Antalya Millet Workshop

In the context of making agriculture more climate-smart, and as part of the events of the International Year of Millets 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized the "Antalya Millet Workshop" in Antalya, Türkiye, on 21 September in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Western Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute Directorate. As part of a series of similar events in Türkiye, the workshop shared knowledge and experiences on the cultivation, agriculture, and use of millet species to raise awareness of the product group. The workshop also provided an opportunity for agricultural experts, farmers, researchers, and relevant stakeholders to come together to evaluate the problems, production potential, marketing, and trade opportunities of millet production. In addition, representatives from relevant sectors commented on policy recommendations and national or international cooperation opportunities.

 

FAO Assistant Representative Ayşegül Selışık, who participated in the workshop, emphasized that millet, is a natural treasure that deserves our attention and admiration.

 

“It is known that sorghum is the most widely cultivated millet species in our country. Besides sorghum, millet is produced in Türkiye for fermented beverages and animal feeds. Millet production can create important opportunities for new employment opportunities for small family farmers, especially for women producers. Important marketing opportunities can be created for many food products made from millet, such as millet flour, millet porridge, millet rice, millet pasta, millet halva, millet syrup, and millet desserts, especially as gluten-free food alternatives," she said.

 

Abdullah Ünlü, Director of the Western Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute, stated that millet agricultural areas and the use of millet plants are increasing rapidly and that it will be a much more important agricultural product in the future. He underlined that the Institute and the ministry will collaborate to implement projects to increase and expand the production potential of millet.

 

Veysel Dönderalp, FAO Technical Expert, made an informative presentation in Antalya and Izmir on the International Year of Millets and FAO's work on millets at global level. 

 

In the workshop, participants heard presentations on the  status of sorghum production and varieties in Türkiye, research and development activities for sorghum breeding and recent developments in sorghum breeding, adaptation to climate change, and its role in nutrition.