Break wheat-paddy cycle in Punjab, says 'Millet Man' Dr Khadar Vali
Faridkot, June 20
To break the wheat-paddy crop cycle to promote diversification and to improve people’s health in the state shift to millets, said Dr Khadar Vali from Mysore.
Known as ‘Millet Man’ of the country, Dr Vali on Monday addressed a gathering of doctors, medical students, school teachers, social activists and farmers here. Encouraging people to use millets in their diet, Dr Vali said until the people start eating these grains, the farmers could not be encouraged to grow millets.
“These grains are not just nutritious, they can be grown on dry land and need only 20 cm of rainfall,” he said.
Making comparison of the millets which are sold at Rs 60 to 70 per kg in the wholesale market with paddy, Dr Vali said millets crop need less than 4 per cent of water consumed in the irrigation of paddy crop. “If farmers cultivate these grains, there can be no water problem in the state,” he said.
Working on reviving millets for nearly 25 years, a Ph.D from the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru, Dr Vali returned from the US in 1997 and settled down. He claimed that the healing properties present in the millets could cure even deadly diseases.
Talking about the falling health index of Punjab residents, Dr Vali claimed that consumption of millets could facilitate the prevention and cure of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, constipation, piles, gangrene, triglycerides, low sperm counts, skin diseases, kidney and thyroid-related disorders. The millets even prevent brain and blood-related diseases, he claimed.
“The consumption of the millets will not only improve the health of people, but will also pull the state’s agriculture out of the multi-pronged crisis,” said Umendra Dutt, executive director, Kheti Virasat Mission. — TNS
Need less water
These grains are not just nutritious, they can be grown on dry land and need only 20 cm of rainfall. Dr Khadar Vali
