1-Jan-2023: International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 kick starts with Focussed Activities being undertaken by Central Ministries, State Governments and Indian Embassies

Spearheaded by the Prime Minister, the Government of India sponsored the proposal for International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 which was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The declaration has been instrumental for the Government of India to be at the forefront in celebrating the IYM. The PM of India, Shri Narendra Modi has also shared his vision to make IYM 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’ alongside positioning India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’.

‘Millets’ were among the first crops to be domesticated in India with several evidence of its consumption during the Indus valley civilization. Being grown in more than 130 countries at present, Millets are considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa. In India, millets are primarily a kharif crop, requiring less water and agricultural inputs than other similar staples. Millets are important by the virtue of its mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income and ensure food & nutritional security all over the world.

Recognising the enormous potential of Millets, which also aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Government of India (GoI) has prioritized Millets. In April 2018, Millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals”, followed by the year 2018 being declared as the National Year of Millets, aiming at larger promotion and demand generation. The global millets market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period between 2021-2026.

On 6th December 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, organized an opening ceremony for the International Year of Millets – 2023 at Rome, Italy. The event was attended by a delegation of senior government officials from India. Next in the series, prior to the year-long celebration of ‘International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023’, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare hosted a special ‘Millet Luncheon’ for the Members of the Parliament at the Parliament house.

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has taken a proactive multi-stakeholder engagement approach (engaging all the central government ministries, states/UTs, farmers, start-ups, exporters, retail businesses, hotels, Indian Embassies etc.) to achieve the aim of IYM 2023 and taking Indian millets globally. Ministries, states and Indian embassies have been allocated focussed months in 2023 to carry out various activities for promotion of IYM and increase awareness about benefits of millets for the Consumer, Cultivator and Climate.

Among central ministries, the activities related to IYM for the month of January 2023 will be kick started by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of India. The ministry has planned 15 activities over 15 days in January which include engaging sports persons, nutritionists and fitness experts through video messages, conducting webinars on millets with leading nutritionists, dieticians and elite athletes, promotion amplification through Fit India App, etc. Some of the other ministries which have planned events in January are Ministry of Food Processing Industries which will be organizing Millet Fair-cum-exhibitions in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; FSSAI will organize Eat Right Melas in Punjab, Kerala and Tamil Nadu etc.

With respect to states, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Rajasthan have been allocated the month of January for carrying out specific activities for sensitization and promotion of IYM. The states will be conducting millet centric activities including mahotsavs/ melas and food festivals, training of farmers, awareness campaigns, workshops/ seminars, placement of hoardings and distribution of promotional material at various key locations in the state, etc. Other states that are organizing similar activities in the month of January include Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Punjab.

During January 2023, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and DA&FW will be participating in the Trade Show in Belgium wherein a multi-stakeholder delegation with representatives from DA&FW, APEDA, start-ups, exporters and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) will showcase the diversity of Indian millets through RTE and RTC millet-based products marketed by Indian companies, B2B, B2G interactions etc.

Moreover, Embassies of India across more than 140 countries will be participating in celebration of IYM during 2023 by conducting side events on IYM involving the Indian Diaspora through exhibition, seminars, talks, panel discussions, etc. In January, Embassy of India in Azerbaijan and Embassy of India in Belarus will be conducting activities such as B2B meeting with the participation of local chambers, food bloggers, importers of food items and local restaurants etc. Cooked Millets dish exhibitions/ contests will be organized with the help of Indian diaspora and Millets dishes will be served as part of the Republic Day celebrations. The High Commission of India in Abuja and Consulate General of India in Lagos, as part of promotion of IYM, have planned a Millets Food Festival and a Millets Food preparation competition in January 2023. The Millets Food Festival would be held at the High Commission premises and provide stalls for preparation with invitees including both Nigerian dignitaries and Indian community.

Towards this endeavour, through a collaborative approach, the DA&FW urges everyone including the International Organizations, Academia, Hotels, Media, Indian Diaspora, Start-up communities, Civil Society, and all others in the Millets value-chain to come forward and join hands to revive the forgotten glory of ‘Miracle Millets’ through the grand celebration of International Year of Millets - 2023.

Millets are also an integral part of the G-20 meetings and delegates will be given a true millet experience through tasting, meeting farmers and interactive sessions with start-ups and FPOs.

