News of

Market News

Gujarat to incentivise millet production.
Apr 27, 2023

Following the declaration of the year 2023 as ‘the international year for millets’ by the United Nations, the Gujarat Government is promoting the Dang region in Gujarat as an organic millet producing region. Farmers are being incentivised to produce pesticide free millets.

Arohi Prajapati from Dang Ahwa Farmer Producer Company Limited, an FPO from the tribal area, said, 'Our main focus is on Ragi, Little Millet and Finger Millet. We are maintaining our production with 332 small and marginal tribal farmers'. Prajapati said adding 'We have introduced 7-8 millet based products. We are getting a 90% loan from the government to set up our Primary Processing Unit to improve our production.'

According to Trupti Shah, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 'To encash on the opportunity in the global market, India is working hard to increase the acceptability of millets as primary breakfast serials'. Pertinently, millets have always been a traditional food of rural India. 'We are the largest producer of millets in the world but we are only the fifth largest exporter of this commodity'. According to Shah millets are important because being rich in calcium, protein and antioxidants they can ensure food security. Shah said, 'The government is aiming to export 30,000 metric tonnes of millets this year out of which 766 metric tonnes will be the share of Gujarat'. She revealed that Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Special Crop Blocks are the main incentives that are currently being provided to millet farmers.

Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Little millet and Finger millet are the main millets that are prevalent in Gujarat. Said Vinod Pate from Vavechi Sarhad Farmer Producer Company Limited, a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) in Banaskantha, Gujarat, 'We are focussing on local markets only as there are very few opportunities for us to tap into the global export market. One major problem that we are facing is that the big corporations are offering us prices lower than the prevailing APMC prices. According to data released by the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority there are around 25 large exporters of millet in the country includng Eco Export, Rkd Agro Export, M.B. International, Magnus overseas among others.

Arohi further added, 'We focus on the training of local farmers which is why we hire mostly locals, especially females as our workforce. But the problem is the number of FPOs in the region. Excess FPOs create unwanted competition and that hampers the goals of expansion and collaboration'.

Commenting on the need for the betterment of farmers, Vinod Patel said, 'It would be really beneficial for us if the government makes it mandatory for big exporting corporations to procure some amount of the millet produce from the small FPOs only'. Echoing similar sentiments, Prajapati from Dang Ahwa FPO suggested further strengthening of the supply chain with mandatory procurement from farmers. 'Additionally the farmers and the organizations need to understand that their representatives like CEOs of these FPOs should be well-trained so that they can navigate their way through the complex corporate system', said Arohi.

financialexpress.com

Trade Leads

Directory's

APEDA Agri Exchange

News & Analysis

Contact

Trade Leads

Directory's

APEDA Agri Exchange

News & Analysis

Follow Us

Contact