The millet conclave ‘Shore Anna’, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the past 18 months, was announced on Wednesday. Addressing the conclave, Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops and Oilseeds), Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said that there has been a significant increase in the number of startups in the millets sector in the last one and a half years.
The sector has attracted the attention of the highest levels of government. She stressed the importance of establishing the millet movement in India and the world and welcomed the fact that young people are getting involved in the promotion of millets.
‘Need for handholding’
“Sudhanshu secretary, Agricultural and Processed Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), said these millet start-ups are responsible for developing well-packaged products”. It validated the innovation of major retailers.
He stressed the need for continuous efforts to advise and support small entrepreneurs and start-ups in the millet sector and called for recognition of the need to take on large export companies instead of just focusing on large companies.
The APEDA Secretary further said that it is important to maintain the momentum once the campaign is launched and expressed his determination to take it to the next level. “TR Kesavan Chairman, FICCI National Agriculture Committee and Chairman, TAFE Group, called for the inclusion of millets in the regular diet”.
He highlighted numerous benefits including nutritional value, climate resilience and income generation for farmers. He also highlighted the challenges facing the crop, the need for mechanization and the importance of ensuring millet profitability.