The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has constructed the new road map to promote the millet and millet products, this time enormous support comes from Indian Institute for Millet Research (IIMR), that will be helping in fortification and give a detailed recipe for the best use of Millets. The collaboration comes next to the gradual surge in demand from outside Indian sub-continent, that has been seen in recent times.
The other stakeholders like National Institute Nutrition, CFTRI and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will also aid in perspective planning of five years for promotion of millets and millet products. In this regard, a meeting was organised by APEDA with IIMR on December 2, 2020, under the chairmanship of Chairman, APEDA.
APEDA is mending up new plans to boost the export several folds in the upcoming five year term from 2021-26. It will strictly broaden its export quantity and enable the stakeholders to help reach the aim of expansion.
Further, efforts would be made on identification of millet clusters, creation of platform to consolidate farmers, FPOs, Exporters, Associations, other stakeholders and identification of new Potential International Markets for promotion of Indian Millets.
Millet is a common term to categorise small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals, and includes Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Ragi, Small Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet and other millets. Millets are the cereal crops generally small-seeded and known for high nutritive value. Increasing interest in reviving the consumption of millets across various countries is favouring the growth prospects of this product in recent years within the country and for exports as well.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.
It provides financial assistance, information, guidelines towards the development of scheduled products. The products specified under the APEDA ACT are called schedule products and exporters of such scheduled products are required register under APEDA.