What We Do

Program components

For achieving its objectives and in continuity of its earlier work, SMF engages on the following program components in collaboration with local, regional, national and international organisations:

Increasing production of small millet based cropping systems

Given the drastic decline in the quantum of production in the last 4 decades, it is important to retain the farmers and area involved in production and increase the production wherever possible. For this, urgent efforts are needed for stopping the erosion of crop and varietal diversity of small millets and improve the viability of small millet farming. Towards this end, SMF has been implementing (i) Community Based Seed Systems for small millets covering on-farm conservation, Participatory Varietal Selection and local seed production, (ii) identification and promotion of Sustainable Agriculture Practices, and (iii) supporting organized production through Farmers Producer Organisations.SMF has collaborated with All India Small Millet Improvement Project of Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU).SMF is currently working in six locations in Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Jharkhand. It has promoted four small millet Farmers Producer Companies. The significant achievements so far are shared below.

Enhancing Access to Varietal Diversity

  • 132 local varieties characterised
  • DNA barcoding evolved
  • 1-4 farmer preferred varieties/ crop selected for each site
  • 3 varieties entered national evaluation system

Addressing production constraints

  • 3 to 6 suitable Sustainable Agriculture Practices identified for each site
  • 8414 farmers adopted these practices
  • Scaling up of improved agricultural practices taken up in Semiliguda and Dasamantapur blocks with the support of Special Programme for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas of Odisha

Resources developed on small millet production includes

  1. Sustainable Agriculture Practices for enhancing small millets production in Jawadhu Hills- Tamil & English

  2. விவசாயிகள்பங்கேற்புடனானஇரகத்தேர்வு: களஆராய்ச்சியாளர்களுக்கானகையேடு (A guide on Participatory Varietal Selection for field practitioners)

  3. Characterization of Land Races and Local Varieties of Finger Millet and Other Small Millets

  4. Overview Paper : Genetic improvement of small millets In India during Pre and Post Crop Coordinated Project era.- by Mr. A. Seetharam, Former Project Coordinator (Millets) and Emeritus Scientist, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India

  5. Increasing gender equality among small millet farmers in South Asia

  6. Small millet farmers increase yields through participatory varietal selection in South Asia

  7. Enhancing the Resilience of Livelihoods of Small Millet Farmers through Participatory Varietal Selection in India- Karthikeyan, M ,Patil, C. S. P. , Seetharam, A. , Palanisamy, M Bijay, K.N. , Vediappan, V. , Suji, N &Nadhiya, M.

  8. Enhancing the food security and resilience of small millet farmers in India through developing integrated local seed systems - M. Karthikeyan &C.S.P. Patil

  9. Uncultivated Edible Greens (UCG) - A less explored aspect of Contribution of Small Millet Cropping Systems (SMCS) for Nutrition of Poor Rural Families in India- Karthikeyan. M , Salome Yesudas&Sathya

  10. Videos

    1. Indigenous Agricultural Implements used in millet cultivation- Tamil & English

    2. Threshing Finger Millet - Anchetty in Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu

Scaling up decentralised processing infrastructure for small millets

Dehulling is the process of removing the outer hull/husk from the grains, which are not human edible. It is a vital process for obtaining grain-rice and for further processing of grains for consumption. Small millets other than finger millet are well protected in glume encasements, hence the conversion of the grain to rice and other forms are time consuming and laborious. Processing is the critical link in the small millet supply chain between production and consumption and therefore difficulties and inefficiencies in processing has considerable negative impact on growth of markets for small millet food products. Understanding the importance of this aspect, SMF has been engaged in (i) development of the hulling and processing assemblies to meet varying operating requirements at the village, micro enterprise and SME levels and (ii) scaling up their reach across India through building the capacity of equipment manufacturers and facilitating adoption by building the capacity of end users. Towards this end, SMF has collaborated with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), McGill University (McGill), VICTOR AGRO SALES (Victor), AVM Engineering (AVM),Perfura Technologies Private Ltd. (Perfura), Agromech Engineers (Agromech) and KMS Industries (KMS) in Tamil Nadu, and Vishwa Agro Tech and Bio-tech in Karnataka and many small and medium scale processors. The significant achievements so far are shared below.

