It is one of the most sustainable crops to cultivate, one that can even survive amid harsh drought, making it perfect for the more arid parts of Karnataka. The benefits of ragi (finger millet) are many, both for the farmers who cultivate it and for consumers since it is healthier than other cereals. Yet neither group has benefited to the maximum extent possible. Making this happen is the mission of Dr Mushtari Begum.
She happened upon the many benefits of ragi while working towards a Master’s degree in Foods and Nutrition. She went on to become a professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences and it was during her time there that she experimented with ways of substituting ragi in foods that are part of the daily diet of the State. Diversifying its uses and making it more appealing to urban consumers will increase the demand for this crop, she reasoned.
“The farmers will be the first to benefit if the demand goes up,” said Dr Mushtari. As part of her work spearheading the project, she has created 33 recipes with ragi, all of which are high in nutritional value and can be made easily. “Ragi is cultivated in Karnataka, but the rural people don’t really get the benefit. Diversifying the uses of the grain will raise demand,” she reiterates.
In the next part of the project, Dr Mushtari travelled extensively through the state, teaching people who cultivate the crop how to make simple foodstuffs like papads and ragi mixes that will fetch a higher return than just selling the raw crop. “I have trained people so that they can go back home, start up a unit on their own and become entrepreneurs,” she says. The ragi products are also sold at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru.
Electricity is scarce in the rural parts of the state and power cuts are frequent. This problem had to be kept in mind as small manufacturing equipment was developed. “I started making ragi papads with a hand press so that they could be packed and sold by these communities,” she said. Puffed ragi mixed with coconut is being sold in packets to children and is an appealing alternative to junk food.
In order to promote the spirit of enterprise, groups of people in rural communities in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are trained to start their own micro enterprises and make a good living. The focus of training at the community level is mainly on women and women self help groups.
“Women are very dependable with money. This is one way of ensuring that the benefits of these enterprises actually go back to the families.” To spread the word among even the most impoverished farmers, Dr Mushtari began training the assistant agricultural officers, the grassroots workers who come in close contact with rural communities. “That’s how I ensure the message is carried on,” she says.
The grain itself is pushed for its health benefits, an aspect Dr Mushtari takes very seriously. “It is rich in calcium, fibre and iron, with a low glycemic index, making it the ideal food for people with diabetes,” she explains.