Food fest aims to promote millets

The millet food festival organised jointly by Millet Network of India, Atmadeep Health and Environment Association and the Centre for Agricultural Media held in Dharwad on Tuesday attracted a large number of people.

They got to enjoy the varieties of dishes like papad, roti, chocolates, chakli and laddu among others that were on display. Villagers involved in millet cultivation themselves had prepared these food items. The stalls witnessed brisk business.

Inaugurating the food mela DC Darpan Jain promised all support to organisations desiring to set up millet processing units and food court in Dharwad.

Regretting that the new generation had forgotten the coarse grains and had adopted junk food, the DC said it had resulted in health problems. “One of the major reasons is that the farming community is going in for high value crops and millets have failed to be among popular coarse grains.

“Unlike earlier days, the farmers today are dependent on the market forces,” lamented Jain.

Agricultural activities are controlled and managed by the market forces. If we do not change the market, millets cannot be popularised,” he observed.

Deccan Development Society chairman P V Sateesh said millets are new age answer to the new age food crisis. In the next three decades, paddy and wheat which have occupied 85 per cent share in food system will face a severe threat due to the rise in temperature. Millets will be handy in filling the gap created by shortage of paddy and wheat he said.

Centre for Agricultural Media (CAM) Chairperson Anita Pailoor said establishment of millet processing units in Dharwad, Gadag and Koppal districts would help farmers go for millet cultivation in the region.