Retail giant Lulu Hypermarket and the Indian government’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), to facilitate millets export from India to UAE.
The agreement is one of the highlights of Gulfood 2023, the world’s largest annual food exhibition. The UAE is the third-biggest importer of Indian products. India is promoting its range of wheat, rice, maize and many millet-related products as it observes 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
The MoU comes on the back of the CEPA agreement between the two countries, signed and improving by the day, to facilitate trade. Dr. Tarun Bajaj, director at APEDA, and Mr. Saleem VI, chief operating officer of LuLu Group International signed the MoU in the presence of the Ambassador of India Mr. Sunjay Sudhir, the APEDA chairman Dr. M Angamuthu, Indian consul-general in Dubai Dr. Aman Puri, and Lulu chairman Mr. MA Yusuff Ali.
India has exported millets worth $46.05 million since April-November 2022. The new MoU will help Apeda reach the target of $100 million for the export of millets and its value-added products by 2025.
This year, the international trade show is focusing on the export promotion of millets with trading partners from GCC, Asia, Africa and Europe participating in the event. A buyer-seller meet was also organized in the India Pavilion.
APEDA, which comes under the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of India, is participating in 16 International Trade Fairs for the export promotion of millets. The millets will be sourced from FPOs, FPCs, women and new entrepreneurs, start-ups, etc.
