HYDERABAD, INDIA — The Millets and Other Ancient Grains International Research Initiative (MAHARISHI) launched a funded training program in India for researchers from Africa focused on advanced millet breeding, genomics, biofortification, climate-resilient varieties, value-added products and food-system development.

The program will be hosted at the Global Centre of Excellence on Millets at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Millets Research (ICAR–IIMR) in Hyderabad, India, with participation open through an application process.

Also covered will be the wider millet and other grains value chain, including agronomy, seed systems, post-harvest management, processing, nutrition, food safety, entrepreneurship, value addition and market development.

Through MAHARISHI, the training aims to strengthen scientific exchange and South–South cooperation, connecting researchers and institutions working to build more resilient and sustainable food systems across Africa and the wider Global South.

“The challenges of climate change, food insecurity and malnutrition demand cooperation that is ambitious, practical and enduring,” said Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, secretary of the Department of Agriculture Research and Education, and director general of ICAR. “Connecting scientists and institutions can help move good research into practice faster and strengthen the role of millets and other ancient grains in building more resilient and nutritious food systems at scale.”

The MAHARISHI initiative, launched under India’s G20 Presidency as part of the G20 MACS Global Research Collaboration Priority, promotes international research on these underutilized grains. Building on the momentum of the International Year of Millets 2023, it aims to coordinate international research on millets and ancient grains to strengthen global food and nutrition security.

The program is tentatively scheduled to run from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. Selected international participants will receive full financial support under MAHARISHI, subject to approved program provisions.

For more information or to register, visit maharishi.res.in.

John Reidy is senior digital media editor for World Grain, covering the grain, flour and feed industries. He spent 25 years in newspapers as a reporter and editor and has been an editor in the grain industry since 2019. He joined Sosland Publishing Company in 2021. He is a graduate of Creighton University with a degree in journalism. Connect with John Reidy on LinkedIn or via email.