National Millet Expo -2023 organized jointly by National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T) & ICAR – National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack
With the aim of highlighting the nutritional value of millets and promoting millet production in the country, the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Thanjavur and the ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack jointly organized the ‘National Millet Expo-2023’ on October 6, 2023 at MKCG Platinum Jubilee Auditorium of NRRI, Cuttack. The NIFTEM-T with its modern laboratories equipped with hi-tech instruments, is engaged in the R&D of food grain processing, value addition, by-product utilization through bio-processing, process and product development. The ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack is engaged in developing climate resilient, bio-fortified and high yielding rice varieties, improved package of practices and development of improved crop production and crop protection technologies for diverse rice growing ecologies of the country.
The inaugural session of the programme was chaired by Prof. Pravat Kumar Roul, Vice Chancellor, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar who graced the occasion as chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Roul emphasized the significance of millets in addressing the global challenges of food and nutrition security; climate change and environmental sustainability. He also emphasized on the status of Odisha Millet Mission and culinary versatility of millets from traditional dishes to the part of modern food system.
Dr. O.N. Singh, Former Vice Chancellor, Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), Prof. V. Palanimuthu, Director, NIFTEM-T, and Dr. A.K. Nayak, Director, NRRI were the Guests of Honour of the function. Dr. Singh highlighted millets as an underutilized source of nutrition and livelihoods for tribal farmers. Prof. Palanimuthu stressed value addition in millets, millet based popular products like millet ice cream, millet idli, millet extruded products; incubation facilities at NIFTEM-T and Grant-In-Aid Schemes of MoFPI like PMFME, PMSKY and PLIS. Dr. Nayak added a new dimension in the millet production and consumption domain by linking it with rice production systems of the country and emphasised cultivation of millets on uplands and arid regions of the country as a contingent crop for coping up with the financial losses due to the adverse impact of climate change. In the beginning, Dr. M. Sivashankari, Organizing Secretary of the programme welcomed the guests and dignitaries. Dr. G.A.K. Kumar, Co-chairman of the organizing committee apprised them about the Expo and at the end, Dr. V. Chandrasekar, Co-ordinator, NIFTEM-T of the programme offered vote of thanks.
The technical sessions of the expo comprised two different themes: (i) technological advancements in millets production technologies and (ii) promotion of entrepreneurs, nutrition, processing, value addition and markets. The programme was attended by about 500 participants comprising over two hundred farmers and farmwomen from Odisha, staff, students & scholars of ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack and general public. An exhibition was also organized in the expo for showcasing the millet-based and other value-addition oriented technologies and popularization activities of ICAR institutes, OUAT, Odisha Millet Mission, KVKs, state line departments and Agri start-ups.
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