Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Prahlad Singh Patel said that under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi, efforts are being made to popularize Anna (Millets) worldwide, and the whole world is celebrating 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Patel was speaking at the inaugural function of the National Conference on Plant-Based Foods organized by ASSOCHAM in New Delhi.

Prahlad Singh Patel, while describing coarse grains as an ideal food, said that at one time, a section of the world had sidelined it by calling it food for the poor and birds, but today it is being said to be better for health all over the world and the year 2023 has been declared as the International Millet Year.

Prahlad Singh Patel said, "In the name of food security, we were taken away from our traditional food habits, but today we need to pay attention to our past and traditions. Coarse grains like maize, millet, and wheat, rice were included in our diet, and history is a witness to this. Today the world has stamped on the same food, and we should be proud of it. The world is battling with diabetes, cholesterol, and many other diseases, the coarse grain being an ideal food to keep diseases away. After the increase in health awareness, the trend of people in the country and the world towards plant-based foods is increasing."

During the conference, the promotion of plant-based foods to accelerate the food processing industry was discussed, and it was acknowledged that there is a huge potential for market development in this sector.