Union Agriculture Minister addressed the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference in New Delhi today, where the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was the chief guest during the Inaugural Session.

 

In his address, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said the International Year of Millets (IYM) – 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 Millets (IYM). He added that 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 stakeholders.

 

Shri Tomar said, Millets provide an alternative food system in times of increasing demand for vegetarian foods as it contributes to a balanced diet as well as a safe environment and described them as the gifts of nature to mankind. He said, Asia and Africa are the major production and consumption centers of millet crops, particularly India, Niger, Sudan and Nigeria are the major producer of millets and it his earnest desire to see that Millets should take pride of place in every eating plate in the globe.

 

Millets were the first crops to be cultivated in Asia and Africa, later spreading as an important food source for advanced civilizations around the world.

 

Earlier, Shri Tomar said that it is a matter of great pleasure for him to meet the President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali at the beginning of this New Year, 2023 and wished and prayed for the wellbeing of the people of Guyana. Shri Tomar also thanked Dr Ali for being the Chief Guest at the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention held at Indore on 8-10 January 2023 and extended his heartiest congratulations to the President for receiving the prestigious Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference at Subramaniam Hall, NASC Complex, IARI Campus, PUSA New Delhi today. The two-day global conference will have sessions on all important issues related to millets (Shree Anna) like promotion and awareness of millets among producers, consumers and other stakeholders; millets’ value chain development; health and nutritional aspects of millets; market linkages; research and development etc. 

 

The Prime Minister also inaugurated and visited the Exhibition cum Buyer Seller Meet Pavilion. He also unveiled a Commemorative Stamp and Commemorative Coin. This was followed by the Prime Minister digitally launching a compendium of Indian Millet (Shri Anna) startups and a book of millet (Shri Anna) standards.

 

International leaders conveyed their messages on the occasion. President of Ethiopia, H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde congratulated the Government of India for organizing the event. She said that millets provide an affordable and nutritious option to feed the people in these times. Ethiopia is an important millet-producing country in Sub-Saharan Africa. She underlined the utility of the event for highlighting the policy attention needed for the propagation of millets and studying the suitability of the crops as per their ecosystem.  

 

H.E. Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana said that India has assumed global leadership in promoting the cause of millets and in doing so it is placing its expertise for the use of the rest of the world. He said that the success of the International Year of Millets will go a long way in achieving SDGs. Guyana has recognized millets as a key factor in ensuring food security, he informed. Guyana is embarking on a collaboration with India for scalable production of millet by earmarking 200 acres of land for exclusive millet production where India will provide technical guidance and support with technology. 

 

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister congratulated everyone on the organisation of the Global Millets Conference and said that such events are not just a necessity for the global good but also a symbol of India’s responsibilities towards the global good. Highlighting the importance of turning a resolution into a desirable outcome, the Prime Minister reiterated that the year 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets by the United Nations after persistent efforts by India. He expressed delight that India's campaign is a significant step in this direction when the world is celebrating the International Year of Millets. The Prime Minister highlighted that brainstorming sessions will be held on topics such as the farming of millets, millets economy, health benefits, and farmers’ income among others with the active participation of Gram Panchayat, Krishi Kendras, schools, colleges and agricultural universities along with the Indian embassies and several foreign countries. He also informed that more than 75 lakh farmers are virtually connected to this programme today. The Prime Minister also highlighted the unveiling of a commemorative coin and a postal stamp to mark the occasion along with the book launch on millet standards and the declaration of the Indian Institute of Millets Research of ICAR as a Global Centre of Excellence.

 

The Prime Minister asked the delegates to visit the exhibition at the venue and understand all the dimensions related to millet farming under one roof. He expressed his appreciation for the youth’s initiative to bring startups for millet-related enterprises and farming. 'This is an indication of India’s commitment to millets', he said. 

