Vipin Kumar, Director, Directorate of Public Interface, DRDO, Vipul Gupta, Director (admin), Office of DG (Life Sciences), DFRL Director Anil Dutt Semwal and other dignitaries releasing brochures of the conference on ‘Millets for Military Ration and Specific Nutritional Requirements’ which will be held in September, at the Open Day at DFRL in Mysuru on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken a significant step towards promoting millet consumption. By introducing millet flours into the soldiers’ rations, the MoD ensures that they receive nutritious and traditional grains.
In this connection, the Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysuru, is organising a conference — Millets for Military Ration and Specific Nutritional Requirements (MMRSNR) — on September 29 and 30 to deliberate on scientific facts for the adoption of millets as a staple food for defence personnel.
“Millets are abundant in essential amino acids, micro-nutrients, and various bio active compounds, making them an invaluable resource for combating lifestyle disorders, and boosting the wellbeing of troops. Incorporating millets into the defence ration not only improves the soldiers’ nutritional intake but also contributes to their overall satisfaction and morale,” says a note on MMRSNR.
Under the MoD’s initiative, millets will become an integral part of daily meals of all ranks. The government has sanctioned the procurement of millet flours and the inclusion of upto 25% of the authorized entitlement of cereals, including rice and wheat atta. “This move represents a significant stride towards enhancing the nutritional profile of soldiers’ diet and embracing the benefits of millets,” according to the conference note.
According to the organisers, the conference will cater to information pertaining to various millets grown in India, their consumption pattern, health benefits with special reference to combat feeding, and performance enhancement of the troops.
The MMRSNR aims at identifying innovative ways to integrate millets into the diet of army personnel for improved health performance and endurance, and facilitate discussions on millets-based enterprises among research organisations, government agencies, policy makers, and supply chain managers through presentations and experience sharing.
It will explore issues like millets for ecological balance, sustainable agro processing practices at terrains of troops’ deployment and identifying and resolving the challenges in millet processing, preservation and storage for sustained nutritional and food security.
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