Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has asked ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri to draft a team from his company to Karnataka and facilitate procuring Sri Anna milletsfrom drought-hitfarmers.
She has asked Puri to also consider other measures that can help the state’s farmers, the FM said in a post on social media platform X.Karnataka has declared 224 out of its 236 taluks as drought hit.
Commenting on Sitharaman speaking to the ITC Chairman, Karnataka minister Gowda told ET that the Government procurement was the only way to protect and encourage farmers for major millets like ragi, jowar and bajra (pearl millet). Demand pull from the private sector could help with other minor millets.
With the year 2023 declared as the International Year of Millets by the UN, ITC is also pursuing Mission Millets to bring millets into the mainstream by aiming to educate consumers and empower farmers.
