Nestlé India expands its portfolio, launches Nestlé a+ Masala Millet

INDIA – Nestlé India has launched a range of Nestlé a+ Masala Millet-based porridges that are tasty and nutritious, as the company explores opportunities to provide consumers with more diverse food choices that incorporate different types of ancient grain. According to Nestle, the a+ Masala millet porridges are tailored to local nutritional needs and tastes and are made with a…

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Kenya plans to introduce mandatory flour blending in new strategy to boost food security

KENYA – In a move to reduce overreliance on maize, the government of Kenya is on course to make blended flour mandatory for millers effective this November. According to The Nation, the regulations have been drafted and sent to the Attorney General for approval before they are passed into law. On the same note, the Kenya Bureau of Standards is…

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Burkina Faso authorizes exceptional grain export to Niger

BURKINA FASO – The officials of Burkina Faso has taken the exceptional step of allowing the export of millet, maize, sorghum, and beans to Niger as a gesture of solidarity with their neighbor. The announcement was made in a press release published on August 11 by the Ministry of Industrial Development, Trade, Handicrafts, and Small and Medium Enterprises. According to…

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USDA’s Agricultural Research Service develops new sorghum varieties to tackle malnutrition

USA-  Scientists at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center of the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed healthier varieties of sorghum to meet the nutritional needs of mothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa.  The new varieties are the result of 20 years of collaborations from scientists with the USDA-ARS, Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, North Carolina State University’s…

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Togo to inject US$8.4M in a fonio production boost plan, target 500,000T of soybean by 2028

TOGO – Togo seeks to raise US$8.4M (5 billion FCFA) to stimulate the production of fonio, the fifth most consumed cereal in the country, to 10,000 tonnes by 2028. In Togo, cereals are the main consumed foods. Although corn is the main food crop followed by sorghum, millet, and rice, fonio, a tiny golden grain believed to be Africa’s oldest cultivated…

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Niger bans millet and rice exports to cushion local supplies, halt inflation

NIGER – The Ministry of Internal Trade has published a decree prohibiting, until further notice, the export of millet and rice as the government takes measures to ensure availability of the population’s diet on the local market. In Niger, cereals are a major source of food. While the world market for this category of foodstuffs is about to experience new…

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India’s defense ministry inks MOU to embrace healthy millet-based diets for armed forces

INDIA – The Defence Ministry and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have forged a powerful partnership in a step toward enhancing the health and well-being of India’s Armed Forces.  Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a resolute commitment, the two entities aim to promote healthy eating practices and ensure the availability of safe and nutritious…

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Kenya to host India-Africa International Millet Conference in August 2023 

KENYA- In celebration of the International Year of Millets, the Ministry of Agriculture and Famers Welfare, India, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kenya will be co-hosting the ‘India-Africa International Millet Conference’ in Kenya. The official curtain raiser for the ‘India-Africa International Millet Conference’ scheduled for 30-31 August 2023, was held at Nairobi, Kenya on 6th July 2023,…

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Guinness Ghana, SNV Netherlands partner to spearhead sustainable sorghum production in Ghana

GHANA – Guinness Ghana Breweries (GGB Plc), the local subsidiary of British drinks giant Diageo has collaborated with the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) in a groundbreaking initiative for sustainable high-quality white sorghum production in Ghana. Dubbed “Partnership for Sustainable Sorghum Sourcing in Ghana” (P3SG), this first-of-its-kind project will help more than 12,500 smallholder farmers to produce 72,375 tonnes of sorghum implemented…

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Mali cereal production projected to hit 10.9 million tonnes in 2023/24

MALI – The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated that the cereal harvest is expected at 10.9 million tonnes at the end of the 2023/2024 campaign, up 6% compared to the previous year’s stock, Ecofin Agency reports. According to the authorities, these positive prospects are attributed to an expansion of the areas planted, better weather conditions as well as an effective…

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