Punjab Agricultural University V-C releases brochure on millets

In a significant step towards promoting the cultivation and consumption of millets, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, vice-chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), released an insightful and resourceful brochure on millets titled ‘Millets - Nature’’s Super-grain’ with a tagline ‘From Field to Feast: Nourishing Future’.

Dr Ruchika Bhardwaj, a noted millets breeder at PAU, along with Dr Maria Afzal, business mentor, and Alisha Kaur, research scholar, School of Business Studies, have contributed significantly to the creation of this document. Their combined expertise ensured the brochure offered not just technical knowledge but also practical guidance to the millet growers, processors, marketers and the entrepreneurs.

Dr Gosal highlighted the importance of millets in addressing both health and environmental concerns. The brochure provided a comprehensive overview of the key millets cultivated in the state, and how they were being revitalised in the state’s agricultural landscape, he observed. It emphasised how the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and various initiatives by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) were playing pivotal roles in promoting millet cultivation and consumption, he added.

Dr Ramandeep Singh, Professor-cum-Director, PAU’s School of Business Studies, emphasised that this brochure served as a vital resource for the farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), traders, exporters and the importers by providing a reliable data on the ever-expanding millet market. It offered actionable insights into the cultivation processes, benefits of various millet varieties and their significant role in diversifying state’s cropping patterns, he told. With detailed guidance on pricing, packaging, labelling, promotion and distribution, the brochure aimed to empower the farmers and producers to better position themselves in the market, he added.

Dr Bhardwaj said the brochure also depicted success stories of entrepreneurs, including homemakers turned agripreneurs, who had leveraged the rising demand for millets to create thriving businesses. “It is set to become a cornerstone for the farmers, entrepreneurs and the policymakers in the region, bridging the gap between the field and the feast, for a nourished and sustainable future,” she added.