The facility will examine how to enhance millet exports and produce traditional foods
At a cost of Rs.15 crore and in cooperation with the State government, a millet centre of excellence is being built on the CSIR-CFTRI campus. The Centre will aim to develop technologies based on millet for promoting millets.
In 2023, the building that will house the centre of excellence is anticipated to be finished. The facility will also look into ways to increase millet exports and create traditional cuisine dishes using millets, similar to what the CFTRI did with ragi mudde, for which a machine was created.
Since 40% of millets like ragi and jowar are produced in India, the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), situated in Hyderabad, sponsored the Centre of Excellence. According to CFTRI Director Sridevi Annapurna Singh, "extensive research will be done and solutions will be brought out that could help in promoting millets in a big way."
2023 has been proclaimed the International Year of Millets by the United Nations. The Indian government is working extremely hard to boost output and invest in the growth of the crop, which is climate-resilient and water-efficient, in its quest to become the world's leading producer of millets.