BHUBANESWAR: Chairperson of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) Trilochan Mohapatra on Sunday said the global movement related to millets is an important step in the direction of food security.
Delivering the Dr K Ramaiah Foundation Day Lecture at National Rice Research Institute, (NRRI) in Cuttack on the occasion of its 78th Foundation Day, he said millets are among the earliest crops grown by humans and have been an important source of nutrients, are set to become a food choice for the future.
“Millets are a rich source of balanced nutrition, compatible with natural ways of farming and need less water. The crops are easy to grow, climate resilient and drought resistant. The PPV&FRA has been supporting development of new varieties of plants across all crops that are essential for achieving food security and agricultural sustainability,” Mohapatra said.
The vision set out in the 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals, he said, foresees a world where food is sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious.
“The technologies we have developed are resilient, climate-sensitive and respect biodiversity,” he said.
NRRI director AK Nayak highlighted the significance of recently released rice varieties and their suitability for different ecologies.