Minor millets have bought a major change in the lives of over 5000 women in the tribal districts of Mandla and Dindori, situated some 400 km east of Bhopal. Eking out a hand to mouth existence earlier, they are now financially and socially empowered, in better health and inspiring others in the region.
Twelve years ago, a resident of Mehandwani, Dindori district Lakshmi Uike, 34, mortgaged all her jewellery just to have two square meals for her family. The change took place after the women of the village took to cultivating their traditional crop - minor millets - like Kodo-Kutki, Ramtil and Niger oil seed, which had earlier been abandoned for the sake of more fanciful paddy and wheat.
Lakshmi said that a decade back, minor millets were not popular as people didn’t know its nutritional value. Farmers sometimes got as little as Rs 500 for 1 quintal. But now that everyone is aware of its nutritional value and also because it is grown organically, the price has shot up to Rs 1500- 1700 per quintal and so have their fortunes, and it cost only a fraction of what it takes to produce wheat.
Read more of this in a report by Shruti Tomar published in Hindustan Times....
(Minor millets are a form of 'bajra' - Editor)
