Live cooking, visit to a jowar-bajra field among various events planned for G20 leaders’ spouses

These crops were sown in the month of June so that they become ready by the time of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September, said the sources. They said some of the crops are at the grain formation stage, while others are at different stages of maturity.

The G20 leaders’ spouses are also expected to interact with women millet farmers and entrepreneurs. Other activities like live cooking demonstrations, millet street and millet rangoli are also planned.

The sources said the purpose of these events is to showcase India’s strength of agri start-ups ecosystem and achievements in the field of research and development. Top officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, including Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja and Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) Secretary Himanshu Pathak, have held several meetings to oversee the preparations for the special visit of the G20 leaders’ spouses to the IARI campus. According to the sources, the spouses are also expected to visit the Nanaji Deshmukh Plant Phenomics Centre at IARI-Pusa, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2017.

Sources said the focus of the G20 leaders’ spouses visit to IARI-Pusa will be on “climate resilient agriculture, millets and food security”. This is significant in view of the celebration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

Sources said heavy security arrangements have been made at IARI-Pusa in view of the G20 leaders’ spouses visit to the complex. About 5,000 police personnel have been deployed in and around the area.

It is learnt that the spouses will also visit Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat. Sources said once the leaders reach the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC), their spouses will go to attend these activities in the Capital.

According to the sources, a traditional welcome and lunch programme has been organised at the NGMA for the spouses. They are also expected to have a shopping experience at an exhibition of the curated Indian craft products.