ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad Dedicates Millet Primary Processing Unit to Tribal FPO to Strengthen Millet Value Chain in Andhra Pradesh

30 July 2026, Hyderabad

In a significant step towards strengthening millet-based livelihoods and promoting value addition among tribal farming communities, ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad inaugurated Millet Primary Processing Unit at Sevalal Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO) MACS, Pendliman Thanda, Pattikonda Mandal, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, today.

The processing unit was inaugurated by Dr C Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad in the presence of ICAR-ATARI, Zone X Hyderabad & district-level officials from line departments, representatives of ICICI Foundation and Borne Technology, members of the Board of Directors of the FPO, women Self-Help Groups, and large gathering of tribal millet farmers. The FPO was started under 10000 FPOs scheme of Government of India. National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) was the implementing Agency.

Millet Primary Processing Unit has been established with financial assistance from ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad, under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) component of Global Centre of Excellence on Millets (GCoE-Millets). The initiative has been implemented with the technical guidance and continuous field support of ICAR-KVK, Banavasi, ANGRAU , ICAR-ATARI, Hyderabad, District Collector, Kurnool & AP Food Processing Society to enhance post-harvest management, improve processing efficiency, reduce quantitative and qualitative losses, and strengthen value addition at the FPO level.

Addressing the gathering, Dr C Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR, emphasised the importance of decentralised processing infrastructure for improving the economic viability of millet cultivation. She highlighted that establishment of village-level processing facilities would enable farmers to realise better returns through improved grain quality, reduced post-harvest losses, aggregation, processing, and market-oriented value addition. She further encouraged Farmer Producer Organisations to evolve as sustainable agribusiness enterprises by integrating production, processing, branding, and marketing of millet-based products.

The programme also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of ICAR-KVK, Banavasi, ANGRAU, in providing technical backstopping, farmer mobilisation, capacity building, and institutional strengthening of the FPO. Appreciation was extended to Borne Technology for supplying, installing, and commissioning the millet primary processing machinery and to ICICI Foundation for supporting the establishment of the secondary millet processing and value addition line of Millet Rava Maker, Pulverizer, Vibro Separator, and Blender for facilitating the development of an integrated millet processing ecosystem.

Sevalal Farmers Producer Organisation has mobilised 757 tribal farming families, predominantly engaged in the cultivation of finger millet and other small millets. The newly established processing unit is expected to substantially improve primary processing operations, minimise post-harvest losses, enhance product quality, reduce processing costs, and strengthen market access. The complementary secondary processing facilities will further enable the FPO to produce a diversified range of value-added millet products, thereby generating employment opportunities for rural women and enhancing the income of member farmers.

District-level officials appreciated the coordinated efforts of ICAR-IIMR, ICAR-KVK Banavasi, ICICI Foundation, Borne Technology, and Sevalal Farmer Producer Organisation in establishing model millet processing enterprise in the tribal region. They expressed confidence that the initiative would serve as a replicable model for promoting millet-based entrepreneurship and rural economic development across Andhra Pradesh.

The programme concluded with an interaction between scientists and farmers on scientific post-harvest management, quality assurance, value addition, branding, entrepreneurship development, and market linkages. The establishment of Millet Primary Processing Unit represents another milestone in ICAR-IIMR's commitment to strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations, promoting Shree Anna (Millets), and enhancing the livelihoods of tribal farming communities through science-led interventions and institutional convergence.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad)