Arunachal: International Year of Millets launched at CoA
PASIGHAT- ( By Maksam Tayeng )- International Year of Millets was launched at the College of Agriculture (CoA) here in East Siang district on Wednesday by organizing a Walkathon of around 5 km in which Pasighat East MLA, Kaling Moyong, Dy. Commissioner East Siang district, Tayi Taggu, State BJP Kisan Morcha President, Dunggoli Libang, Adi Baane Ane Kebang President, Onam Darang Pertin, its General Secretary, Binoymoti Modi Tayeng, Dean COA and CHF Pasighat, farmers and students wholeheartedly participated.
Pasighat East MLA, Kaling Moyong and East Siang DC, Tayi Taggu asked the people to know about the nutritional and medicinal values of millet, which is being cultivated in 16 selected districts of the state. Both Moyong and Taggu urged the farmers to start regrowing/recultivation of Millets in large numbers like in the past wherein millets happened to the major food cereal of this frontier state.
Scientists and professors of the agriculture and horticulture colleges elaborated on the food and medicinal values of millets. They said that “millets are a good source of nutrition and all varieties of millets are beneficial for human health.”
Later, the organisers and the participants took out a walkathon from the CoA to the College of Horticulture & Forestry (CHF) here to raise awareness among the people about the benefits of millets.
The organisers informed that they will conduct a series of workshops and field programmes on millet cultivation in different districts as part of the yearlong celebration.
The CoA is implementing the Millets Cultivation Project, sponsored by the ICAR-run Indian Institute of Millets Research, covering 16 districts, including the Siang belt of central Arunachal, and Tirap district.
The launch programme was organized in collaboration with the CHF, the East Siang KVK, and the ICAR’s Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Millets Research. “Today’s Millet Walkathon run is a precursor to India’s lead in celebrating the International Year of Millets 2023. It aims to raise public awareness about the benefits of the millets and it follows ‘Millets healthy breakfast’. In this way, it helps to bring back disappeared millets from our plates as well as fields”, said Dr. AK Triparthi, Dean, College of Agriculture, Pasighat.
