CFDT organises national conference ensuring food security

CHENNAI: The College of Food and Dairy Technology, a division of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University College of Food and Dairy Technology (CFDT), is organising a National Conference and Workshop on Millets as a Nutritional Paradigm 2023 in celebration of the International Year of Millets, ensuring Food Security, on September 14 and 15 at CFDT, Koduveli, Chennai.

The programme is organised with the objective of sharing research outputs on value-added millet products among researchers, faculty, students, and industrialists through oral and poster presentations.

To sensitise self-help groups and consumers to the nutritional benefits of millets through demonstration,

To highlight the prospects of value-added millet products as an income and employment revenue generator among rural youth and budding entrepreneurs,

To create linkages between students, institutions, industries, research scientists, financial institutions, and entrepreneurs for mutual benefits,

To brainstorm issues in value-added millet products and to suggest suitable recommendations through the conduct of the workshop,

To exhibit various technologies, products, and raw materials in connection with value-added millet products for better adoption and profit maximization,

To motivate and sensitise the school students on the nutritional benefits of millets through a quiz and millet cuisine competition, which will be coordinated by FSSAI, To create awareness among the public about millet consumption for better health and well-being through an awareness rally-walkathon at Alamathy village coordinated by FSSAI

AMUL, the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCTC), NABARD, FSSAI, the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP-IDP), and a number of other organisations are among the organisations that are supporting this event.

Students from different colleges in Tamil Nadu, faculty members, women SHGs, the Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO), business people, farmers of millet, researchers, stakeholders, and millet experts will take part in the two-day event. There are now about 500 registered participants.

Dr. K.N. Selvakumar, vice chancellor of TANUVAS, will inaugurate the event. Experts from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCTC), the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Management (NIFTEM), Thanjavur, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad, the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, the FSSAI, the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration, NABARD, and other significant millet-based private organisations are taking part in the discussion.

The walkathon will be flagged off by Dr. P. Tensingh Gnanaraj, Registrar, TANUVAS, on September 15, 2023, at 9 a.m. in Alamathy village.