The spirit of the whole of government approach is truly being seen in the celebration of the International Year of Millets 2023.

16-Dec-2022: Roundtable of Secretary, M/o Food Processing Industries with Central Ministries and Government Departments on activities related to IYOM & Mega Food Event 2023

Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Smt Anita Praveen chaired a roundtable interaction with senior officials from central ministries and departments on 15th December, 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan Annexe, New Delhi. This was the third session in the series of roundtable interactions which are being held with key stakeholders such as major agri-food companies, resident commissioners of States and UTs.

The roundtable witnessed participation from the senior officials of central government ministries and departments from Agri Food and allied sectors.

During the keynote address, Secretary, FPI informed the officials that the Mega Food Event will be organized between 16-18 October, 2023 in New Delhi. The event is planned to be on a larger scale than the event earlier organised by the Ministry in 2017. She emphasized that the mega event will provide an opportunity for stakeholders such as producers, food processors, equipment manufacturers, logistics players, cold chain players, technology providers, Start-up &innovators, food retailors etc. to showcase their strength of Indian Food Processing Sector, Central Ministries and departments of allied sectors will have an opportunity to showcase their technological advancements and achievements in front of domestic and global investor fraternity.

While the Mega food event will focus on all segments of Food Processing Sector, this will have a specific focus on promoting millets and millets based products owing to International Year of Millets - 2023. Through this event, the Ministry envisages to spread awareness about food richness of India, immense scope of investment in India’s Food and Food Processing Industry Sector, role of millets in sustainable agriculture and food security and its benefits as super food in the contemporary world.

All the central ministries and departments were requested to share suggestions on the planned sessions of the Mega Food Event and participate in the event actively as well as support the Ministry in awareness creation, embark participation of senior policy makers, financial institutions, agri-food companies, FPOs / SHGs and all relevant stakeholders to make the event a grand success.

The participating officials assured support to MoFPI in all activities planned as a precursor to the Mega Food Event 2023. Some of the suggestions / feedback given by the officials included dovetailing promotional activities for better outreach and harnessing mutual gains, jointly organising buyer-seller meets, etc.

Secretary, FPI concluded her remarks by urging all stakeholders to join hands in making the event a success by leveraging their respective strengths and extending additional support via combined National and International promotional activities through respective social media handles and bi-lateral engagements. She also opined that through the event the ministry aims to showcase India as a Global Food Supply Hub.

Further, the Investment Facilitation Cell (Invest India) was directed to coordinate with the respective ministries and departments for facilitating the discussed action plan and seek necessary support from government bodies.

10-Dec-2022: Roundtable of Secretary, FPI with Resident Commissioners on the activities related to IYOM & Mega Food Event 2023

Secretary, FPI chaired a roundtable interaction with Resident Commissioners on Thursday 8th December 2022 at 11:00 AM. The agenda of the roundtable was to apprise the Ministry’s plan of action for the proposed Mega Food Event to States / UTs and discuss possible areas of collaborations.

During the keynote address, Secretary, FPI informed the RCs that the mega event would be organized in October 2023 and is being envisaged on a much larger scale than the event earlier organised by the Ministry. This event would be providing a platform for the States and UTs to showcase State / UT-specific opportunities, interact with global and domestic business leaders, suppliers, purchasers, and technology providers for collaborations, and generate investment & sourcing interests across the value chain of food processing and food retail sectors.

All States / UTs were requested to share feedback / suggestions to make the event a grand success. They were also requested to participate actively in the event, as well as support the Ministry in creating awareness, ensuring participation of senior policy makers, agri-food companies, FPOs / SHGs and all relevant stakeholders in the mega food event.

The participants were also informed that as part of ‘International Year of Millets’, a series of activities are being planned by the Ministry to create awareness about the many benefits of millets and millet based value-added products.

All participating RCs assured support to MoFPI in activities planned throughout the year 2023 and during the Mega Food Event 2023. Some of the suggestions / feedback included requirements of focused campaigning of the mega food event as well as benefits of millets domestically & in international expos, organising district level summits in addition to planned summits and expos in State Capitals which would help in onboarding micro entrepreneurs, FPOs, SHGs; showcasing of traditional aspects, possible association with tourism industry for promotion of the mega event etc.

