<p>Jakarta, Nov 22 (PTI): The Indian Mission to ASEAN along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Wednesday launched a five-day Millets Festival here in the Indonesian capital, a move aimed at raising awareness and creating a market for millets and millets-based products among the 10-member bloc.</p><p>“The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) participated in the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit on September 7. During the ASEAN-India summit, one of the joint statements adopted was about food security," India's Ambassador to ASEAN Jayant Khobragade said.</p><p>"In two months we are having the Millet festival which also covers food security. That is how effectively our comprehensive strategic partnership is working,” he said.</p><p>Describing Millets as one of the important elements for ensuring food security, he said this was very well in the overall framework of the ASEAN-India relationship.</p><p>“There is a lot of interest. For this millet festival, we have representation not only from Indian farmers and industrialists but also from ASEAN member states,” he added.</p><p>Khobragade also highlighted the crucial role of millet in addressing global hunger and nutrient deficiencies.</p><p>The Indian Mission to ASEAN and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare have jointly organised the ‘ASEAN-India Millets Festival’ starting November 22 during which a Millet-centric exhibition is being held featuring participation from Millet-based FPOs, start-ups and Indian chefs.</p><p>Arief Prasetyo Adi, Head of the National Food Agency (Badan Pangan Nasional (BPN)) Indonesia, underscored millets as a farmer-friendly and sustainable food choice for the future in the face of climate change.</p><p>He said that the ASEAN -India Millet Festival has an opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits of millet, from nutritional status and environmental sustainability to economic development.</p><p>The ‘ASEAN-India Millets Festival’, at the Kota Kasablanka Mall, a prominent shopping destination in south Jakarta, aims to create a market for millets and millets-based products among the ASEAN Member states.</p><p>Millets can grow on arid lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to changes in climate. They are, therefore, an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains.</p><p>India spearheaded the UN General Assembly Resolution for declaring the year 2023 as the 'International Year of Millets', a move aimed at addressing food security challenges.</p><p>The Year will also promote the sustainable production of millets while highlighting their potential to provide new sustainable market opportunities for producers and consumers.</p><p>India’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is leading a delegation at the event, representing a diverse set of professionals from Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), industry leaders and more.</p><p>A Millet-centric exhibition is being held as part of the festival featuring participation from Millet-based FPOs, start-ups and Indian chefs.</p><p>The exhibition also aims to foster collaboration between ASEAN countries, celebrate cultural and culinary diversity and promote sustainable millet practices for a healthier future.</p><p>The exhibition features five Indian FPOs, namely Citi Block FPC, Jewargi Taluka Millets FPC, Bhumitrajalalpur, Vaam Agro, and Lambasingi Tribal Products FPC, and two start-ups namely Taru Naturals and Sattva Millets and Food Products (Mibbles) exhibiting unique millet-added products such as millet cookies, namkeen, khakhra, cakes, and more.</p><p>Ankit Patel, who represented Ahmedabad-based Vaam Agro company that deals in spices, said that he started manufacturing the millets-based products just four months ago and till now the company has sold products worth Rs 50 lakhs.</p><p>"We have started with six Millets products, including Dhokla and Khakhra. Our products have got a great response," Patel said.</p><p>Indonesia-based Rizal Satria said that he started manufacturing millet-based products three years ago when very few people in his country knew about such products.</p><p>"Now more people know about it and we expect a steady growth in our Millets business of Millets," he said.</p><p>A major highlight of the festival is the live cooking workshop, where celebrity chefs from India and Indonesia will showcase the culinary potential of millets.</p><p>The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. PTI ZH AMS AMS</p><p><i>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)</i></p>
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