Now, a Millet Chamber of Commerce to bring together farmers, product makers, traders

The chamber, launched in Coimbatore, will also initiate research, study the demand-supply situation and provide support to stakeholders, members of the body said

The Millet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, launched in Coimbatore on Monday, has been formed to bring together millet growers, product makers and traders and will focus on measures for the overall growth of the millet sector.

According to Mano Solomon, president of the Chamber, and P. Manivel, principal scientist and head at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture in Dindigul, the Chamber will bring nearly 300 stakeholders of the millet sector in the State under its umbrella in a year. Almost 1,000 people are making different kinds of millet products and with 2023 observed as the International Year of Millet, Mr. Manivel said, “All of us need to work together.”

“We need to increase production as the demand is high (for millets),” said Mr. Solomon.

Chennai and Coimbatore now have a large number of millet product making companies. Namakkal, Theni, Dharmapuri, Madurai, Virudhunagar, and Dindigul are among the areas where millet is grown in the State.

African countries are a major competition to India in millet production. Most of the domestic consumption now is of value-added products. There is a need to focus on millet clusters, form farmer producer organisations, initiate research on production technologies, study the demand and supply situation, and provide marketing support to both the farmers and the product makers, Mr. Solomon and Mr. Manivel said.