International Forum

for Promotion and Development of

Minor Cereals

Dear Sir

In Asia and several countries around the world, many kinds of small millets (Minor cereals) are grown. They are finger millet, Italian millet, kodo millet, proso millet, little millet, barnyard millet, grain-amaranth and buckwheat. They are other minor cereals like teff and fonio which are important in Africa.

Research on these crops is in progress in many countries but it is scattered and localized. As a result, there is difficulty in finding access to the valuable research information available elsewhere. The scientists working on these crops are handicapped for want of a common forum for discussion of issues of mutual interest. The two Internatioal Workshops held in 1986 in India and 1991 in Zimbabwe has helped in documenting the available information at gloal level on some of the above cereals. But, this has not helped much in filling the vacuum. Recognizing the importance of these minor cereal crops in food security at the farm/regional level and its role in World Agriculture it is thought appropriate to launch an International Forum for Promotion and Development of Minor Cereals. The proposed forum will cover those ten crop species.

The forum intends to provide:

1) A common platform for scientists working to discuss isuues related to conservation, improvement and promotion of these crops.

2) To bring out International Journal to serve as promotional mediafor exchange and dissemination of information.

3) To support organizing International/Regional Seminars and Workshops on these crops and assist to identify areas of research and development for the common benefit.

Through this letter we are enlisting your support for launching of such a forum/society and your willingness to serve as oe of the founder members. We would be grateful if you could kindly circulate this letter among the interested scientists/ colleagues in your country and help us to know their response. We look forward for your suggestions in this regard.

Thanking you,
With regards,
Yours sincerely,

Dr. A. Seetharam, Project Coordinator (Small Millets), University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore 560 065, India.

Dr. M. Kimata, Professor of Ethnobotany, Tokyo Gakugei University, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8501, Japan. kimatami@u-gakugei.ac.jp