Popularly known as the ‘Millet Man of India’, Dr Khadar Vali called upon the farmers, agriculture scientists and policymakers to promote millets in agriculture to save soil, water, environment and, above all, human health.
He was delivering a lecture on the “Role of Millets in Preventive Health- Aahar Sey Arogya” at a one-day workshop-cum-kisan mela at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni in Solan on Monday evening.
The event was organised by the state project implementing unit (SPIU) of prakritik kheti khushhal kisan yojana (PK3Y) of the HP government.
Over 200 farmers from Himachal Pradesh, who have adopted non-chemical, low cost and climate resilient natural farming after the launch of PK3Y in 2018, participated in it along with PK3Y officials from the state, agriculture department officers, agriculture and horticulture scientists and students.
The event set the tone for focus on millets in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the ‘International Year of Millets-2023’ declared by the United Nations as it was followed by a meeting of the working group of agriculture experts of state to chalk out a strategy for the promotion of millets in Himachal Pradesh.
Dr Vali advocated against growing and eating wheat and rice and asked the farmers to start cultivating the ‘forgotten food’ millets again.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Vali advocated against growing and eating wheat and rice and asked the farmers to start cultivating the ‘forgotten food’ millets again.
{{/usCountry}}“The water required for rice and wheat crops in one year equates with water requirement of millets for 26-30 years. This single reason is good enough for scientists and farmers to have shifted to the cultivation of millets,” he said.
Dr Vali said he has done major work on millets, what he calls ‘Panch Ratna’, including Foxtail millets, Browntop millets, Little millets, Kodo millets and Barnyard millets. He said the barren lands could be rehabilitated with natural farming of millets.
Secretary agriculture Rakesh Kanwar said the International Year of Millets-2023 is a great chance to make a beginning on millets. “A discussion at this workshop will help us in a paradigm shift in policy on agriculture,” he said, requesting Dr Vali to be a mentor for the Millet Working Group in HP.
Nauni University vice-chancellor Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel said the university will play a significant role in the action plan.