The Investment Facilitation Cell (Invest India) was advised to coordinate with the States and UTs for implementing the identified plan of action and ensuring necessary support to enable active participation of States / UTs.

Secretary, FPI urged all States and UTs to engage with the Ministry for showcasing the strength of Indian food processing sector as well as actively participate in to avail the maximum benefits of the mega event.

6-Dec-2022: PM’s message during opening ceremony of International Year of Millets at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi conveyed his message at the opening ceremony of the International Year of Millets at the headquarters of the Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome, Italy today. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ms. Shobha Karandlaje represented India at the opening ceremony in Rome and read out the Prime Minister’s message to the august gathering. It is the Prime Minister’s vision and initiative that led to the United Nations General Assembly declaring the year 2023 ‘International Year of Millets’ with support from more than 70 nations across the globe. It will help in creating awareness throughout the world about the significant role of millets in sustainable agriculture and its benefits as a smart and superfood.

The Prime Minister congratulated the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation for the launch of the International Year of Millets 2023 and expressed appreciation to member nations for their support in marking the International Year of Millets.

Informing that millets are among the earliest crops grown by humans and have been an important source of nutrients, the Prime Minister emphasized making it a food choice for the future. Highlighting the challenges of food security, the Prime Minister mentioned the once-in-a-century pandemic and the arising conflicts around the world. He also touched upon how climate change is affecting food availability.

Marking that a global movement related to millets is an important step in the direction of food security, the Prime Minister informed that millets are easy to grow, climate resilient and drought resistant. He further added that millets are a rich source of balanced nutrition, compatible with natural ways of farming and need less water. The Prime Minister remarked, “Millets are good for the consumer, cultivator and climate.”

Stressing the need for diversity on the land and at the dining table, the Prime Minister informed that our health is impacted if agriculture becomes monoculture and pointed out that millets are a good way to increase agricultural and dietary diversity. While concluding his message, the Prime Minister touched upon raising awareness to create ‘Millet Mindfulness’ and highlighted the tremendous role that institutions and individuals can play. He added that while institutional mechanisms can encourage the production of millets and make it profitable via policy initiatives, individuals can make health-conscious and planet-friendly choices by making millets a part of their diet.

The Prime Minister’s message on the occasion can be found below:

“I would like to congratulate the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation for the launch of the International Year of Millets 2023.

I also express my appreciation to the different member nations who supported our proposal to mark the International Year of Millets.

Millets have a glorious history of being among the earliest crops grown by humans. They have been an important food source in the past. But the need of the hour is to make them a food choice for the future!

A once-in-a-century pandemic followed by a conflict situation has shown that food security is still a concern for the planet. Climate change can also impact food availability.

At such a time, a global movement related to millets is an important step, since they are easy to grow, climate resilient and drought resistant.

Millets are good for the consumer, cultivator and climate. They are a rich source of balanced nutrition for consumers. They benefit cultivators and our environment since they need lesser water and are compatible with natural ways of farming.

There is a need for diversity on the land and on our tables. If agriculture becomes monoculture, it impacts our health and the health of our lands. Millets are a good way to increase agricultural and dietary diversity.

Raising awareness to create 'Millet Mindfulness' is an important part of this movement. Both institutions and individuals can make a tremendous impact.

While institutional mechanisms can encourage production of millets and make it profitable via policy initiatives, individuals can make health-conscious and planet-friendly choices by making millets a part of their diet.

I am positive that the International Year of Millets 2023 will start a mass movement towards a secure, sustainable and healthy future.”

Background

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 ‘International Year of Millets’. It is the Prime Minister’s vision and initiative that led to this United Nations Resolution being adopted with support from more than 70 nations across the globe. It will help in creating awareness throughout the world about the significant role of millets in sustainable agriculture and its benefits as a smart and superfood. India is poised to become the global hub for millets with a production of more than 170 lakh tonnes which makes for more than 80 % of the millets produced in Asia. The earliest evidence for these grains has been found in the Indus civilization and was one of the first plants to be domesticated for food. It is grown in about 131 countries and is the traditional food for around 60 crore people in Asia & Africa.

