A MoU was signed between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the NAFED in New Delhi to boost the initiative envisioned by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to promote Millets towards celebration of the International Year of Millets 2023, reads a PIB release.
“Both organizations will work together for the promotion and marketing of millet-based products, keeping in view the initiative of “International Year of Millets (IYOM)-2023” proposed by the Government of India to the United Nations, which is to be celebrated across the world”, it underlined.
As India is gearing up to bring millet back on the global map, they will build support and organize, promote, market, and forge effective market linkages for millet-based products to maximize the value capture and millet-based commodities across the country, the release adds.
DA&FW and NAFED will collaborate in key areas like facilitating advisory support to manufacturers and processors of millet-based products to develop value-added millet-based commodities.
The MoU also talks of on-boarding of start-ups, inclusive of start-ups empanelled with Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR); formation of FPOs specifically for developing a range of millet-based products; promote and market millet-based products through the network of NAFED Bazaar Stores and other institutions linked with NAFED.
It bears recall that Nafed recently held its AGM at NCUI headquarters where its Chairman Bijender Singh announced that in the 2021-22 FY, Nafed earned a net profit to the tune of Rs 139.27 crore. The meeting witnessed a huge crowd of delegates who had travelled from long distances to attend the meeting.
Sharing a brief report on the business performance of NAFED, the MD informed that NAFED achieved a turnover of Rs 19,752.22 Crore with an operational profit of Rs 342.38 crore during F.Y. 2021-22. During the year, a quantity of 12.62 LMTs of Oilseeds and Pulses valuing Rs 7,072.21 Crore was procured under PSS, providing benefit of the scheme to around 15 lakh farmers.
He also informed that NAFED supplied 6.05 LMTs of processed Pulses to the Defence Forces and States for distribution under ICDS, MDM, PDS and other schemes. Further, pulses, edible oils, sugar, salt, groceries etc, valuing Rs 11,754.99 Crore were also supplied during the year. It is a matter of pride that NAFED expanded its horizons by exporting 1,25,333.60 MTs Indian Non-basmati rice valuing Rs 374.76 Crore to Bangladesh under the G2G arrangement.
Further humanitarian aid of 10,000 MTs of Rice and 200 MTs of Wheat worth Rs 32.18 Crore was provided to Myanmar on behalf of MEA, GoI. The MD further stated that as National Implementing Agency under the Mission for Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), NAFED successfully registered 421 FPOs mobilizing around 1,08,000 farmers during FY 2021-22. NAFED is also implementing Organic Farming projects in various states, spread across 2000 ha. across the country.