About the Conference cum Farmers' Expo

Millets, small-seeded annual grasses, have been vital staple crops for centuries, offering affordable nutrition, especially to underserved communities. Despite their numerous benefits, they have become less prominent due to awareness and changing dietary habits. Recent efforts have intensified to revive millet cultivation, culminating in the United Nations declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets. This initiative highlights the importance of raising awareness, developing supportive policies, improving value chains, and aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as zero hunger, good health, sustainable consumption, and climate action. In the north-eastern hill regions of India, where traditional agriculture is deeply rooted, millets have significant potential to enhance food security and resilience. The upcoming conference aims to engage global stakeholders, promote the benefits of millets, and support their cultivation in diverse agricultural contexts, including the unique environments of the north-eastern hills. By showcasing millets as a viable, sustainable alternative to modern cash crops, the conference seeks to foster greater consumer awareness and policy support for this valuable crop.

Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal, with 13 constituent colleges, 6 KVKs, and 6 vocational training centres across NE states, is a key institution for agricultural education, research, and extension in the North-Eastern Region. It has completed 375 projects, with 150 ongoing, and has contributed more than 13 patents, 11 climate-resilient crop varieties, and 17 bio-fertilizer/biopesticide formulations. CAU has promoted 56 startups and 60 FPOs, actively supporting millet research, value addition, and entrepreneurship through its NEH Component projects, fostering sustainable agriculture in the region.

The Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad, under ICAR, is a premier institute dedicated to millet research, genetic improvement, and value addition. Through its NEH Component, IIMR actively promotes millet cultivation in the North-Eastern region by funding research, skill development, and farmeroriented initiatives. It supports seed distribution, processing technologies, and policy advocacy to integrate millets into mainstream agriculture and enhance food security.

The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Sorghum & Small Millets, headquartered at IIMR, focuses on crop improvement, agronomy, and post-harvest technologies. In the North-Eastern region, AICRP supports millet research centers and KVKs in developing climate-resilient varieties and adaptive farming practices. It promotes on-farm trials, seed multiplication, entrepreneurship, and value chain development, enhancing millet production and market access for farmers

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) plays a crucial role in conserving and characterizing India's diverse plant genetic resources, including millets. With its National Genebank, NBPGR safeguards millet germplasm for future food security and climate resilience. Its research and conservation efforts support sustainable millet cultivation, ensuring nutritional and economic benefits for farmers.

Conference Abstract Themes

• Theme 1 - Nutritional and Health Benefits of Millets & Forgotten Foods
  • Nutritional profiles and functional properties of millets and underutilized crops.
  • Health benefits and their role in preventing lifestyle diseases.
  • Community-driven initiatives for integrating millets and forgotten foods into daily diets.
  • Contribution of millets to food and nutritional security in vulnerable communities.
• Theme 2 - Biodiversity Conservation and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
  • Indigenous knowledge in millet and forgotten food cultivation.
  • Community seed banks and on-farm conservation of neglected crops.
  • Agro-biodiversity enhancement through diversified cropping with millets.
  • Traditional ecological knowledge for resilient farming in hill ecosystems.
• Theme 3 - Sustainable Agronomic Practices and Climate Resilience
  • Climate-smart millet-based cropping systems for ecological sustainability.
  • Innovations in low-input, high-output millet cultivation techniques.
  • Role of millets and forgotten foods in water conservation and soil health.
  • Agroecological approaches for pest and disease management in millet farming.
• Theme 4 - Post-Harvest Processing, Value Addition, and Food Innovation
  • Advances in millet and forgotten food processing technologies, especially for hilly regions.
  • Blending traditional knowledge with modern value addition for market-driven products.
  • Managing post-harvest losses and optimizing supply chains.
  • Millet and forgotten food-based alternatives for animal feed and biofuels.
• Theme 5 - Community Engagement, Economic Empowerment, and Market Chain Development
  • Strengthening millet and forgotten food value chains through branding and entrepreneurship.
  • Policy frameworks and public-private partnerships for millet promotion.
  • Case studies of successful millet-based enterprises and FPO-led business models.
  • Addressing socio-economic barriers to millet and forgotten food commercialization.

Important Dates

Registration