Passage (Questions 96-100)
Millets, once the staple food of large parts of India, are making a quiet comeback. These small-seeded grasses grow in poor soil, need far less water than rice or wheat and withstand heat and drought, which makes them well suited to a warming planet. They are also rich in fibre, iron and calcium. For decades, however, subsidised rice and wheat pushed millets to the margins, and many families came to regard them as the food of the poor. Recent campaigns by governments and chefs have tried to change this image by promoting millet-based snacks and recipes. Farmers, though, remain cautious: unless markets offer them reliable prices, they say, it is risky to shift away from the crops they know.
According to the passage, why did millets decline in popularity?
- AThey could not grow in poor soil.
- BSubsidised rice and wheat pushed them aside and they came to be seen as food of the poor.
- CThey were harmful to health.
- DChefs refused to cook them.
Correct answer: B