Popularise nutritional values of millets, says Collector

Tirupati: District Collector K Venkataramana Reddy underlined the importance of giving wide publicity to the nutritional values of millets. Inaugurating an exhibition on nutritious food items made of millets held at the Collectorate complex on Friday, he said the United Nations has declared the year 2022-23 as the International year of Millets.

As part of creating awareness on the importance of millets, the exhibition has been organised in Tirupati as well. He said people use more rice and wheat which have high amounts of carbohydrates making the people starve and cause obesity. There is a need to spread awareness among people about the importance of millets which contain rich fibre and good nutrients, which will be good for the health, he stated.

Accordingly, competitions of cooking nutritious food with millets have also been organised. He along with joint collector DK Balaji examined various food items from the participants and tasted them. In the programme, DRDA PD A D Jyoti, MEPMA PD Radhamma, ICDS PD Jayalakshmi, officials Prabhavathi and Pattabhi Reddy, members of women's associations, ICDS and Anganwadi teachers participated.

One of the participants in the exhibition Saraswathi of Chinna Gottigallu mandal said that the food is becoming harmful with the pesticides being used. To avoid this everyone should start natural farming on which a largescale awareness is required. Another participant Ragamma of RC Puram mandal said that she has been working as a master trainer in natural farming and creating awareness among farmers on cultivating millets.