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Context

• For increasing exports through quality production and processing, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed a MoU with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research (ICAR-IIMR), located at Rajendranagar (Hyderabad, Telangana), which is expected to boost value addition and farmers’ income.

Details

• The key focus of the MoU would be to promote commercial cultivation of processable varieties developed by ICAR-IIMR for exports which is expected to promote value addition of millets, a cereal with high nutritive value.
• A joint coordination committee with representatives from APEDA and ICAR-IIMR would be set up to achieve the goals envisaged under the MoU.

Millets

• Millets are cereal crops with high nutritive value and categorized as small-seeded grasses.
• The key varieties of millets include Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Ragi, Small Millet, Foxtail Millet, Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet and others.
• Recently, the United Nations General Assembly has passed the resolution to celebrate the International Year of Millets (IYM) in 2023, to promote the health benefits of millets.

APEDA

• Agriculture and processed food production export Development Authority (APEDA) is an apex body that promotes export trade of agricultural products in India.
• Set-up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, APEDA was formed under the act passed by parliament in 1985.
• APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the following scheduled products:

1. Fruits, vegetables and their products
2. Meat and meat products
3. Poultry and poultry products
4. Dairy products
5. Confectionery biscuits and Bakery products
6. Honey, jaggery and sugar products
7. Cocoa and its products, Chocolates of all kinds.
8. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
9. Cereal and cereal products
10. Groundnuts peanuts and walnuts
11. Pickles, papads and chutney
12. Guar gum
13. Floriculture and its products
14. Herbal and Medicinal plants

• The above product categories are almost covered 50% of all Agriculture products exported from India.
• APEDA has also been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.

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