The Government of India has declared to celebrate IYOM, 2023 to make it a people’s movement so that the Indian millets, recipes, and value-added products are accepted globally. The ‘International Year of Millets’ stands to provide a unique opportunity to increase global production, ensure efficient processing and consumption, promote better utilization of crop rotations and encourage better connectivity throughout food systems to promote millets as a key component of the food basket.

The FAO in a brief message said that the Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 hosted by the FAO aims to raise awareness and create momentum for the IYM 2023 by engaging FAO Members and other relevant stakeholders and highlighting the benefits of promoting the sustainable cultivation and consumption of millets.

6-Dec-2022: FAO Opening Ceremony of International Year of Millets 2023 held in Rome, Italy

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, organized an opening ceremony for the International Year of Millets – 2023 (IYM2023) in Rome, Italy. An Indian delegation led by Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare along with Smt. Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops), DA&FW and other senior officials were present at the opening ceremony. During the event, India’s ceremonial message by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was conveyed by Sushri Shobha Karandlaje.

Sushri Shobha Karandlaje conveyed PM Modi’s compliments to the United Nations for declaring the Year 2023 as the International Year of Millets. PM, through his message, thanked the global community for supporting India’s proposal to mark the International Year of Millets (IYM). It was mentioned that Millets are good for the consumer, cultivator and climate. Millets are nutritious and can be cultivated in semi-arid zones besides consuming less water for irrigation. There is need for diversity on our land and our dining tables. Raising awareness to create ‘Millet Mindfulness’ is an important part of this movement.

Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, in her speech, said nations need to collaborate to develop a sustainable future, and millets will play a pivotal role in the process. There is an opportunity to contribute to the future well-being of mankind by bringing back ancient food grains through IYM. India will steer the IYM2023 celebrations worldwide and organise campaigns to promote the cultivation and consumption of Millets, both in India and abroad during the next year.

Sushri Shobha Karandlaje said the IYM2023 will lead India towards Food and Nutritional Security. Millets are considered 'Smart Food' as they are easy to cultivate, mostly organic and contains high nutritional value, she said. With PM Modi’s vision of “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam” (The World is One Family), the IYM2023 celebration is an opportunity for India to promote Nutri-cereal Millets globally and place them in the world's 'food map', she added.

Speaking on the occasion, Director General, FAO Mr. QU Dongyu said the IYM2023 will provide us with a unique opportunity to give visibility to crops that have great potential to strengthen global nutrition, food security, decent jobs & economies, while accelerating Climate Action. Millets are basically Asian crops, climate resilient, lead to sustainable development and help ensure Food Security & Nutrition for all, he said.

In his message on the occasion, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said the IYM2023 will provide an opportunity to increase global production, efficient processing and better use of crop rotation and promotion of millets as a major component of the food basket.

At the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in New Delhi, Minister of State, Shri Kailash Choudhary, attended the virtual opening ceremony event and addressed the senior officials of the ministry. Shri Kailash Choudhary stressed upon adopting millets as part of daily diet and spreading awareness throughout the country highlighting the benefits of millets. He called upon all to popularize Millets, making a beginning with their own kitchen. A pledge to include millets in their everyday food was also undertaken on the occasion.

To mark the significance of the day in India, several initiatives have been taken by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW). These include an extensive social media campaign on the importance of Millets in Indian context, showcasing Government’s collective effort for sustaining the momentum, citizen engagement drives involving all other Ministries and several other outreach activities to celebrate IYM.

Spearheaded by the Prime Minister, the Government of India sponsored the proposal for International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 which was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The declaration has been instrumental for the Government of India to be at the forefront in celebrating the IYM. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also shared his vision to make IYM 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’ alongside positioning India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’.

In the backdrop of the UNGA adoption of India-sponsored resolution International Year of Millets - 2023, the DA&FW aims to promote cultivation and consumption of Millets at a larger scale and bring it to the entire globe.

Recognising the enormous potential of Millets, which also aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Government of India (GoI) has prioritized Millets. A sub-mission on National Food Security Mission – Nutri Cereals was implemented considering the high-nutritive value, potential for economic empowerment of small & marginal farmers and contribution in maintaining the earth’s biodiversity; in April 2018, Millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals”, and the year 2018 was declared as the National Year of Millets, aiming at larger promotion and demand generation.

