Bengaluru: The Kumaraswamy government is mulling to introduce millets in the mid-day meals and Indira canteens in Karnataka in a bid to promote the crop.
Agriculture Minister Shivashankar Reddy said that the government has decided to speak to the multinational companies (MNCs) to include the same in their canteens.
"Rural areas consume millets and we need to push it among the urban population as well. We also want to increase its sale in urban areas. Hence, MNCs will also be requested to introduce millet meal once a day in their canteens," Reddy said.
The idea is also to promote organic farming and encourage the nutritious value of millets by including it in mid-day meals.
The Agriculture Minister also claimed that the food habits of today lead to several health problems and millet is one of the solutions to that.
"It will be introduced on a weekly basis and once the availability is stabilised, it will be included everyday in the meals," said Home Minister G Parameshwara.
Bengaluru is to host The Organics and Millets International Trade Fair 2019 from January 18-20.
Millet-based drinks are currently provided in some of the government schools in Karnataka.
The government was in a controversy recently after it had mandated the use of garlic in mid-day meals that left one of the largest providers of mid-day meals, Akshayapatra, in the defense as the latter does not include garlic in the meals.
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