Making small millet processing easy

  • Improved centrifugal hullers for small millets in collaboration with TNAU
  • Evolved model small millet portable impact huller for commercial small-scale milling operation
  • Improved functionality & operational safety of grader and destoner
  • Improved process flow
  • Made the equipment women friendly
  • Developed prototypes of pneumatic cleaner in collaboration with McGill

Reaching small millet processing pan-India

  • Perfura and Agromech introduced small millet centrifugal huller in to their product line
  • AVM and Victor improved their processing equipment design and offered varied capacities ranging from 50 kg/hr to 500 kg/hr to meet requirements at the village, micro and SME levels
  • All the five manufacturers have widened their contact base and reach
  • Reached the small millet processing technology to 54 districts in 10 states
  • Established 59 demonstration units
  • Developed audio-visual and written self-learning material on small millet processing
  • Trained 345 persons in nine states
  • Revived 21 processing units

Resources developed on processing of small millets include,

  1. Report on Survey of Post-harvest Technology and Constraints Faced by Women Farmers related to Small Millets and Associated Crops

  2. Assessment of Existing Small Millet Processing Equipment in India

  3. Some Observations on Mechanized Processing of Small Millets

  4. Guidelines for Setting up a Small Millet Processing Unit

  5. Audio-Visual Manual on Community Scale Small Millet Processing

  6. Small Millets in Mainstream Diets: Establishing Decentralized Processing Infrastructure

    1. Manual hulling of small millets 1

    2. Manual hulling of small millets2

    3. Small millet centrifugal huller-improved version

    4. Impact of introduction of improved huller in Jawadhu Hills

    5. Small Millet Portable Impact Huller

Local and regional small millet value chains development

Small millet food products are an emerging food category. Making the bulk products and value added food products available and affordable is essential for the growth of this food category across India. Most of the small millet food enterprises were catering to the demand from health conscious elite and middle class. In this market situation and considering the food cultures in the pertaining regions, the development of local or regional small millet value chains was deemed necessary for transition of small millets from ‘elite food’ to mass food’. Towards this SMF has been taking efforts on the following aspects: (i) research on health benefits of small millets, (ii) development of appealing small millet based food products and (iii) scaling up their reach across India by building the capacity of the nano, micro and small food enterprises and NGOs.SMF has collaborated with TNAU, Canadian Mennonite University and McGill university for the research and capacity building component. For commercialization of the developed small millet-based food products, SMF partnered with 66 millet food enterprises and 152 Pushcart Millet Porridge Vendors (PMPVs)in Tamil Nadu and 26 cottage enterprises, two micro enterprises and 14 NGOs in Eastern and Central India. The significant achievements so far are shared below.

Proving health benefits & developing food products

  • Identified the varieties rich in calcium, iron, dietary fibre and protein
  • Studied glycemic Index of small millet products
  • Standardized 42 value added mille-based food products, 14 multi-millet-based instant therapeutic food products and 42 multi-small-millet-based food products

Strengthening food enterprises

  • In Tamil Nadu, food enterprises improved themselves in: (i) standardisation of foods products (22), (ii) introduction of new products (28), (iii) improvement in packaging (22), (iv) improvement in hygienic practices (35), (v) improvement in production capacity (20) and (vi) visibility (42)
  • Twenty-seven entrepreneurs have initiated small millet food enterprise
  • 28 enterprises & 8 NGO's initiated production of milletfood products in Eastern India
  • 2,78,000 additional consumers reached

Strengthening pushcart millet porridge vendors

  • 152 millet porridge vendors adopted customized food hygiene practices
  • 76 vendors got FSSAI license
  • 75 vendors got Biometric card

Resources developed on nutritional benefits and small millet-based food products include,

  1. Multi Millet Based Instant Therapeutic Foods

  2. Multi Small Millets Based Food Products-A Technical Manual

  3. Value Added Products from Small Millets

  4. Videos

    1. Modern millet recipes

    2. Millet incorporated bread and biscut

      Link 1

      Link 2

Resources developed on small millet value chain development includes,

Promoting consumption

Given the large scale prevalence of under nutrition (Anaemia, protein energy malnutrition) and rising levels of obesity, non-communicable diseases (diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases) and other lifestyle related health problems (constipation and other stomach related disorders), it is important to promote the consumption of small millets among all section of society. SMF has taken up (i) preparation of promotion materials including awareness posters, a monthly calendar with message on millets, a music album, radio programs, and short films on cooking demos of small millet traditional recipes and modern value-added food products and (ii) promotion of consumption of small millets with different consumer groups. It has been following the approach given in Figure 2. It has been organizing promotional events and media campaign to raise awareness, running ToT on recipe demonstration to build the capacity of women/ farmers federations, supporting local processing infrastructure development in the production locations, organising supply of small millet foods at affordable prices and expanding market networks for increasing availability.The significant achievements so far are shared below.

