Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy at the Centre of Excellence on Millets and Incubation Centre that he inaugurated at the CSIR-CFTRI campus in Mysuru on Friday. CSIR-CFTRI director Sridevi Annapurna Singh and others were present.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Centre of Excellence for Millets and Incubation Centre was launched at the CSIR-CFTRI here.
Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy inaugurated the facility on the CFTRI campus on Friday. The facility has come up with the support from the State government.
CSIR-CFTRI director Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda, K. Harish Gowda, MLAs, former council chairman V.R. Sudarshan, Commissioner for Agriculture Y.S. Patil, and scientists from the institute were present.
After the launch, the Minister went around the facility and got the details from the scientists on the millet-based products and the technologies developed by the institute over the years that can be transferred for commercial production.
The scientists explained the initiatives taken up for promoting millets, especially after the year 2023 was declared as the International Year of Millets.
Established at a cost of ₹20 crore with funding from the Karnataka government, the CFTRI, which has been working on millets since past 17 years, developing over 60 technologies till date, aims to reach out or transfer its technologies to farmers, entrepreneurs, women SHGs and others to market the products, focussing on the longer shelf life of the products without compromising on the taste and nutritional value.
With India being the one the world’s largest producers of millets, contributing 19 percent of the global production, the institute aims to help reach out the millet products to the global markets, addressing the issues concerning the shelf life.
Three units have come up at the centre under the initiative with the combined production capacity ranging from 500 kilos to one tonne.
More than 50 farmers had accompanied the Minister as the CFTRI aims to train farmers and others in millet processing, and make them entrepreneurs.
The CFTRI last year developed 12 new technologies. The new technologies include ragi-based malt hydrolysate, malted ragi-based ready-to-eat weaning food, a process for the production of multigrain waffles, and multigrain pizza base. The focus of the technologies was on millets since 2023 was the International Year of Millets.
Other technologies are finger-millet semolina, instant finger-millet ragi rava idli mix, instant finger-millet halwa mix, instant finger-millet upma mix, millet and multi millet puttu podi mix, cleaner process for biotechnological production of spirulina, and ready-to-use multigrain idli and dosa batter in retail packs
The ready-to-eat malted ragi-based weaning food that was also developed is suitable for children of the age group of six months to three. Notably, fruits like apples, mangoes, oranges, and vegetables like carrots or tomatoes can be incorporated in the food, the scientists said.
Published – December 07, 2024 08:32 pm IST
