The fourth edition of the ‘Millets and Organics-International Trade Fair’ was held from January 20 to 22 at the Tripura Vasini Palace Grounds, Bengaluru, Karnataka. Exhibitions, farmer workshops, conferences, and food courts featuring millet and organic food were a part of the fair.
Millet Walkathon
MILLET WALKATHON Run was organized by the Department of Agriculture as a precursor to Organics & Millets 2023 – International Trade Fair. The message was to go back to our roots and rediscover health through smart foods-millets which are good for people, Farmers & the Planet. We had more than 4000 people who came to participate & run for the cause. Wearing Herbalife Co-Branded T-shirts the participants carried messaging with co-branded Pla Cards.
Millets & Organics 2023 – International Trade Fair kicked off in Thripuravasini, Bengaluru on 20th Jan 2023. The 3-day event was divided into multiple segments including an exhibition, pavilion, B2B networking, and much more.
We got a showcase stall where we shared the work done under Eat Right India. Distributed IEC Material co-branded with Herbalife Logo. Explained & Educated the visitors on the Eating Right & importance of Millet in our Nutrition.
The trade fair was a platform for farmers, farmer groups, domestic and international companies, and Central and state institutions in the organic and millet sector to connect and explored opportunities in agriculture, horticulture, food processing, machinery, and agri-technology. The Government of Karnataka has been a leader in the promotion of millet.
The inauguration of the international conference was done by Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. In her address to the farmers and other participants, she called for the cultivation of quality millets with optimal use of pesticides that can be taken to international platforms which would help them in gaining competitive prices for their produce. The Government’s commitment to increasing farmers’ income can be seen through a significant rise, witnessed in agriculture exports.
Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in his address highlighted that the country is focused on developing 10,000 farmer producer organizations FPOs and aiding farmers in setting up sorting and grading units, along with the production of value-added products which are export ready. He emphasized that the consumption of millet is the solution to malnutrition, which will also benefit farmers to get a better livelihood and increased income.
Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare appreciated the model of Karnataka in millet promotion. She said, “Karnataka has been distributing millet grains through the PDS system, organizing district-wise Kisan melas. Further to that, farmers in Karnataka have helped boost food production, especially during the Covid pandemic, by cultivating millets.” She also added that, in the coming year, National Food Security Mission (NFSM) program will be reconstituted to the National Food and Nutrition Security Mission, paving the way for millets to reach the global forum.
With the aim to generate mass awareness, increase production, productivity and strengthen the value chain towards promoting ‘golden grain’ millets as the avenue to food and nutritional security, accepting the Government of India’s proposal, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM) – 2023. The declaration has been instrumental for the Government of India to be at the forefront of celebrating the IYM2023 in a grand manner.
Being grown in more than 130 countries, currently, millet is considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa. In India, millets are primarily a Kharif crop, requiring less water and agricultural inputs than other similar staples. Millets are important by the virtue of their mammoth potential to generate livelihood, increase farmers’ income, and ensure food and nutritional security all over the world.
