At the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference in India, organized to commemorate the International Year of Millet 2023, the Integrated Agriculture Activity (IAA) highlighted the efforts of USAID and implementing partner IITA in ensuring food security in northeast Nigeria. The International Millet Conference took place on 18-19 March at the Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. The conference was themed “Enhancing Productivity and Value Addition in Millets”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the conference, explaining that cultivating millet in larger quantities can contribute to food security and help provide more nourishment to people of all ages. That’s why India and its partners, including Nigeria, are educating the world about the wonders of the crop.
Other dignitaries at the conference included Indian Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Surinamese Minister of Agriculture, Parmanand Prahlad Sewdien, Guyanese Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustafa, Agriculture Minister of Zambia, Reuben Mtolo Phiri. All the participants agreed that when countries gather at agricultural conferences, technologies needed for planting crops such as millet can be exchanged and higher yields achieved.
During the presentations, the IAA Chief of Party, Prakash Kant Silwal, highlighted IITA’s role in millet nutrition, value addition, and interfacing with different consumers to leverage market opportunities. He also spoke about the market approach to improving the livelihood of smallholder farmers in northeast Nigeria through technology (Aflasafe) and community nutrition. Silwal explained how IITA has delivered more than 70% of the CGIAR’s impact in sub-Saharan Africa through a science-driven improvement of agriculture.
He emphasized the uniqueness of USAID’s support in ensuring that northeast Nigeria has viable food value chains. Silwal also spotlighted some critical technologies, such as Aflasafe, and tools employed in producing highly nutritive crops like millet.
Silwal attended the conference with members of the Nigeria Millet Initiative and Niger State Ministries of Agriculture and Investment. The conference created global networking opportunities and prospective partnerships.
Contributed by Joke Fayemi
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