 

The Prime Minister informed the foreign delegates about India’s branding initiatives for millets as India now calls millets - Shree Anna. He elaborated that Shri Anna is not limited to just food or farming. Those acquainted with Indian tradition will understand the importance of prefixing Shree before anything. 'Shree Anna is becoming a medium of holistic development in India. It is linked with Gaon as well as Garib (Village and the poor)'. Shree Anna- a door to prosperity for the small farmers of the country, Shree Anna - the cornerstone of nutrition for crores of countrymen, Shree Anna - felicitation of Adivasi Community, Shree Anna- getting more crops for less water, Shree Anna - a big foundation for chemical-free farming., Shree Anna - a huge help in fighting climate change,' he added.  

 

Underlining the consistent efforts of the government to turn Shree Anna into a global movement, the Prime  Minister informed that millets were declared nutri-cereals in 2018 where work was carried out on all levels from making the farmers aware of its benefits to generating interest in the market. The Prime Minister noted that millets are primarily cultivated in 12-13 different states in the country where at-home consumption per month per person was not more than 3 kilograms whereas the consumption has increased to 14 kilograms per month today. He also informed that the sale of millet food products has also seen a boost of roughly 30%. He also noted the inception of millet cafes apart from social media channels dedicated to recipes on millets. 'Millets have also been selected in 19 districts of the country under the ‘One District, One Product’ scheme', Shri Modi added.

 

Informing that about 2.5 crore small farmers are directly involved in the production of millets in India, the Prime Minister noted that they faced the challenges of climate change even though they own very little land. 'India's Millet Mission - The campaign for Shri Anna will prove to be a boon for 2.5 crore farmers of the country', the Prime Minister said. He pointed out that it is the first time after independence that the government has taken care of 2.5 crore small farmers who grow millets. Noting that millets are now reaching stores and markets through processed and packaged food items, the Prime Minister underlined that the income of these 2.5 crore small farmers will increase when the Shree Anna market gets a boost, thereby giving strength to the rural economy. The Prime Minister informed that more than 500 startups working on Shree Anna have come up and a large number of FPOs are also coming forward in the last few years. He also pointed out that a complete supply chain is being developed in the country where women from self-help groups in small villages are making millet products that are making their way into malls and supermarkets. 

 

Highlighting India’s motto of One Earth, One Family, One Future for the G-20 Presidency, the Prime Minister underlined that considering the whole world as one family is also reflected in the International Millet Year. 'India has always given priority towards the feeling of duty towards the world and the resolve to serve humanity', the Prime Minister said. Giving the example of Yoga, the Prime Minister said that India has ensured that the benefits of Yoga reach the whole world through International Yoga Day. He expressed delight that today yoga is being promoted in more than 100 countries of the world and more than 30 countries in the world have given recognition to Ayurveda as well. He also threw light on the International Solar Alliance and said that it is working as an effective platform for building a sustainable planet where more than 100 countries have joined the movement. 'Be it leading the LiFE mission or achieving climate change goals ahead of schedule, India draws inspiration from its heritage, drives change in society, and brings it to the fore of global well-being', the Prime Minister remarked as he noted that a similar impact can be witnessed in India's ‘Millet Movement’ today. Giving examples of Shree Anna such as Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Sama, Kangni, Cheena, Kodon, Kutki, and Kuttu that are prevalent in different regions of India, the Prime Minister said that millets have been a part of the lifestyle in India for centuries. The Prime Minister emphasized that India wants to share its agricultural practices and its experiences related to Shree Anna with the world while also learning from other countries. He specially requested the Agriculture Ministers of the friendly nations present here to develop a stable mechanism in this direction and emphasized that a new supply chain should be developed with shared responsibilities from field to market and from one country to another.

 

The Prime Minister also highlighted the climate resilience of millets and informed that they can be easily produced even in adverse climatic conditions. He informed that it is a preferred crop for water-stressed areas as it requires relatively less water to produce. He also noted that millets can be grown naturally without chemicals and thereby safeguards the health of both humans and the soil.

 

Touching upon the food security challenges faced in the world of today, the Prime Minister highlighted the challenge of food security for the poor in the Global South and diseases linked to food habits in the Global North. 'On one hand we have the problem of food security, and on the other hand the problem of food habits', he said as he pointed out the concerns about heavy use of chemicals in the produce. The Prime Minister remarked that Shree Anna provides solutions to every such problem as it is easy to grow, its cost is also less in this, and it gets ready for cultivation faster than other crops. The Prime Minister listed the benefits of Shree Anna and said that it is rich in nutrition, special in taste, high in fibre content, very beneficial for the body and health, and helps in preventing lifestyle-related diseases. 

