A project created by public-private synergy was launched here to improve area under cultivation of small millets, enhance value addition and strengthen the food service providers.
The “Scaling up small millets post-harvest and nutritious food products project,” funded by the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund, to be implemented by the Madurai-based Dhan Foundation in association with McGill University, Canada, and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), aims to create awareness of food products made from small millets among the public, besides enhancing the capacity of equipment manufacturers to meet value addition needs at the micro level.
Addressing a press conference after launching the project, K. Shanmugam, Additional Chief Secretary, said that the government would promote value addition in small millets under the poverty eradication programme. The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretaries had already been instructed to add this in the list of enterprises to be promoted.
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The State had vast stretches of dry land and cultivation of small millets would be encouraged in a big way.
Greg Giokas, Consul General of Canada, said that India and Canada had identical GDP and were “made for each other.”
India had potential for growth in agriculture and food sectors and the Canadian funding of Canada $ 1.5 million for the project was in mutual interest.
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Kevin Tiessen, Senior Programme Specialist, said that the project was one among the eight funded by Canada across the world.
Vijaya Raghavan, Professor, Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, said that awareness of the value of millets should be created at all levels. The project would give an opportunity for farmers to market their produce worldwide and value addition for small millets must happen at the village level, he said.
C. R. Anandakumar, Registrar, TNAU, said that 10, 000 acres of land had been identified for cultivation of small millets all over the State and the variety ideal for a particular district had also been identified.
The objective of the project was to make farmers entrepreneurs.
Malathi, Professor, Food Science and Nutrition, TNAU, said that two incubators – one each in TNAU, Coimbatore, and Home Science College and Research Institute, Madurai – would train farmers in the nuances of value addition.
M. P. Vasimalai, Executive Director, Dhan Foundation, spoke about the need to reposition millets in the mind of farmers.
It had been planned to encourage cultivation and value addition through farmer-producer companies.
The 26-month project will be implemented across India, with focus on Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
A machine to provide value addition for millets that can be used at the village level has already been fabricated by a Salem-based entrepreneur.