Why Sitharaman called millets 'Shree Anna' - the mother of all grains

Rendered 'orphan crops' post the Green Revolution, these healthy grains have got renewed push

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described millets as ‘Shree Anna’ – the mother of all grains – during her Budget speech. She also announced that the Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad would be converted into a centre of excellence, which would allow it to share best practices, research and technologies at the international level.

But, apart from that there has not been any corresponding financial allocation to go with the proposals. The roadmap to boost production, procurement and productivity of millets is also lacking in the Budget, critics said. 

Millets have an average yield of around 1240 kgs per