Karsog Padma Shri awardee on mission to promote 'kodra' millet

Dipender Manta

Mandi, February 23

Padma Shri Awardee Nekram Sharma of Karsog has set up a stall promoting kodo millet (locally known as ‘kodra’ millet) products in the week-long Shivratri fair in Mandi town. He is offering ‘kodra’ millet food products to visitors in Padal Ground.

The district administration provided him space to set up the stall in the exhibition, where different government departments have also set up their stalls.

‘Kodra’ tea and chapatis made of kodra flour are getting a huge response from the public. ‘Kodra’ is a traditional food grain, which has high nutritional value. Apart from this, few other food products prepared from ‘kodra’ millet and other traditional food grains are also being offered to the visitors.

Nekram, who got recognition at national-level for reviving the traditional crop system of nine food grains in Himachal, told The Tribune that the move was aimed to make the public aware about the nutritional value of these traditional food grains, which have almost disappeared from the market due to lack of their cultivation in rural areas.

He said: “Around 30 years ago, it was a common practice that people in rural areas used to cultivate these nine food grains — ‘kodra’ millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, barn yard, proso millet, kodo millet, buck beat, sorghum and pearl millet. These millets have high nutritional value and their consumption is good for health.”

“Youth visiting the stall are more curious about kodra tea and chapatis. I am thankful to the district administration, which provided me with a space to set up the stall to promote these traditional food grains,” he said.