Kochi To Host Festival On Millets And Fish For Awareness

The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Institute (CMFRI) is going to conduct a three-day festival around the theme of Millets and Fish between December 28 to 30, 2023. The goal of the event is to generate awareness about millets and the health benefits of combining them with fish, which are also a local and healthy food group most people depend on. Organised by the Ernakulam Krishi Vigyan Kendra, the event will also focus on growing the value chain of millets brought in from other states. 

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The festival is all set to feature many activities, like buyer-seller meets, live fish sale, live millet sales and millet-based products, a millet and fish food festival, a millet cookery show, a millets recipe content, agri-tech exhibition, launch of new millet and fish products, nutrition and health talks, etc. The festival will also have a special stall set up for farmers from Lakshadweep to highlight their indigenous products. 

Video Credit: YouTube/Village Cooking - Kerala

The event is being organised to observe the International Year of Millets 2023, and will offer participants a chance to explore and relish authentic fish and millet products. “The festival is poised to promote healthy eating habits, facilitate a robust market value chain in Kerala for millets produced by farmers in other states and boost local economies”, said Dr A Gopalakrishnan, Director of CMFRI. He also explained how the combination of fish and millets (where rice is replaced by the latter) has the potential to provide the masses with healthier and more balanced diet.  

To make this possible, he added, exploring and innovating tasty recipes featuring or fusing both is essential. That is also a sphere where this event is going to contribute, along with providing a platform to farmers, cooks and others venturing into this field. The three-day festival will focus on these aspects of creating a range of recipes and generating awareness about the health benefits of consuming both millets and fish. 

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad, National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Hyderabad, Commissionerate of Food Safety Kerala, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), National Institute of Fisheries Post Harvest Technology and Training , the Society for Assistance to Fisherwomen (SAF), Food Crafts Institute, Kalamassery, Kerala Hotel and Restaurants Association, and All Kerala Bakers Association will also be participating as partners in the festival.