Towards this endeavour, through a collaborative approach, the GoI urges everyone including the Indian embassies, International Organizations, Academia, Hotels, Media, Indian Diaspora, Start-up communities, Civil Society, and all others in the Millets value-chain to come forward and join hands to revive the forgotten glory of ‘Miracle Millets’ through the grand celebration of International Year of Millets - 2023.

‘Millets’ were among the first crops to be domesticated in India with several evidence of its’ consumption during the Indus valley civilization. Being grown in more than 130 countries at present, Millets are considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa. In India, millets are primarily a kharif crop, requiring less water and agricultural inputs than other similar staples. Millets are important by the virtue of its mammoth potential to generate livelihood, increase farmers’ income and ensure food & nutritional security all over the world.

24-Nov-2022: International Year of Millets (IYOM) – 2023 will provide an opportunity to globally promote millets as the nutritious cereals – Shri Narendra Singh Tomar

The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said the International Year of Millets (IYOM) – 2023 will provide an opportunity to increase global production, efficient processing and better use of crop rotation and promote millets as a major component of the food basket. Shri Tomar said that on the initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millet (IYOM).

“Through this, our aim is to increase the domestic and global consumption of Millets,” said Shri Tomar, addressing the High Commissioners/Ambassadors based in Delhi during the Luncheon hosted jointly by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of External Affairs as a pre-launch celebration of the IYOM23.

Shri Tomar said the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is working in mission mode to increase millet production and consumption in collaboration with other Central Ministries, all State Governments and other stakeholder organizations.

“The time has come for the Public Distribution System to shift the focus of distribution programs from basic calories to provide a more diverse food basket that includes millets to improve the nutritional status of pre-school children and women of reproductive age,” he said.

Considering the nutritional value of millets, Shri Tomar said the Government of India had notified millet as a nutritious -cereal in April-2018 and millet has also been included under the Poshan Mission campaign.

Under the National Food Security Mission (NFMS), nutritious cereal component for Millets is being implemented in 212 districts of 14 States. Apart from this, many types of assistance is given to the farmers by the states.

Shri Tomar said funding is also being done by the Ministry of Agriculture for supporting sustainable production, creating awareness for higher consumption, developing market and value chain and research-development activities.

The Union Agriculture Minister said more than 66 Startups have been given more than Rs.6.25 crore, while 25 Startups have been approved for further funding. “Government is providing support to Start-up entrepreneurs for recipes and value-added products to promote consumption of millet,” he said.

India has more than 500 startups working in the millet value-added chain, while Indian Institute of Millets Research has incubated 250 startups under RKVY-Raftaar.

Shri Tomar said the NITI Aayog and the World Food Program intend to identify and solve the challenges in a systematic and effective manner. “The partnership will focus on mainstreaming millets and support India in taking the lead globally in knowledge exchange using the opportunities in the form of the International Year of Millets,” he said.

Addressing the High Commissioners/Ambassadors based in Delhi, Minister of External Affairs, Shri S. Jaishankar said, Millets have increasing relevance in the world today in the backdrop of COVID, climate change, and conflicts.

Dr Jaishankar stressed that millets are important for food security as well as international relations. He said COVID was a period that reminded the world what a pandemic could do to food security. He said climate changes can lower production and disrupt trade. He suggested that in international relations, much greater attention ought to be given to food security.

In his address, Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Manoj Ahuja said, pandemic has brough increased focus on the needs to augment the income of small and marginal farmers and millet can be one of the best options for the same. He said, climate friendly crop millet can be grown with less water consumption, less carbon emission and even in drought.

Millet is a storehouse of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. International Year of Millets will raise awareness about the contribution of millets for Food Security and Nutrition, motivate stakeholders for continuous production and quality improvement of millets and attract attention to increase investment in research and development services.

Asia and Africa are the major production and consumption centres of millet crops. India, Niger, Sudan and Nigeria are the major producer of millet.

Jowar and Proso Millets (Common Millet) are the most cultivated millets in the 112 and 35 countries respectively. Sorghum and pearl millets covers more than 90% area and production. Remaining production comes from Ragi (Finger Millets), Cheena (Proso Millets), Foxtail Millets (Kangni) and other non-segregated millets.

India is the major production country of Millet in which Kangni, Kutki or small millet, Kodon, Gangora or Barnyard, china and Brown top are included with Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and small millets. Most of the states in India grow one or more millet crop species. During the last 5 years, our country produced more than 13.71 to 18 million tonnes of millets with the highest production in 2020-21.

