APEDA promotes export of millets

The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has the mandate to promote the export of millets. APEDA provides assistance to registered exporters of millets under Agriculture & Processed Food Export Promotion Scheme of APEDA. The assistance is provided under various components of the schemes viz. infrastructure development, quality development and market development.

The Government has been working to leverage partnerships with start-ups, academic & research institutions, Indian missions, processors, retailers and exporters to promote Indian millets in the global markets. An Export Promotion Forum (EPF) dedicated to promoting millets in the international market has been established. The EPF provides a platform for stakeholders to collaborate, share knowledge, and explore opportunities in the global millet market. APEDA is also actively engaged in capacity building, awareness creation and knowledge sharing amongst international stakeholders by organizing virtual Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs), capacity building programs, collaborating with state millet mission programs, conducting FPO meets etc.

A separate millet-specific web portal has been developed containing information about millets, their health benefits, production and export statistics, millet exporter’s directory etc. APEDA has also organized a comprehensive global marketing campaign showcasing India’s potential and accordingly, eCatalogues of 30 importing countries and 21 millet producing states have been released.

A Virtual trade fair (VTF) for millets has been developed and made available for exporters and importers from across the globe, providing a single platform to interact and negotiate business deals. VTF is operational for 24X7 365 days.

APEDA has also organized participation in international trade fairs like BIOFACH - Germany, Gulfood - Dubai, Natural Products Expo West - USA, International Food and Drink (IFE) and BSM - UK, SIAL Food - Canada, Seoul Food & Hotel – South Korea, etc. facilitating exporters to present and promote their millet products in global markets. APEDA is also associating with Indian Missions in importing countries to promote millet and value-added products.

State-wise details of India’s millet exports during the year 2022-23 including Uttar Pradesh are at Annexure.

The Government of India is implementing a multi-stakeholder approach towards the celebration of the International Year of Millets (IYM) -2023. The action plan of IYM-2023 focuses on strategies to enhance production and productivity, consumption, export, strengthening value chain, branding, creating awareness for health benefits etc. Further, a year-long action plan for monthly activity has been prepared by Central Ministries, State Governments and Indian Embassies to create awareness about millets. In addition, states such as Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are implementing State Millet Missions to increase production and consumption.

The Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference was organized on 18 to 22 March 2023 at New Delhi to stimulate the exports of millets from India, to provide market linkage to the producers and to create awareness, especially among youth and children, about the benefits of consumption of millets. More than 20,000 students from various schools and colleges attended the event to see the wide range of value-added innovative millet products, which were showcased at event.

In order to encourage the consumption of millets among Government employees/officers, all Government offices have been advised to include millet snacks in all departmental trainings/meetings and millet-based food items in departmental canteens. Vending machines for millet products have also been installed in buildings housing various Ministries/Departments.

This information has been provided by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha