Colourful patterns created using millet grains adorned the tableau of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, celebrating the International Year of Millets declared by the United Nations.
The tractor in front of the tableau was decorated with a rangoli of millets -- ivory coloured jowar, gray-brown pearls of bajra and deep red ragi grains -- showcasing a combination of traditional farming and modernity.
Grown in large parts of the country, millets have emerged as superfoods, enabling farmers to earn from their cultivation and new found popularity.
India is a global leader in the production of millets with a harvest of 17.9 million tonnes in 2020-21 from across 21 states.
Millets are grown on about 12.5 million hectares of farm land across the country and India accounts for more than 15 per cent share of the world's total production.
ICAR through the Indian Institute of Millets Research has, so far, succeeded in developing many bio-fortified varieties and novel products for the benefit of farmers and society, an official said.
The tableau of ICAR showcased the flourishing crops of jowar, bajra, ragi, kutki and sanwa, besides new nutritional millet products.