5 January 2026, Hyderabad
ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad marked a strong and impactful presence at Udyan Utsav – Agriculture and Horticulture Festival 2026, held from 3 to 11 January 2026 at Rashtrapati Nilayam, Bolarum, Secunderabad by actively promoting millets through technology dissemination, enterprise development, and market-oriented interventions. As part of this initiative, an ICAR-IIMR-promoted Farmer Producer Organization (Balanagar FPO) established dedicated stalls to showcase FPO achievements and to create wider public awareness on the nutritional, economic, and environmental importance of millets.
The millet stalls functioned as dynamic market and awareness platforms, offering a wide assortment of millet-based value-added products such as ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat, and traditional foods. The strong public response resulted in tangible economic gains, with participating FPOs earning consistent daily revenues during the event. This direct-to-consumer engagement not only improved sales but also strengthened the confidence of FPO members in product positioning, pricing, branding, and engagement with urban markets.
The stalls attracted a diverse and enthusiastic audience, with around 10,000 visitors attending the festival over the event period. Visitors included school children, youth, farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, start-ups, officers from various departments, and personnel from the Army and Navy, reflecting wide cross-sectional interest in agriculture, nutrition, and sustainable food systems. Interactions with such a broad audience enhanced awareness of millets among different age groups and professional backgrounds, while also helping FPOs understand consumer expectations and market dynamics.
Meaningful interactions with consumers, institutional buyers, retailers, policymakers, start-ups, and agri-entrepreneurs enabled FPOs to gain insights into evolving preferences related to packaging, quality standards, pricing, and product diversification. These exchanges opened avenues for future collaborations, bulk orders, and expanded market linkages beyond local markets.
Scientists from ICAR–IIMR actively engaged with farmers and visitors through technical sessions and on-site interactions focusing on improved production technologies for major and minor millets, as well as processing and value addition opportunities. These knowledge-sharing efforts enhanced awareness of scientific cultivation practices, encouraged adoption of improved technologies, and demonstrated viable enterprise options across the millet value chain.
Udyan Utsav 2026 served as an integrated platform that strengthened millet value chains by effectively connecting production, processing, entrepreneurship, and consumption. The collective engagement of FPOs, farmers, scientists, and the public enhanced market access, facilitated wider knowledge dissemination, and improved the visibility of millet-based enterprises, reinforcing the importance of millets in sustainable agriculture, nutrition security, and inclusive rural development.
(Source: ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad)
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