Thanjavur: Millets are the only option for farmers to go with less consumption of water and other inputs, said C. K. S. Kamalakannan, chairman and managing director of 'Naga Foods Ltd' here recently.
He was speaking at the national-level consultation on prospects of millet value addition and marketing organised by the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) at Thanjavur..
He insisted on bringing back the millets as staples which had been in places in our old traditions. “Resource-use efficiency is the key for sustainability,” he said. He shared the success story of Naga Foods at the institute, said an IIFPT press release. .
Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, chief executive officer, Cavinkare stressed the need for renovation of conventional practices for betterment of modern life.
Muthuraman, director, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said that owing to the largest production of millets in India, 2018 is considered as ‘national year of Millets’ and 2019 is ‘international year of Millets’. Production cost of millets is less compared to rice, he added. C. Anandharamakrishnan, director, IIFPT, said that growth of food processing industry in India is ten per cent and is growing faster than our country's growth rate. In the recent scenario, there is a rapid growth in nutraceutical (16 per cent), functional food (30) per cent and online food trading to an unimaginable growth of 150 per cent.
Observing this significant transition in food trade, there is a huge potential for incorporating millet enterprises for profitable venture and increasing the income to farmers.
The consultation was aimed at bringing possible deliberations on promoting millet-based industries and potential of markets and entrepreneurship.
It is “also for finding solution to cyclone-hit farm lands in Cauvery delta region and rebuilding farmers capacities through interventions of millet crops and value addition” , Anandharamakrishnan said.
