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India is the top producer of millets in the world and has many types of nutri-cereals. The Covid pandemic and rising health concerns and consciousness have resulted in consumers turning to nutri-cereals. The Indian government has realised the key role that millets are likely to play in the future and has impressed upon the United Nations to announce 2023 as the Year of Millets.
Given the fact that millets need a fresh impetus, businessline, in association with NABARD, is hosting a Millets Conclave in Hyderabad on Friday, September 15, to discuss various aspects of millets – from its yield to exports and to its marketing and health and nutritional aspects.
The crux of the conclave will be to discuss means to improve the nutritional and financial security of the stakeholders in all sectors involved in millets.
To debate various key issues confronting cultivation and consumption of millets stellar panels of experts have been drawn up. While the inaugural address will be by Shaji KV, NABARD Chairman, there will be special addresses by Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) and Director-General, ICAR and by Abhishek Dev, APEDA Chairman.
The panel on ‘millets for food security’ will have B Uday Bhaskar, Chief General Manger, NABARD; ED Israel Oliver King, Director, Biodiversity, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, and Saraswathi Malluvalasa, CEO, Arogya Millets Producer Co Ltd, as panellists. The session on improving millets yield will see TE Nagaraja, Prof, Plant Breeding & Head, ICAR Small Millets; B Dayakar Rao, Scientist, Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR); GV Ramanjaneyulu, CEO of Centre for Sustainable Agriculture; Ramon Peachey, Director, Communications, ICRISAT on the panel.
The session on ‘increasing millet exports’ will see RP Naidu, AGM, APEDA; Raj Seelam, MD, Sresta Natural Bio Products Pvt Ltd; Vishala Reddy, Director, Millets Bank; Nitin Gaikwad, Sr Manager, ITC Agri-Business on the panel. There will be a panel on ‘health and nutritional seurity’ which will feature a presentation by Devraj JP, Scientist, National Institute of Nutrition, along with a fireside chat with Krishna Ella, Chairman, Bharat Biotech.
A panel on ‘value addition and branding millets’ will have Ashutosh Deshpande, Head of Value Chain, Reliance Foundation; S Kiran, ED, VIKASA; Raju Bhupati, CEO, TrooGood and Rishika Reddy, ED, Millets Marvels.
The valedictory session will see C Tara Sathyavathi, Director, Indian Institute of Millets Research, speaking on the progress in millets yields and consumption.
The Associate Partners are APEDA and TrooGood while the TV Partner for the event is NewsX. The event can be watched live on September 15 on www.thehindubusinessline.com
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