 

'Millets bring with them endless possibilities',  the Prime Minister remarked. Informing that the contribution of Shree Anna to the national food basket in India is only 5-6 percent, the Prime Minister urged the scientists and experts in the agriculture sector to work towards increasing this contribution and suggested setting achievable targets for every year. He also noted that the country has also started a PLI scheme to give a boost to the food processing sector. The Prime  Minister emphasized the need to ensure that the millet sector gets maximum benefit from it, and more companies come forward to make millet products. He also added that many states have included Shree Anna in their PDS system and suggested that other states follow suit. He also suggested including Shree Anna in the mid-day meal so that children can get proper nutrition while also adding a new taste and variety to the food.

 

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that all these issues will be discussed in detail and a roadmap will also be prepared for implementation. 'With the joint efforts of the farmers and all stakeholders, food will add a new shine to the prosperity of India and the world', the Prime Minister concluded. 

 

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal and Union Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary and Ms Shobha Karandlaje were present on the occasion among others. 

 

Background

 

Based on India’s proposal, the year 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets (IYM) by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In line with the Prime Minister’s vision to make the celebrations of IYM 2023 a ‘people’s movement’ and position India as the ‘global hub for millets’, all central government ministries/departments, states/UTs, farmers, start-ups, exporters, retail businesses and other stakeholders are being engaged to promote and spread awareness about the benefits of millets (Shree Anna) for the cultivator, consumer and climate. The organization of the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference in India is an important programme in this context.

 

The two-day global conference will have sessions on all important issues related to millets (Shree Anna) like promotion and awareness of millets among producers, consumers and other stakeholders; millets’ value chain development; health and nutritional aspects of millets; market linkages; research and development etc. The conference will be attended by Agriculture Ministers of various countries, international scientists, nutritionists, health experts, start-up leaders and other stakeholders.

The Food Safety and Standards of India (FSSAI) released a compendium on millet standards on Saturday at the Global Millet (Sri Anna) Conference. Recently, the food safety authority notified for the first time a comprehensive set of group standards for 15 millet varieties as well as for millet products. These norms will come into effect from September.

 

This includes standards for pearl millet flour, jowar flour, ragi flour and mixed millet flour.

 

In his address at the Global Millet Conference, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Minister for Health and Family Welfare said, 'One way to promote millets in a scientific way in the country is to set regulatory standards. FSSAI has for the first time set a comprehensive group of standards for all 15 varieties of millets that we produce in our country. This will ensure the quality of millet and millet products in the country.'

 

M Angamuthu, APEDA Chairman, said: 'This will help us in getting better value realisation and brand building.'

 

FSSAI officials said since there are many millets that are native to India, standards for them have been set for the first time. 'Africa has standards for some millets, while Codex has standards only for sorghum and bajra. So many millets are native crops of India. For instance, ragi does not have standards in the US. India has for the first time published a comprehensive group of standards for millets,' a senior official at FSSAI said.

 

The compendium also explains the general benefits of millets, how much one can consume per day, and how to include them in our diets, among other information.

India and the European Union (EU) on Saturday concluded the fourth round of talks for a comprehensive free trade agreement in Brussels, a move aimed at further strengthening economic ties between the two sides. The next round of the talks is planned for 12-16 June here.

 

India and the 27-nation bloc resumed negotiations on June 17 last year after a gap of over eight years on the proposed agreements on trade, investments and Geographical Indications (GI).

 

'Round 4 of India EU-FTA negotiations held at Brussels,' Nidhi Mani Tripathi, Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce has said in a tweet. She is India's chief negotiator for the agreement.

 

India had started negotiations for a trade pact with the EU in 2007 but the talks stalled in 2013 as both sides failed to reach an agreement on key issues, including customs duties on automobiles and spirits and the movement of professionals.

 

India's merchandise exports to EU member countries stood at about USD 65 billion in 2021-22, while imports aggregated USD 51.4 billion.

