MoU signed with Indian firm to commence millet cultivation in Guyana

The Agriculture Ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India-based UPL Limited, paving the way for trials to commence for the cultivation of millets.

The undertaking will see UPL Limited providing technological and agriculture inputs while the Government through the Agriculture Ministry will assist with developing approximately 200 acres for the cultivation of millets.
Millets are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food.
During the signing, Mustapha said Guyana was pleased to commence trials for millet cultivation. He noted that Guyana was leading the agriculture agenda in Caricom in keeping with the Region’s Vision 25 by 2025 and that millets would contribute significantly to those efforts.
Last March, Mustapha visited India and participated in a round-table discussion at the Global Millet Conference with his Indian counterpart Narendra Singh, and other Ministers from across the world. Discussions circled on fostering millets production in countries like Guyana to increase food security.
Prior to that, President Dr Irfaan Ali during a virtual address at the Inauguration of the Global Millet Conference in New Delhi, India, disclosed that Guyana will soon commence cultivation trials for millets production in Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to support the transition to large-scale production of the seed locally.
In his address, the Head of State noted that the production of millet will help support poverty reduction efforts in the Region and that the areas earmarked for the trials represent the profit zone in which similar crops like corn and soya are adaptive and being produced on a large scale.
“Guyana looks forward to strengthening its cooperation with India to kickstart large, medium, and small-scale production of millets. India is the largest millet producer in the world, and through collaboration, Guyana hopes to embark soon on the sustainable production of millets,” the Head of State had said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lobbied the UN to declare the year 2023 as the International Year of Millet.
The first crops of millets were cultivated in Asia and Africa, later spreading as an important food source for advanced civilisations around the world. With these two continents considered the production and consumption centres for millet crops, the major producers of the grain are India, Niger, Sudan, and Nigeria.
Due to the low glycaemic index (GI) being gluten-free, it helps in a slower release of glucose over a longer period of time thus reducing the risk of diabetes mellitus. Millets are rich sources of minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. It also contains appreciable amounts of dietary fibre and vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, and niacin. The availability of high amounts of lecithin is useful for strengthening the nervous system. Therefore, regular consumption of millets can help to overcome malnutrition. (G12)