Sri Lanka’s Minister for Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera appreciated India’s efforts to promote the use and popularisation of millet
In Sri Lanka, the High Commission of India held an interaction on the importance of millets in Colombo. Sri Lanka’s Minister for Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera appreciated India’s efforts to promote the use and popularisation of millet. He said Millets are very helpful, especially for those who are battling illnesses like Cardiovascular disease and diabetes. He added that Sri Lanka can benefit from better varieties of millet from India through collaboration with Indian institutions like Indian Council for Agricultural Research.
Gopal Baglay, High Commissioner said that Millets have been a part of Indian cultural DNA. Recounting India’s journey from food-grain shortage to surplus, Baglay also recounted the shift towards water-intensive and cash crops. He elaborated on the benefits millets would provide to small farmers, especially in crises.
The High Commissioner said that once forgotten, millets have now become popular as smart foods and healthy food. Remembering Sri Lanka’s crisis last year, he said that both India and Sri Lanka acknowledged food security as the first pillar of cooperation. He asserted that today’s interaction on millet can help achieve cooperation on food security.
Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation for Sri Lanka and Maldives Vimlendra Sharan welcomed the interaction organised by the Indian Mission. He said that the international year of Millets is timely and a reminder to work towards integrating millets into our production cycle and consumption pattern. Elaborating that millets are climate resilient, he added that in Sri Lanka millet production is restricted to under 7000 hectares as against 8 lakh hectares in the case of rice. He added that this scenario needs a change. He further said that FAO stands with Sri Lanka to bring the best practices and technologies to help Sri Lanka in improving millet cultivation.
