Decentralise millet processing, say speakers at Millet Mela

Millet processing needs to be decentralised at the village level so that farmers and end users benefit from it, said Swaccha Kaadyam founder Satish Kumar C.A.V. and Dharani CEO Ramesh Kumar at the conclusion of the three-day Millet Mela-2026, here Saturday.

Addressing a large gathering of board of directors of several farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) from Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts, Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre director Y.V. Malla Reddy said that where the board of directors were active, the FPOs were working properly.

The Timbaktu Collective co-founder Mary Vattamattam highlighted about the adulteration in all vegetables and crops which needs to stop through the active involvement of the farming community by taking up natural/organic farming to improve public health.

Nearly 30 stalls were put up by the participating NGOs, and more than 1,500 people, including farmers, visited the stalls. The India Post put up a stall and explained to the FPOs how they could cost-effectively export millets.

Students from several agriculture and horticulture diploma programmes, colleges and others visited the stalls and listened to the lectures.