Initiative to promote millets: Agri Dept signs MoU with NAFED

New Delhi: A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) in New Delhi 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.

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare 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.

The initiative will also install 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.