Consumption enhancement in the production areas

  • Millet processing centres established in 6 production sites in Tamil Nadu & Odisha
  • Hamlet level knowledge cum skill building on health benefits and utilisation organized in 8 sites

Consumption enhancement in non-production regions

  • Recipe films, music album, radio programmes and education materials developed in regional languages
  • Capacity of 85 women/farmer federations built on promoting small millets
  • Skills and knowledge of 15,838 persons on small millet utilisation improved, including 12,993 women
  • Organised awareness events and media campaigns reaching 356,342 persons
  • Reached poor through organising supply of small millet rice at lower prices incollaboration with women/farmers federations

Resources developed on promoting small millet consumptionincludes,

  1. Small millet recipe videos- Tamil, Telugu, Odia and Hindi

  2. Small millet recipe books/booklets

  3. Small millet cropwise recipe booklets-

    English

    Tamil

  4. Educational materials on small millets

Policy advocacy

Inadequate policy support for small millets was an overarching issue that contributed to production, processing, consumption and marketing related problems. Despite the wave of millet promotion in the last five years, there is a long way to go for transforming small millets from the current neglected and underutilised status to one of the mainstream foods. Sustained and focused support and active role of government in the long term is crucial. Government need to intervene to (i) improve nutritional status of the masses, (ii) address climate change related issues, (iii) develop markets for small millets, (iv) improve the development impact of public investment on farming and (v) correct the imbalances created by past policies. In this context, SMF has been undertaking the following: (i) Synthesis of policy lessons into policy documents, (ii) Pilots for developing evidences and (iii) Advocating for favourable policies. It has organized national and state level policy seminars and contributed to policy formulation on small millets by facilitating participation of different value chain actors including farmers, food enterprises, etc. The significant achievements so far are shared below.

  • Scoping study of existing policies relevant for millets in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka
  • Policy seminars in Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Delhi
  • Policy pilot on introduction of millets in Integrated Child Development Scheme at Srikakulam in collaboration with WASSAN
  • Exposure to Sri Lankan policy makers on the role of state in finger millet value chain development
  • Studies on millet processing, food enterprises and introduction of millets in Public Food System
  • Published 4 policy advocacy documents papers

These efforts contributed to policy discussion on mainstreaming small millets in the regular diets by bringing into attention on the following aspects:

  1. Policy support needed for developing local and regional value chains, particularly for (i) establishing decentralised processing infrastructure, (ii) establishment of MSMEs and cottage industries in the millet sector, and (iii) addressing supply chain constraints.

  2. Policy support needed for establishment of supporting institutions like technology transferring organizations, incubators offering on-site support, common service centres for packaging, nutritional analysis, etc.

  3. Exclusive policy support needed for scaling up of operations of equipment manufacturers.

  4. Twin policy strategy of (i) supporting market development and (ii) implementing ‘what market will not do’ to be followed toincrease consumption among the “Bottom of the Pyramid” population and strengthen the roles of women, farming communities and marginalised communities (STs and SCs) in the emerging millet value chains.

  5. Policy lessons from small millet value chain development in Tamil Nadu region and their relevant to other regions in the country.

The policy documents developed in the process of engagement with stakeholders across the value chain includes,

  1. Proceedings of National Policy Workshop on Mainstreaming Small Millets in Our Diets

  2. Small Millets in mainstream diets- Promoting Decentralised Processing Infrastructure- A Policy Brief

  3. Small millets, big potential: diverse, nutritious and climate smart- A Policy Brief

  4. Introducing millets into Public Distribution System (PDS): A Pilot project by WASSAN in Andhra Pradesh

  5. Supporting Millets in India: Policy Review and Suggestions for Action- A scoping study

Modus operandi

SMF will adopt the following modus operandi to work towards its goal:

  1. Direct action

  2. Functional collaboration with partners in different regions and on different sub-themes

  3. Supporting small millet stakeholders through Resource Centre

Consultancy services

SMF offers consultancy on the following aspects to the interested agencies/persons:

  • Small millet production

    • Training and exposure visit on Participatory Varietal Selection and Sustainable Agriculture Practices

    • Seed supply

  • Millet processing

    • Consultancy for establishing a Small Millet Processing Unit of various capacities

      1. Technical Support on selection of suitable equipment, machinery purchase, testing at the manufacturer’s place, transport, installation and demo run

      2. Training to operators on effectively running the processing equipment

    • Exposure visit to processing units currently in operation

  • Support to new food enterprises

    • Training and exposure visit on

      1. Preparation of millet value added food products
      2. Maintaining food safety & hygiene in the food enterprise
      3. Packaging of value added products

    • Bankable proposal preparation

    • Consultancy on

      1. Machineries for secondary processing
      2. Accessing raw materials
      3. Legal protocols to be followed
    • On-site business incubation in South India