Lok Sabha Question No. 5006 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-01
Subject: Promotion of Millets
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Darshan Singh Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5006 ANSWERED ON 01/04/2025

## PROMOTION OF MILLETS

## 5006.  SHRI DARSHAN SINGH CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मं त्री ) be pleased to state:

(a) the steps being taken by the Government for promoting millets and natural products across the globe, if so, the details thereof;

- (b) the details of strategy of the Government regarding agro exports; and

(c) the  specific  strategies  being  made  by  the  Government  to  protect  Indian  exporters  from increasing trend of protectionists trade policies?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

## वाणिज्य और उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री (श्री णिणिन प्रसाद) (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) Department of Commerce, through Agricultural &  Processed Food Products Export Development  Authority  (APEDA)  organized  trade  fairs,  exhibitions  and  Millet  Conclave  for awareness, usage and export promotion of millets. Under the International Year of Millets 2023, a host  of  activities  were  conducted  in  close  association  with  Indian  Embassies/Missions  and Government departments,  which  included  millet  themed  participation  in  international  trade  fairs, sampling events, millet galleries, international buyer seller meets etc. Further, Millets are one of the key  focus  areas  for  enhanced  branding  and  publicity  in  key  global  and  domestic  fairs,  in  which APEDA participates.

The Government of India launched the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), to promote natural farming in a mission mode across the country as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare. NMNF aims at promoting natural farming practices for providing safe & nutritious food for all.  There is significant scope for promotion of India's natural products abroad, based on availability of certified natural products, given the global trend of increasing demand for healthy and chemical free produce.

(b) The government is taking focused initiatives for boosting India's agricultural exports making India a key exporter of agricultural products. Some of the key initiatives are:

- i. Broad basing India's agricultural export basket by exporting new products.
- ii. Penetration of exports into new markets.
- iii. Exporting from new producing regions and exports.
- iv. Enhanced branding and promotion of India's agricultural produce.
- v. Increase export realization by value added agri exports.
- vi. Expanding exports of Organic products.
- vii. Enhanced  training  and  capacity  building  of  producers  and  stakeholders  to  ensure  quality produce and meeting of phyto-sanitary requirements of importing countries.
- viii. Development of Sea Protocols for enhancing exports of Perishable Horticultural produce.
- ix. Linking Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) and Self Help Groups(SHGs)to the export value chain.
- x. Enhanced market access through FTAs and engagements with trading partners.

(c) To  enhance  the  export  of  Indian  agricultural  products  and  to  protect  exporters  from protectionist trade policies, the Government is actively engaging in intensive bilateral discussions with  respective  importing  countries  to  secure  market  access  and  to  address  trade  barriers.  The Government is also engaging in Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions with trading partners for duty-free/concessional access to those countries. In case of barriers in the form of strict Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)/Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), efforts are made to resolve them through bilateral meetings with trading partners and in case of their no-resolution, by raising Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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