Enhancing Millet Enterprises through South-South Collaboration
Feature story
In an inspiring showcase of innovation and collaboration, two African participants who attended a training program on small-scale millet enterprises shared their expertise in developing and promoting millet foods.
This initiative, organized by ICRISAT and supported by the Indian Government, was held from 12 February to 1 March. It included 27 participants from 10 African countries and Tajikistan and focused on developing and promoting millet-based products.
A probiotic millet beverage from Ghana
Dr Linda Dari from Ghana was among the attendees who brought their unique contributions to the forefront. Dr Dari, an Associate Professor at the University for Development Studies in Tamale, Ghana, highlighted her development of a probiotic spiced millet beverage made from pearl or finger millet.
“Millet combined with probiotics and therapeutic spices enrich millet's inherent nutritional value. Commercializing these millet beverages also creates economic opportunities, particularly for women entrepreneurs engaged in food processing and sales,” says Dr Dari.
Dr Dari emphasized the role of such innovative products in diversifying diets and enhancing public health outcomes in Ghana and beyond.
Millet foods for schoolchildren in Malawi
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Mr Gift Nyama Phiri, a Certification Officer with the Malawi Bureau of Standards, spoke about a millet-based snack aimed at combating malnutrition among school children in Malawi.
"This initiative has improved children's health and boosted local economic and agricultural activities in the Mtalimanja village, NKhotakota district. The product, certified in 2022, was developed by a local women's group and supported by nutritional experts," said Mr Phiri.
Dr Dari and Mr Phiri credited the training program with expanding their knowledge of global millet market trends and processing techniques that enhance product shelf life and safety.
The training program 'Starting Small Scale Food Processing Enterprises in the Millet Value Chain for Women and Youth’ was organized under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) with support from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India. The training provided a platform for participants to explore various millet varieties, learn about their nutritional benefits, and understand the importance of proper warehousing and product traceability.
The course coordinators, Dr Padmaja Ravula, Cluster Leader–Gender and Youth, Knowledge and Capacity Development, and Mr Purushottam Rudraraju, Manager-Agribusiness Relations, said that ICRISAT would sustain relationships with the participants and facilitate connections with investors interested in funding small-scale processing units in the region.
This collaborative effort highlights the significant impact of South-South cooperation in fostering sustainable development and nutritional advancements through the promotion of millet-based foods.
Banner image used for illustrative purposes only.
