Efficient processing key for strengthening millet value chain: Official

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Improved varieties, better shelf life, efficient processing and access to markets are all vital for strengthening the millet value chain, a senior Agriculture Ministry official said on Sunday.

"We must carry out R&D in all areas of the value chain of millets and bring together the knowledge of production, processing and storage and make it available to the consumer," Joint Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry Vijaya Lakshmi Nadendla said addressing a plenary session at the Global Millets Conference.

The government is propagating millets cultivation and increasing demand, it is expected that more women will get engaged in the cultivation of millets, thereby leading to a need for skilling and capacity building, she said at another session at the conference.

She said the government is "exclusively promoting 100 per cent Women FPOs" and issued a guideline for the inclusion of "one woman on the Board of Directors of each FPO".

On the occasion, ITC Ltd Group Head (Agri & IT Businesses) Sivakumar S emphasised synchronisation of the millets value chain as a critical requirement for scaling millets, an official release said.

In this regard, "Millets stakeholder partnerships are vital to creating such synchronisation", he said.

Manoj Juneja, Deputy Executive Director and CFO, World Food Programme (WFP), underlined that millet is crucial for food and nutritional security, promoting biodiversity and empowering farmers. "It's high time we revive the brand of millets and foster resilient food systems," he said.

Just Organik Founder and Managing Director Pankaj Agarwal called for "collaborative participation from all the stakeholders, starting from seed companies to farmers and chefs to markets and finally the consumers themselves".