NERAMAC hosts 2-day event in Shillong
Shillong, Sep 5: An event to generate awareness and promote the benefits of millet consumption was held at Meghalaya Rongali Bihu Auditorium, Shillong on Thursday where around 200 beneficiaries, including millet farmers and entrepreneurs from Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were present.
With the main focus being the creation of an upstream effect of increased production by farmers, the benefits and uses of millet products were highlighted on the first day of the “Promotion of Millets Production in India” programme.
Guests were left impressed by the versatility of millet-based sweets and savouries, but they also expressed a keen interest in learning more about millet flours and ready-to-cook items to incorporate into their daily diet.
Millet products were put on display in stalls while entrepreneurs showcased a variety of products including raw millet grains, ready-to-cook items, and ready-to-eat items such as millet malt, cookies, ladoos, millet rusk, ragi namkeen, cakes, wine and others.
B K Sohilya, Adviser-cum-Chairman of the Meghalaya Farmers Empowerment Commission while addressing the farmers and stakeholders emphasised the need for extensive awareness generation on the importance of millet production. He mentioned that millet is a ‘superfood’ in a true sense and should be marketed as a premium product for maximum benefit to farmers.
Commodore Rajiv Ashok (Retd), Managing Director of North-Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) highlighted the benefits of millets and reasons to use them as an alternative to rice. He also spoke about the Government of India’s thrust towards its produce over the last few years leading up to the world recognizing it as the International Year of Millets.
Meanwhile, M Iboyaima Meitei, Horticulture Adviser, NEC, commended the effort being taken by NERAMAC in the Agri-Horti sector in general and for promotion of Millets in specific. He said that the implementation of the FPO Central Sector Scheme by NERAMAC was being done in a manner worthy of emulation. He also mentioned that NEC was fully supportive of endeavours in the sector.
While Kayio Kayina, MD NERCORMS, highlighted that millets were always a part of the diet of our ancestors and that it was essential to preserve and promote it for food security, agri-diversity and its nutritious nature, J C Lyngdoh, Director of Agriculture, Government of Meghalaya said that the area under millet cultivation though limited has increased in recent years and that the state government is working in Mission Mode to ensure a sustainable future with millets.
A two-day event was organised by NERAMAC, a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
