'Sehat Bazar' Millets Cafe | 09 Aug 2023

Why in News?

On August 8, 2023, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the newly built 'Sehat Bazar' Millets Cafe opposite Dalpat Sagar in Jagdalpur of the state.

Key Points:

• After discussing with the women running the cafe, the Chief Minister appreciated the products made from millets and presented them with an amount of Rs 5,000 as best wishes.
• Sehat Bazar is being operated by Mom's Food Organization Jagdalpur. This cafe will be run by needy women who used to make tiffin's in the past.
• The facility of nutritious food items like Ragi Chilla, Ragi Dosa, Ragi Idli, Ragi Upma, Ragi Pakora, Ragi Puri, Ragi Khichdi, Mahua Tea, Kadha Tea etc. will be available in this cafe. The facility of tasty and nutritious dishes will also be available here for the people.
• It is worth mentioning that in the tribal areas of the state, coarse grains like Ragi, Kodo, Kutki have already been used. It is very beneficial from the point of view of health, so now these grains are being used a lot in other areas as well.
• These millets also contain nutrients, which are very beneficial for health. According to experts, Kodo, Kutki and Ragi have been considered as protein and vitamin rich grains. Its consumption gives benefits to diseases like sugar and BP.
• Crops like Kodo, Kutki, Ragi have an important place in the tribal culture and food of Surguja and Bastar. Iron in Kutki in coarse grains has antioxidant properties. It is also beneficial for anemia patients and its consumption does not cause obesity.
• The specialty of coarse grain kodo is that it retains moisture in the stomach. This improves blood circulation and its consumption reduces the chances of cancer.
• Ragi is rich in calcium and iron. It is beneficial for diabetes and anemia patients.
• It is worth mentioning that Chhattisgarh is the only state in the country, where along with the purchase of Kodo, Kutki and Ragi at the support price, the work of its value addition is also being done. The purchase of Kodo-Kutki at the support price of Rs.3 thousand per quintal and Ragi at Rs.3 thousand 377 per quintal has been fixed by the state government.
• It is to be noted that Chhattisgarh has entered into a tripartite MoU with IIMR Hyderabad for 14 districts under the Millet Mission for promotion of millet cultivation, training to farmers, availability of high-quality seeds and increase in productivity through the efforts of State Minor Forest Produce. A MoU has also been signed so that the productivity of Bajra can be doubled.
• The state of Chhattisgarh has received the National Level Nutritious Grain Award 2022 for promoting the cultivation of millets.