The Lieutenant Governor also described millets as climate-resilient crops that could help address changing weather patterns, while linking sustainable agriculture with public health and environmental conservation.
The programme, organised with Kheti Virasat Mission, brought together farmers, scientists, chefs, doctors, students and policymakers.
A millet-based dinner was served after the event.
