120 women are selling Ragi-based products.
This step has been implemented to increase the presence of the Ragi-based items at a pan-India level.
A stall has been set up for the Ragi-based products made in Gumla, Jharkhand at the Dilli Haat, INA. According to Local 18, amongst these products, the laddus (an Indian sweet) made from Ragi is in high demand by consumers. This stall is the initiative of Karn Satyarthi, Deputy Development Commissioner & Chief Executive Officer of Zila Parishad. The significant step aims to increase the presence of the Ragi-based items at a pan-India level. Bhagwati Devi, President of Mvm Baghima Palkot Farmer Producer Company Limited Gumla, talked with Local 18 regarding this stall. According to Bhagwati Devi, she and 120 other women have been working in the Ragi Mission Initiative by joining MVM Company for almost one and a half years. This stall will be active till July 31. Bhagwati said that besides laddus, they are preparing other Ragi-based products like atta (wheat flour), Bhujia Namkeen (snacks), Thekua, chips, etc.
Bhagwati said that the customers like the Ragi items being sold in the Delhi Haat. Almost 5,000-6,000 units are being sold every day. Due to the Ragi items, the Jharkhand-based hall is highly popular in the Delhi Haat in comparison to other states. Ragi Processing Unit in Jharkhand is in Jashpur Road Ramnagar and Karaundi Bazaar Samiti premises. In these areas, women are taught to make various types of products from Ragi.
Ragi cultivation in Gumla was started procuring high-quality seeds through the National Seed Corporation. Deputy Commissioner Sushant Gaurav has talked regarding this in an interview with the PTI. As per the Deputy Commissioner, “From an initial cultivation of Ragi in 1,600 acres, it was increased to 3,600 acres. Net output increased by 300 per cent… What helped in the success story was procurement by Sakhi Mandal Samuh (women’s self-help group). We established a Ragi processing centre which is the first in Jharkhand. Ragi Laddus, Bhujia snacks and flour are being produced which help battle malnutrition and anaemia (as it is rich in protein, calcium and iron).”
Gaurav received the award in the “Holistic development through aspirational district programme – overall progress with special focus on saturation approach” category at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.