Sangrur farmer turns exporter, ships 14 metric tonne ready-to-cook millets to Australia

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated around 500 startups in marketing and exporting millet based value added products. A farmer from Sangrur, Shri Dilpreet Singh, has transformed into an exporter, marking his first export consignment of 14.3 metric tonne of millets, and its products valued at USD 45,803. Chairman, APEDA, Shri Abhishek Dev flagged off the consignment.

The shipment includes ready-to-cook millets derived from Kodo millet, Foxtail millet, Little millet, Browntop millet, and Barnyard millet. Additionally, flours sourced from Ragi, Jowar, Bajra, Foxtail, Kodo, Barnyard, Browntop, Little, and Proso millets were also a part of this unique export endeavour.

Shri Jasvir Singh, the importer based in Sydney, also participated in the virtual flag-off ceremony. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to APEDA for their extensive support in facilitating the collaboration. He is optimistic about expanding further business opportunities and  ensured to continue to import more such consignments in future. The farmer has complete value chain control from end to end which is required by the buyers. He grows millets in his own farms, primary and secondary processing is done in his own unit including the packaging of international quality.

This success story exemplifies how the agricultural sector can be transformed, with farmers like Shri Dilpreet becoming key contributors  in agri export. This symbolizes the empowerment of local farmers venturing into international markets.  

With an increase in millet exports from USD 62.95 million in 2021-22 to USD 75.45 million in 2022-23 and with current export of USD 45.46 million from April – November 2023. Millets are gaining popularity in the global market. There is significant increase in the export of cereal preparation including value added millet products registering a growth of 12.4% over the same period last year.

Agricultural export facilitation enables farmer-led millet value-added shipments to international markets through startup support and value-chain control. APEDA supported around five hundred startups in marketing and exporting millet-based value-added products; a Sangrur farmer exported a first consignment of ready-to-cook millets and flours to an Australian importer. The exporter retains end-to-end value chain control-cultivation, primary and secondary processing, and international-quality packaging-meeting buyer requirements and exemplifying a facilitator-driven model to expand millet export market access and scale value-added exports.