 

A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar held bilateral meetings today with Agriculture Ministers of various countries participating in the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference. An MoU was also signed with the World Food Programme  (WFP) of the United Nations. Meanwhile, Shri Tomar thanked the ministers for being a part of the global conference organized by India with the aim of promoting Shree Anna, under the International Year of Millets (IYM). He said that the International Year of Millets is being celebrated so that the Indian Shree Anna, its recipes and value-added products are accepted globally as a people's movement. He hoped to further strengthen India's agricultural ties with various countries.

 

In a meeting with Guyana's Agriculture Minister Mr. Zulfikar Mustafa, Union Minister Shri Tomar recalled the visit of the President of Guyana, Dr. Mohammad Irfan Ali and Vice President Bharat Jagdev to India and said that agriculture is a very important area of cooperation between the two countries. Expressing happiness over the steady progress in India-Guyana relations, he hoped for concrete cooperation in Agriculture and allied sectors. Shri Tomar congratulated Guyana for the huge crude oil discovery, saying that this would enable Guyana to establish itself as a major energy exporter, which has the potential to transform the lives of its people. Expressing immense potential for cooperation in Agriculture and Agro-Processing Industries between India and Guyana, he said that the two countries complement each other as Guyana has vast arable land and water availability and India has the technology, expertise and skilled manpower, which will mutually benefit both the countries. India is keen to share its expertise and experience in the development of agriculture and allied sectors in Guyana, for which an MoU is under finalisation. He assured that Guyana's request for deputation of two experts to ITEC from India for three years to support the Guyana Sugar Corporation management and revive the sugar estates/plants in Guyana would be considered at the earliest.

 

Shri Tomar, in a meeting with Suriname's Minister of Agriculture, Shri Parmanand Prahlad Sewdien, said that India and Suriname share close, warm and friendly relations, which have been strengthened by cultural and people-to-people contacts over the course of 150 years. He wished success to the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Suriname, and expressed confidence that the official visit of President Santokhi to India in January 2023 would take our bilateral relations to a new high. Expressing happiness and pride, he said that Hindi is spoken on a large scale in Suriname. Like India, Suriname is also a country of multi-ethnicity and diversity, where people live in peace and harmony. As per the discussion held during the second meeting of the Joint Working Group on Agriculture, Shri Tomar hoped that the draft Joint Action Plan for 5 years (2023-27) would be ready soon and said that we will provide wood export facility from Suriname to India. India's exports of agri-related goods to Suriname in 2021-22 was USD 4.34 million. There are more possibilities to increase trade and investment, especially in agro-food processing. Under India's flagship programmes, development partnership, India is committed to provide technical assistance to Suriname as needed, contribute to capacity building and skill development of human resources. Shree Anna is the ideal solution to make countries self-reliant and reduce dependence on imported grains. India can start agricultural cooperation projects, if offered by Suriname, as well as depute agricultural scientists under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programs to conduct studies for the cultivation of Shree Anna in Suriname.

 

In a meeting with the Agriculture Minister of Zambia, Mr. Reuben Mtolo Phiri, Union Minister Tomar said that India and Zambia have had cordial relations for a long time. The leaders of Zambia's freedom struggle drew inspiration from the leaders of India's freedom struggle, especially Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji continues to inspire its leaders and the younger generation in Zambia. Zambia is one of the few African countries that has benefited greatly from India's development cooperation programme. India provides scholarships for various higher education courses and ITEC training slots as well as special capacity building programs under the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) along with Exim Bank credit, Railway Wagons, Flood Relief Grant and Line of Credit. Zambia, with its rich natural resources, has become an important destination for Indian investments in various sectors. India is one of the leading investors in Zambia with committed investments of over US$ 5 billion. Bilateral trade between India and Zambia has been growing steadily. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in India for trade and investment with Zambia, but again logistics and the small size of Zambia's economy remain the main constraints and limiting factors.