According to the fourth advance estimates for the year 2021-22, about 16 million tonnes millets have been produced in India, which is about 5 percent of the national food grain basket. It has the highest market share of 9.62 million tonnes, followed by jowar with a production of 4.23 million tonnes. Ragi is another important millet, which contributes to the production of 1.70 million tonnes and the production of other millets is 0.37 million tonnes.

Millets provide an alternative food system in times of increasing demand for vegetarian foods. Millets contribute to a balanced diet as well as a safe environment. These are the gifts of nature to mankind.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has taken several initiatives to promote domestic and international millets. A series of pre-launch programs and initiatives were also organized on the MyGov platform for the International Year of Millet 2023 to create awareness and a sense of public participation about this ancient nutritious grain (millet). MyGov has become a very important and successful medium for raising awareness through contests.

Minister of State for External Affairs Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi, Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi, Secretary, West, Shri Sanjay Verma and about 100 High Commissioners/Ambassadors based in Delhi and senior officials of both the Ministry took part in the event. 

16-Nov-2022: Roundtable of Secretary, M/o Food Processing Industries with leading Agri-Food companies on the activities related to International Year of Millets & Mega Food Event 2023

Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Union Government has taken path-breaking measures towards becoming Aatma Nirbhar and promotion of Vocal for Local. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been following the pathway to drive the seamless growth of the food processing sector at full capacity.

Several steps have been taken such as Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLIS), Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME Scheme), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to create modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management, enhance manufacturing & exports, upgrade small & micro units in the informal sector which will create huge employment opportunities as well as boost farmers income.

The food and allied industry have also been witnessing new era of opportunities with various segments such as millets / nutri-cereals (super food of India), ready to eat / cook, frozen foods etc. as champion segments.

As The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’, a series of events and initiatives are being organized by concerned Ministries / Departments to create awareness and inspire all stakeholders to work towards improving the production and productivity of the climate-resilient and nutritious millets across the globe.

As the Ministry of Food Processing Industries is uniquely placed amongst all stakeholders i.e., producers, food processors, equipment manufacturers, logistics players, cold chain players, technology providers, Start-up & innovators, food retailers etc., the Ministry has proposed to organize a mega food event with a focus on millets, for showcasing the myriad opportunities in millets processing & value-addition as well as opportunities available in other champion segments for all relevant stakeholders.

As a prelude to the same, Secretary, M/o FPI, Smt. Anita Praveen chaired a Roundtable Interaction with leading industry players in the Agri and food processing sector on 16th November 2022 at 10:30 am. The agenda of the roundtable was to apprise the Ministry’s plan of action as well as gather inputs of the industry players for the series of events to be organized throughout the year until the proposed Mega Food Event. The roundtable witnessed participation from NIFTEMS and over 25 prominent industry players in the Agri food sector covering sub-segments such as RTE/C, Millets, F&V, Marine, Dairy and Nutraceuticals.

During the keynote address, Secretary, FPI informed the industry participants that the event organized in 2023 is being envisaged on a larger scale and would be providing a platform to explore Indian market across the value chain in food processing and food retail.

Through this event, MoFPI is planning to popularize Nutri-cereals globally, owing to its health benefits. In lieu of the same, the industry members recommended organizing international and national campaigns, expos, food & culinary festivals and research collaboration with NIFTEMs on sustainability.

4-Oct-2022: MoU signed between Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and NAFED to boost International Year of Millets (IYOM)-2023

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited in New Delhi yesterday to boost the initiative visioned by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to promote Millets towards celebration of the International Year of Millets 2023.

Both organizations will work together for the promotion and marketing of millet-based products, keeping in view the initiative of “International Year of Millets (IYOM)-2023” proposed by the Government of India to the United Nations, which is to be celebrated across the world. As India is gearing up to bring millet back on the global map, they will build support and organize, promote, market, and forge effective market linkages for millet-based products to maximize the value capture and millet-based commodities across the country.

DA&FW and NAFED will collaborate in key areas like facilitating advisory support to manufacturers/processors of millet-based products to develop value-added millet-based commodities; on-boarding of start-ups, inclusive of start-ups empanelled with Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR); formation of FPOs specifically for developing a range of millet-based products; promote and market millet-based products through the network of NAFED Bazaar Stores and other institutions linked with NAFED as well as installation of Millet based Vending Machines at various locations across Delhi-NCR; and dispensing millet-based products that shall assist in establishing the focus on millet-based commodities.

