India and Bangladesh can lead the way in harnessing the power of millets to build a "brighter and more prosperous future" for the two countries.
This was observed on Sunday at an event marking the International Year of Millets 2023.
Indian High Commissioner PranayVerma inaugurated an exhibition on “Food Security and Importance of Millets” at the Indian Cultural Centre in Dhaka.
The exhibition is being organised as part of the events to celebrate the International Year of Millets 2023, the High Commission said.
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder was the chief guest at the occasion.
Robert D. Simpson, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bangladesh was the special guest.
Agricultural expert Dr. Mirza Hasannuzzaman, Professor, Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University, delivered the expert remarks as the guest speaker on the occasion.
Millets have been an integral part of our diet for centuries. In addition to a plethora of health benefits, millets are also good for the environment with lower water and input requirement.
With the aim to create awareness, and to increase production and consumption of millets across the world, the United Nations, at the behest of the government of India, declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
In his address, High Commissioner Verma highlighted the important role of millets in ensuring food security, popularising nutritional diet, promoting sustainable agriculture, and securing financial empowerment of farmers.
He noted that India and Bangladesh have immense scope to cooperate in the exchange of knowledge, sharing of best practices, and in the research and development initiatives related to millets.
The Food Minister appreciated the initiative taken by the High Commission of India in organising the event.
He also highlighted the steps being taken by Bangladesh to transform its agricultural sector and to increase the production and consumption of millets.
Agricultural cooperation is an important component of India-Bangladesh partnership.