-Hindustan Times India’s focus on food security through increased production of millets was echoed by external affairs minister S Jaishankar during a luncheon on Thursday where he stressed that millets are important for food security as well as international relations. India has intensified its efforts for a global push to counter the challenges to ensure food security – threatened by Covid-19, conflicts and climate change – through increased millet production and consumption....

-IANS/ The Statesman 2023 will be celebrated as the International Year of Millets. The Ministry said millets consumption helps in managing life style diseases. The Union Food Ministry has directed its official canteens and meetings to serve millets in order to promote their consumption, in view of their health benefits. Millets may be included as one of the snacks/biscuits made of millets, such as ragi biscuits/cookies/ladoos and baked millet chips etc. as snacks...

-PTI/ Moneycontrol.com The estimates were finalised after discussion with state food secretaries and Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials in a meeting chaired by Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey here. The government fixed the rice procurement estimate for the central pool at 518 lakh tonnes (LT) for the current Kharif season, up by 1.60 per cent from the last year despite production concerns. The estimates were finalised after discussion with state food secretaries...

-The Hindu International demand for both rice and wheat has increased, says Goyal The Centre has asked the States to increase the sowing of paddy in the wake of reports that there is a decrease in its sowing. At a conference of State Food Ministers on food and nutrition security of India held here on Tuesday, Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal said the international demand for both rice...

-Hindustan Times During the Union Budget presentation, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday had announced that 2022-23 will be considered as the International Year of Millets. “Support will be provided for post-harvest value addition, enhancing domestic consumption, and for branding millet products nationally and internationally,” Sitharaman had said. The government’s assurance will boost states like Karnataka which has moved in the direction to diversify and incentivise production of these super foods. Please click...