ITC is all set to contribute towards the Mission of India regarding the International Year of Millet IYoM, by launching New Millets based Products In the Market.
Reason
While a number of millet-based products have already been launched including ragi flour, gluten-free atta, and multi-millet mix, ITC is further developing a comprehensive millet-based portfolio under popular brand names and in familiar formats to enable easier adoption. Among the products that will be launched are millet-based noodles, pasta, dosa, and idli mix; ragi vermicelli; multi-millet-based cookies, confectionery and snacks.
Millets are resilient and more nutritious. They are climate resilient crop, using 70% less water than other staples (rice), grow in half the time as other crops (wheat), and use 40% less energy to process (than wheat). Millets offer a comprehensive answer for sustained food security in the face of drought, water shortage, climate change and can address the concerns of food security,
However, there are certain barriers to the adoption of this food source that ITC’s “mission millets” will try to address.
These are forgotten grains with developed taste being an issue along with not enough products being available. There is a lack of demand and benefits of modern tech have so far not focused on millets. Our objective is to make good and tasty food from millets,
Accordingly, ITC will build awareness on millets through “educate, empower and encourage” that will include experimenting with recipes.
CMD Sanjiv Puri said,
We will empower farmers with knowledge on soil, crop, produce, farming techniques, facilitate better production, build supply and enhance livelihoods of farmers. Our mission is to encourage trials through various millet-based range of products and formats to help build the taste; make millets more palatable and tastier by sharing healthy recipes.
ITC agro-business is currently sourcing required millets (sorghum, pearl millet and ragi) from three key states Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. It is going to build an integrated millet value chain.
According to Puri
As a part of developing millet value chains, the Agri Business Division has implemented two PPP projects, one each in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in partnership with Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad and Government of Andhra Pradesh respectively. In these projects, improved varieties and crop cultivation practices are disseminated through Crop Demonstrations, trainings were organized for capacity building of farmers on millet cultivation, post-harvest management, marketing; and market linkages were provided to catchment farmers.
New Products
ITC Hotel’s chefs are creating recipes to help encourage “individuals to experiment with the taste and texture of millets. Some of these dishes include:
- millet-based risotto
- jowar kebab
- jowar tur dal tadka
- sweet potato and barnyard millet (samak) croquettes
- little millet (kutki) khao suey
- kodo millet gur aur khajoor ka halwa and
- bajra (pearl millet) gur phirnee.
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