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To promote shipment of nutri-cereals, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its apex agricultural export promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has prepared a comprehensive strategy to promote Indian millet exports across the globe commencing December 2022.

The millets export promotion programme also comes on a proposal by India, supported by 72 countries which led to the United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA) declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYoM). The government is currently organising IYoM-2023 at domestic and international level to popularise Indian millets as well as its value-added products across the world and make it a peoples’ movement.

As per the government’s strategy to promote millets, Indian missions abroad would be roped in branding and publicity of Indian millets, identification of international chefs as well as potential buyers such as departmental stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets for organising B2B meetings and direct tie-ups. The centre plans to facilitate participation of exporters, farmers and traders in 16 international trade expos and Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs).

In addition, Ambassadors of Foreign missions in India of the targeted countries and potential importers would also be invited to showcase various millet-based products, including Ready to Eat millet products and facilitate B2B meetings.

APEDA will organise millet promotional activities in South Africa, Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Sydney, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and United States of America by facilitating participation of different stakeholders from India in some of the significant food shows, Buyer Seller Meets and Road Shows.

The pre-launch of IYoM-2023 is scheduled for December 5, 2022 involving stakeholders of the supply chain such as FPOs, Start-ups, exporters, producers of millet-based value-added products. Besides, buyer seller meets would also be organized in the countries of Indonesia, Japan, United Kingdom, etc to promote Indian millets.

The Centre has developed 30 e-Catalogues on each of the targeted countries comprising information on various Indian millets and range of their value-added products available for export, list of active exporters, start-ups, FPOs and importer/retail chain/hypermarkets, etc that to be circulated to the Indian Embassy abroad, importers, exporters, start ups and stakeholders.
Government is also mobilising start-ups for export promotion of value-added products in the Ready to Eat (RTE) and Ready to Serve (RTS) category such as noodles, pasta, breakfast cereals mix, biscuits, cookies, snacks, sweets, etc.

India is one of the leading producers of millets in the world with an estimated share of around 41 percent in the global production. As per FAO, world production of millets in the year 2020 was 30.464 million metric tons (MMT) and India’s share was 12.49 MMT, which accounts to 41 percent of the total millet production. India recorded 27 percent growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to millet production in the previous year was 15.92 MMT.

It is estimated that the millets market is set to grow from its current market value of more than USD 9 billion to over USD 12 billion by 2025.