 

In a meeting with Mauritius' Minister for Agri-Industry and Food Security, Mr. Manish Gobin, Shri Tomar said that India shares close, long-standing ties with Mauritius for historical, demographic and cultural reasons. People of Indian origin comprise about 70% of the island's population of 1.2 million. Mauritius is one of the few important countries with which independent India established diplomatic relations even before the independence of Mauritius in 1948. There is a high level of trust and mutual understanding between the leaderships of the two countries, which is reflected in continued high-level political engagement. This special relationship has resulted in exceptionally close cooperation in maritime security, development partnership, capacity building and cooperation in international fora. The enduring cultural and people-to-people relations between India and Mauritius are nurtured by the Indian Cultural Center in Mauritius (India's largest in the world) and the World Hindi Secretariat, a bilateral organization for the promotion of Hindi. India is among the largest trading partners of Mauritius. Bilateral trade grew by 69% to reach USD 786.72 million in 2021-22.

 

The topics of agriculture were discussed in the meeting between Shri Tomar and Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, Agriculture Minister of Sri Lanka. Shri Tomar said that a significant proportion of the population in India and Sri Lanka depend on agriculture and both sides have very similar priorities for taking this sector forward. Thus cooperation between the two sides in the agriculture sector becomes natural. India has traditionally been one of Sri Lanka's largest trading partners and Sri Lanka is one of India's largest trading partners in SAARC.

 

During the global conference, the MoU between WFP and the Government of India for cooperation between 2023-2027 was signed in the presence of Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar. During this, Mr. Manoj Juneja, Deputy Chief Executive Director, Management and Chief Financial Officer of UNWFP and Ms. Elizabeth Faure, WFP Representative and Country Director in India were present. The MoU will be jointly implemented by the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change. Shri Tomar lauded the work of WFP in promoting food self-sufficiency and supporting governmental and global efforts to ensure long-term solutions to the challenge of hunger. He thanked the WFP for being a part of the Global Millets Conference and expressed the hope that the partnership between WFP and the Government of India will yield fruitful results to achieve our goals.

 

Shri Tomar at the live cooking counter and ice cream made from Shree Anna:

 

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, who arrived at the exhibition organized during the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference organized as part of the International Year of Millets - 2023, relished the delicious ice cream made from Shree Anna and complimented its stall operator for this innovation. Shri Tomar also prepared an Asian salad with the Indian Shree Anna at the live cooking counter of the Indian Federation of Culinary Association and tasted it himself as well as served it to Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary and Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja among others. The dignitaries also visited other stalls. Students from schools and colleges have gathered to see the exhibition. Thousands of children came here during the last two days.

The Indian Dairy Association’s (IDA) 49th Dairy Industry Conference and Expo, which will bring together dairy experts and professionals from India and overseas, dairy cooperatives, milk producers, government officials, scientists, policymakers and planners, academicians and other stakeholders, will take place in Gandhinagar from March 16 to 18.

 

The theme of the 49th Dairy Industry Conference is 'India Dairy to the world: Opportunities & Challenges'. It is being organised physically after a gap of three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, by IDA in collaboration with its Gujarat State chapter.

 

The inauguration ceremony of the Dairy Industry Conference & Expo will be held at 10:00 am on March 16. Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala will be the chief guest at the inauguration. Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, NITI Aayog member Prof Ramesh Chand, Gujarat’s Co-operation Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma, International Dairy Federation president PiercristianoBrazzale, and IDF director-general Caroline Emond will be the guests of honour at the inauguration. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) will deliver the keynote address.

 

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest at the Indian Dairy Summit at 10:30 am on March 18. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, State Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah and IDF President PiercristianoBrazzale will be the guests of honour.

 

'The Dairy Industry Conference is the biggest conference of the $10 billion Indian dairy industry. From being a milk-deficit nation, India has come a long way to become the largest milk-producing nation in the world. India has the potential to become the dairy to the world. The conference will discuss how India can make the most of the immense opportunities and the challenges it needs to overcome. What makes the conference even more special is that it is taking place in Gujarat after a gap of 27 years,' said RS Sodhi, president of Indian Dairy Association, the apex body of the dairy industry in India.

