Event 7
Capacity Building on Small Millets based Value Added Food Products at Block Resource Centre, Mandla in Madhya Pradesh
Immediately after the training at Raipur, Chhattisgarh, another one was organized by DHAN Foundation at Block Resource Centre, Mandla of Madhya Pradesh on 26th and 27th October, 2017 as part of Scaling up Small Millet Post-harvest and Nutritious Food Products Project with the funding support of IDRC and Global Affairs Canada under Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF). This training was aimed at disseminating and scaling up the small millet based value added food products developed by DHAN Foundation since 2011 in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in the Central Indian States. In the training, there were 49 participants from different organizations like Self-help groups (Tejaswani, Sri Ganesh, Jai Mata Di, Jyoti, Ujjala, Jai Kisan, Gayatri, Surya, Gonwana etc.), Farmers’ Producer Companies (Kahna Farmers’ Producer Company, Mahesmati Farmers’ Producer Company, Santikunj Farmers’ Producer Company, and Basna Farmers’ Producer Company), NGOs (Mahila Shakti, Ranjavati, Tej Ekta, Samarthan, WORK, WOTR, etc.), Ekgaon Technical Pvt. Ltd. and health workers from Health Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Mr. Yogesh Parashar, President, Samarpan Prashikshan Sansthan welcomed all participants to the training programme. In his welcome address, he mentioned that this was the first training programme organized in Madhya Pradesh on small millet based value added food products having participants from NGOs, Government organizations, small and medium enterprises, FPOs all together in one place. Mr. Bhagwan Das Bhainsaare, District Project Manager, Mandla inaugurated the training. He pointed out that marketing of small millet value added food products has a great potential across Madhya Pradesh and district administration would facilitate the marketing through its community organizations. He also assured to make linkage with different government schemes in marketing of small millet food products.
Dr. D. Malathi, Professor (Food Science Nutrition), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and her team consisting of two research assistants made a practical demonstration after exploring the local recipes and food system with the participants. The value added food products such as Adai, Khichdi, Payasam(Little Millet), Pakoda, Noodles, Biscuit, Cake, Sambar Rice Mix, Biriyani Mix, Health Mix, Pongal, and Paniyaram were demonstrated during the training programme. Mr. Saravaran, Team Leader, DHAN Foundation explained about the difficulties in processing of small millets and retaining its nutrition through proper processing.
Mr. Ranjeet Kachhwaha, CEO, Kahna Farmers’ Producers Company Ltd. expressed that the training was very useful for his organisation and more of such trainings are needed. He also shared his organisation’s proposal to put an exclusive small millet food court at Kanha National Park very soon. The participants assured to organise small millet recipe demonstrations in their own location and to take efforts to set up small millet food enterprise. They also agreed to serve small millet value added food products in their organizational events. Mr. Yogesh Parashar proposed a vote of thanks for the inaugural session of the training programme.
