Kerala Agriculture department decides to open Millet Cafes in a bid to popularise millets and millet-based products

The Kerala Agriculture Department has chosen to open "Millet Cafes", given the focus on millets this year (2023) and in an effort to popularise millets and millet-based goods. As per Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, the cafés would operate in each district gradually. The Minister states that the department intends to open a café in each area. Foods made with millet will be available for purchase and served in the cafés. He stated, "Our goal is to make it possible for farmer producer organisations (FPO) and "Krishikootam" collectives to open them under the Poshaka Samriddhi Mission."

In Attappady, Palakkad, Kerala, the first "Millet Cafe," a Kudumbashree project, opened its doors in 2022. Kerala's government and non-governmental organisations have started a number of millet-based projects, and the year 2023 is designated as the International Year of Millets. Under the Poshaka Samriddhi Mission, the Agriculture Department unveiled an ambitious plan in August to raise the State's millet output to 3000 tonnes annually. 

According to departmental data, Kerala's millet output has been showing indications of recovery since 2016–17, following a steep fall since the early 2000s. According to official data, the output of ragi, or finger millet, increased from 261 tonnes in 2019–20 to 329.55 tonnes in 2020–21, and its productivity increased from 1,225 kg/hectare to 1,431 kg/hectare. Ragi is the most popular millet in Kerala. 

To further the State's budding millet industry, the Kerala government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday with the Hyderabad-based ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR). For its Millet Cafe initiative, the Agriculture department also intends to obtain technical support from the IIMR.