 

Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB, said, 'From humble beginnings to contributing almost one-fourth of the global milk production today, India's journey has been phenomenal. We aim to become the dairy to the world but this can only be achieved through sustainability and ensuring dairying as a tool for nutrition to our customers and a source of livelihood for millions of dairy farmers. I am confident the deliberations at the 49th Diary Industry Conference will help us in charting a path to meeting these objectives.'

 

The conference will be a platform for dairy industry professionals to come together and discuss the global dairy trends, farm innovations, sustainability within the sector, climate change, nutrition, and health in India with the singular objective of making India a thriving hub of dairy innovations and solutions.

Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been tasked with promoting Indian cereals in the international market, said Anupriya Patel, Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

 

The following steps are being taken to meet export demand during the International Cereal Year 2023.

 

APEDA has published e-Catalogs for 30 major millet importing countries and 21 cereal producing Indian states. 

 

E-Catalogs contain information on individual country profiles:

* Indian Cereal and Cereal Value Added Basket * Cereal Production Scenario

 

* India's Cereal Exports * International Standards of Cereals

 

* And contact list of exporters, startups, FPOs, importers and Indian missions in the country.

 

APEDA has identified three knowledge partners

1. Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR); 2. Center of Excellence on Cereals - University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore

and 3. Yes Bank.

 

These knowledge partners collaborate to prepare content for publication of cereal promotion material.

 

Identification of participants for cereal-promoting programs organized by Indian missions abroad; and cereal value chain development.

 

APEDA plans to promote Indian cereals at international trade fairs and conduct B2B (Business to Business) meetings for the year 2023.

 

A cereal-specific web portal has also been launched. The portal covers cereals, their health benefits, production and export statistics, millet exporters' directory and other related information.

 

APEDA is conducting capacity building programs across the country to facilitate the export of cereals and cereal products. 

 

Cereal start-ups are being mobilized for export promotion of ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-serve (RTS) categories of value-added products including noodles, pasta, breakfast cereal, biscuits, cookies, snacks, desserts. and other cereal based products.

 

A knowledge book titled 'Superfood Millets: A USD 2 Billion Export Opportunity for India' has been published by APEDA, in association with Knowledge Partners. This book will help prospective exporters of food grains.

 

An e-platform for Virtual Trade Fairs (VTFs) has been created specifically for ragi. The platform is designed to invite buyers and visitors from around the world to interact with exhibitors showcasing millet-based products.

 

APEDA has ventured into brand building of Indian cereals. Various sampling and tasting camps are being organized at important locations to promote the consumption of 'Sri Anna' millet and create a niche market for the Indian cereal worldwide. 

 

Cereals and cereal-products are being promoted using sophisticated integrated campaigns. Includes social media and digital branding.

 

The government has approved the restructuring of APEDA to realign APEDA and effectively pursue market access, provide commercial intelligence, promote quality and compliance in agricultural exports and deal with sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) issues.

 

Creation of 20 new posts has been approved under the restructuring plan. The restructuring plan will enable APEDA to recruit subject matter experts in various fields for a specific purpose and time.

The 37th edition of international food, beverage and hospitality trade fair Aahar, kickstarted on Tuesday here at Pragati Maidan, with the theme  ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.

 

Pradeep Singh Kharola, CMD, inaugurated the fair. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the Indian food processing industry is among the largest in the nation in terms of growth, production, consumption and exports and has been growing substantially over the years.

 

The inauguration ceremony was graced by key Government officials as well as officials from partner countries including Alessandro Liberatori, Trade Commissioner, Italian Trade Commission, and Euardo Uziel, Charge’D Affairs, Brazil to India.

 

Rajat Agarwal, ED, ITPO, highlighted that the fair was spread in an area of 1,00,000 sq.m approximately with participation from 1,500+ exhibitors.

 

The event has witnessed 100 overseas participants from 18 countries.

 

Agarwal added that foreign exhibitors see India as a mega hub for food and hospitality sector.

 

He further emphasised that ITPO has worked very hard to make this fair a success and will prove to be a milestone in forging business partnerships and linkages amongst stakeholders.

 

The fair is organised by the ITPO with support of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, APEDA along with other apex bodies such as AIFPA, ARCHII, HOTERMAI, FHSAI, FIFI, KREMAG, FAIC, FIFHI, FIWA and PBFIA for the fair.

