ITANAGAR, 9 Mar: The agriculture department on Thursday hosted a millet-based lunch during the budget session of the legislative assembly here, as part of the International Year of the Millet.
Officials of the agriculture directorate displayed various varieties of millet-based food in the canteen in the assembly premises.
“Arunachal Pradesh is home to various millets, such as foxtail millet, finger millet, kodo millet, and pearl millet, and millets have been a part of the state’s tradition since time immemorial,” Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board CEO Okit Palling informed in a release.
“These millets are typical dry-land crops with wide crop duration, resilient to climate change (c4 plants) and ideal as a contingent crop. Most of the millet is also a source of fodder, forage and nutritional security,” he added.
Millets are gluten-free and are positioned as a functional food in the ‘smart food’ category. Although consumption of millet as staple food and beverage is not new in Arunachal, the department showcased various value-added millet-based food products such as cakes, local sweet dishes such as mirii, and various millet-based cookies, and served them to the members of the legislative assembly and the security personnel at the secretariat.
“In the recent state budget, the state government has announced Rs 200 lakhs for various promotion and awareness activities for the millets of the state, in line with support from the government of India,” Palling said.
