Govt comes out with action plan to promote millet export, value-added products of millets

Government's apex agricultural export promotion body, Apeda, has prepared a comprehensive strategy to promote Indian millets exports across the globe, commencing December 2022, according to a statement from commerce ministry.

The millets export promotion programme also comes at the backdrop of the proposal of India that was supported by 72 countries which lead to the United Nations' General Assembly (UNGA) declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYoM) on March 5, 2021. The commerce ministry said the government was currently organising IYoM-2023 at domestic and international level to popularise Indian millets as well as its value-added products across the world and make it a peoples' movement.

For exports of Indian millets' promotion, the Centre has planned to facilitate participation of exporters, farmers and traders in 16 international trade expos and buyer-seller meets (BSMs).

Indian missions abroad would be roped in branding and publicity of Indian millets, identification of international chefs as well as potential buyers such as departmental stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets for organising business-to-business (B2B) meetings and direct tie-ups, according to the statement.

In addition, Ambassadors of foreign missions in India of the targeted countries and potential importers would also be invited to showcase various millet-based products, including ready to eat millet products and facilitate B2B meetings, the ministry said.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) has planned to organise millet promotional activities in South Africa, Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Sydney, Belgium, Germany, the UK and the US by facilitating participation of different stakeholders from India in some of the significant food shows, BSMs and roadshows.

As part of the promotion of Indian millets, Apeda has planned to showcase millets and its value added product at various global platforms such as Gulfood 2023, Foodex, Seoul Food and Hotel Show, Saudi Agro Food, Fine Food Show in Sydney (Australia), Belgium's Food and Beverages Show, Germany's BioFach and Anuga Food Fair, San Francisco's Winter Fancy Food Show, etc.

The pre-launch of IYoM-2023 is scheduled for December 5, 2022, involving stakeholders of the supply chain such as food producer organisations (FPOs), start-ups, exporters, producers of millet-based value-added products. Besides, BSMs would also be organised in the countries of Indonesia, Japan, the UK, etc to promote Indian millets.

Apeda would also organise food sampling and tasting at the retail level and in key local bazaars of targeted countries where individual and household consumers can gain familiarity with millet products, the ministry said.

The Centre has developed 30 e-catalogues on each of the targeted countries comprising information on various Indian millets and the range of their value-added products available for export, list of active exporters, start-ups, FPOs and importer/retail chain/hypermarkets, etc, that to be circulated to the Indian embassies abroad, importers, exporters, startups and stakeholders.

The government has also started formulating five-year strategic plan for the promotion of millets and value-added millet products in the international market in association with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

India is one of the leading producers of millet in the world with an estimated share of around 41 per cent in global production. As per FAO, world production of millets in the year 2020 was 30.464 million tonne (mt) and India's share was 12.49 mt, which accounts for 41 percent of the total millet production. India recorded 27 per cent growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to millet production in the previous year was 15.92 mt.

( With inputs from ANI )