 

The fair will remain open till March 18, 2023, for business visitors from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm daily.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Sunday said an initiative will be taken to start cargo flights from Maharaja Agrasen Airport here for exporting fruits and vegetables to the Arab countries.

 

Khattar was addressing a gathering during Haryana Krishi Vikas Mela at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University here.

 

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister J P Dalal and Urban Local Bodies Minister Kamal Gupta were also present.

 

'New experiments are being done to increase the income of farmers. The government has also formed the Export Promotion Council.

 

Besides, an initiative will be taken to start cargo flights from Maharaja Agrasen Airport in the coming time, so that fresh fruits and vegetables grown by state farmers can be exported to the Arab countries,' said the CM.

 

He also stressed on the need for starting a new agricultural revolution.

 

'We are ready to give every possible encouragement and support to these universities so as to ensure that the said research work is smoothly carried out. This desired research work will not only ensure reduction in agricultural cost but will also improve the quality of crops produced, which will further play a pivotal role in increasing the income of the farmers,' said Khattar.

 

The CM urged the scientists working at the agricultural universities of the state to conduct research on the subject for adopting best ways to get a high yield at minimum cost.

 

The focus should be on improving the variety of seeds. Also, the marketing board should make proper arrangements for the marketing of food grains, said Khattar.

 

He once again highlighted that because of the constant exploitation of water, the underground water level is going down.

 

Farmers should adopt sowing cash crops including fruits, flowers, vegetables, along with shifting to beekeeping, animal husbandry and fisheries, he said.

 

'We also have to ensure optimum usage of water…for this micro irrigation has to be adopted for which a subsidy of up to 85 per cent is given to the farmers. Borewells are being installed for groundwater recharging. We have planned to install 1,000 recharging borewells in the first phase,' he said.

 

Earlier, Khattar addressed a gathering during the ‘Jan Samvad programme’ here.

 

'Taking a step further towards ensuring timely redressal of every grievance raised by the citizens, the state government has started another unique initiative ‘Jan Samvad’ to resolve the grievances of people at their doorsteps,' said Khattar.

 

He said complaints raised in these programmes would be uploaded on the Jan Samvad portal and monitoring of all these complaints would be done at the state level.

India’s soyameal exports jumped 87 per cent to 7.99 lakh tonnes (lt) during the October-February period of oil year 2022-23 on robust demand from countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and Nepal. Exports stood at 4.26 lt in the same period last year.

 

'Prices are favourable and we should be able to achieve the projected soyameal exports of 14-15 lakh tonnes' said DN Pathak, Executive Director, The Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA). Supply crunch from countries such as Argentina on weather concerns has come in handy for India to boost its shipments.

 

Vietnam has been the largest buyer of Indian soyameal, so far, accounting for 3.36 lt, followed by Nepal at 64,759 tonnes and the US at 42,796 tonnes. Other major buyers include Japan at 42,776 tonnes, Sri Lanka 39,554 tonnes, Bangladesh 37,093 tonnes, Thailand 32,432 tonnes and Germany 16,225 tonnes among others.

 

Japan has been a major buyer of Indian soyameal and value-added products mainly in the food segment, Pathak said.

 

Poultry demand

Crushing of soyabeans has also gained momentum with the pick up in buying from the domestic poultry sector. Offtake from the poultry sector was higher by around 12 per cent at 28.50 lt during October-February over same period last year’s 25.50 lt. The domestic food demand for soyameal was up 37 per cent at 4.75 lt.

 

Soyabean crushing during October-February stood at 52.50 lt — an increase of around 48 per cent over same period last year’s 35.50 lt. The market arrivals have improved to 71 lt (55 lt).

 

SOPA estimates that the stocks with trade, crushing units and farmers at the end of February stood at 77.98 lt — higher than the same period last year’s 71.77 lt. The prices of soyabean have started easing over the past one month tracking the developments in the global edible oil complex. 'Prices have come down substantially by about Rs.8,000 per tonne over the past one month,' Pathak said adding that the government should increase the duty on imported oils to protect the domestic growers.