19-Sep-2022: FAO side event on International Year of Millets (IYOM) 2023 held during the Ninth Session of the Governing Body (GB-9) of the International Treaty (Food and Agricultural Organisation)

FAO side event on International Year of Millets (IYOM) 2023 was held during the Ninth Session of the Governing Body (GB-9) of the International Treaty (Food and Agricultural Organisation) being hosted by the Government of India in New Delhi today.

The side event on IYOM-2023 focussed on celebrating Millets’ farmers. Ms. Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare gave a brief presentation showcasing India’s preparedness for IYOM 2023 and how India is gearing up to work closely with farmers and the entire value chain to put Millets on every plate. The presentation also touched upon the concerted efforts of 19 Ministries to run awareness drives and G2B, B2B and B2C conversations across India and the global community at large for IYOM-2023. She laid special emphasis on millets at the centre of food security and crop diversity as a solution for farmers’ betterment, as a run-up to the IYOM 2023.

The panel discussion, chaired by Ms. Shubha Thakur, had participation from Millets’ experts, including Dr Dayakar Rao B., Principal Scientist, ICAR-IIMR; Ms. Manisha Bhasin, Corporate Chef, ITC Hotels; Dr Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General (Research), ICRISAT; Mr. Rohit Chaudhary, Director Development, Akshaya Patra Foundation; Shri P. C. Chaudhary, Director of Agriculture and Food Production, Odisha; Shri Vijay Patil, representative from Karnataka Millets Mission; Ms. Vishala Reddy, Founder, Millet Bank (start-up);  Ms. Sharmila Oswal, Founder, Basillia Organics (start-up); Mr. Konda Chavva, OIC, FAO India; and Mr. Jainendra Singh, Assistant Director (Programme), All India Radio who moderated the session.

13-Sep-2022: Agriculture Ministry organises various pre-launch events and initiates to create awareness about ancient and forgotten golden grains, as run up to the International Year of Millets 2023

A series of pre-launch events and initiatives have been organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the  MyGov platform  as run-up to the International Year of Millets 2023 to create awareness and a sense of participation in the country  around the ancient and forgotten golden grains.

The MyGov platform has become a very important and successful medium for raising awareness through organisations of various competitions. The engagement on MyGov will play an important role in helping to make it a peoples movement. A host of competitions have already been launched, some are ongoing and many more in the future will be launched on the MyGoV platform, to capture the imagination  and creative spirit of the country. Details about the contests are available on My Gov website https://www.mygov.in/

A contest for designing a comic story, with the theme ‘India's Wealth, Millets for Health’ has been launched on 5th September 2022, and is intended to showcase the health benefits of millets to raise awareness among the masses. The contest closes on 5th November 2022, and has received an encouraging response  so far.

The Millet Startup Innovation Challenge has been launched on 10th September 2022. This initiative encourages young minds to offer technological/ business solutions to the existing problems in the millets ecosystem. This Innovation Challenge will remain open till 31st January 2023.

The Mighty Millets Quiz was recently launched  with questions were based on millets and its benefits and which solicited a huge response. with questions were based on millets and its benefits. The contest closes on 20th October 2022, and has received 57,779 page views and 10,824 entries between 20th – 30th August 2022.

A competition for an audio song and documentary film on the importance of millets, is also to be launched shortly.

The logo and slogan  contest for the  International Year of Millets 2023 has already been held and the winners will be announced shortly. The Government of India will soon  release the  Logo and Slogan to mark the momentous occasion of the International Year of Millets 2023.

Background

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets. This was adopted by a United Nations Resolution for which India took the lead and was supported by over 70 nations.  This will help to create awareness throughout the world of the importance of millets, its role in  sustainable agriculture, and its benefits as a smart and super food.  India is poised to become the global hub for millets  with a production of  more than 170 lakh tonnes and producing more  than 80 % of the millets produced in Asia. Earliest evidence for these grains have been found in Indus civilization and were one of the first plants domesticated for food. It is grown in about 131 countries and is the traditional food for around60 crore people in Asia & Africa.