The event witnessed the presence of micro food processing enterprises, self-help groups (SHGs), farmer producer organisations (FPOs), producer cooperatives
A Millets Conclave was held in Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh on 22-23 January, 2023, inaugurated by Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy, Deputy Speaker, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Veerabhadra Swamy touched upon the importance of millets and the immense market potential for millet-based value-added products.
The two-day event was aimed at bringing all the stakeholders of the food processing sector with special focus on millets, on a common platform and encompassed a wide range of activities like exhibition and sale of various millet-based products, informative sessions on millet processing, interactive sessions between industry experts and micro food processing enterprises, SHGs, FPOs engaged in food processing, Buyer Seller Meet where the leading industry players participated and networked with the food processing Micro Entrepreneurs followed by a cultural programme by indigenous groups, Book Launch showcasing 75 Millet recipes and cash prizes awarded to the millet recipe contest winners.
In the wake of the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is hosting Millets Mahotsav across 20 States and 30 Districts in the country with the aim of creating awareness about the nutritional benefits, value addition, consumption and export potential of Millets.
The districts include Mandla (Madhya Pradesh), Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh), Bhojpur (Bihar), Mahbubnagar (Telangana), Dharmapuri (Tamil Nadu), Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Karbi Anglong (Assam), Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Dang (Gujarat) , Parvathipuram Manyam (Andhra Pradesh), Komaram Bheem (Telangana), Almora (Uttarakhand), Nuapada (Odisha), Bathinda (Punjab), Palakkad (Kerala), Davangere (Karnataka), Tapi (Gujarat), Barmar (Rajasthan), Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Tumkur (Karnataka), Bhind (Madhya Pradesh), Nandurbar (Maharashtra), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Sukma (Chhattisgarh), Mahendragarh (Haryana), Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), Kalimpong (West Bengal), Khunti (Jharkhand) and Jamui (Bihar).
The series of events are being hosted under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme of the Ministry under ‘Millets Mahotsav’ which commenced from Mandla, Madhya Pradesh on 21-22 January 2023 followed by the event in Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh on 22-23 January, 2023.
Image credit- PIB