Awareness Program On Millet Exports Cum Buyer-Seller Meet Held In Guwahati

HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 9: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in association with the Federation of Industry & Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) organised an awareness program on ‘Millet Exports Cum Buyer Seller Meet’ on Wednesday, in NeDFI Convention Center at Guwahati.

Sunita Rai, regional head-NER, APEDA in her welcome speech informed the United Nations General Assembly adoption of an India-sponsored resolution to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The government of India is committed to promoting millets and their cultivation. India is one of the leading producers and suppliers of millet. The main millet-growing states in India are Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, however, production of millet in the north-eastern states is very low. States like Assam have initiated the Assam Millets Mission (AMM) for seven years starting 2022-23. Globally, India is the largest producer of millet followed by Niger and Nigeria. India is among the top 5 exporters of millet in the world. The world export of millet has increased from USD 400 million in 2020 to USD 470 million in 2021.

India exported millets worth USD 64.28 million in the year 2021-22, against USD 59.75 million in 2020-21, however, the share of millet based value-added products is negligible.

While speaking at the event, chief guest, Jyotish Talukdar, APEDA Authority Member, spoke on the opportunities in millet production in Assam. He informed that the Government of Assam has been intensely pursuing the farmers with the view to expanding and increasing millet cultivation in the state and the Government of Assam has initiated Assam Millet Mission 2022-23 across the state. In his speech informed about the initiative of the PM that 2023 will be a Millet Year. He requested APEDA, NCDC, NABARD, Assam Govt, and FINER to join hands and work together to make this Millet Mission a success.

The program was followed by technical sessions from APEDA, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), and APART, dept of Agriculture, government of Assam followed by Buyer Seller Meet.