Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the unprecedented work done by sister Lahari Bai, a resident of Dindori district for the conservation of millets “Shree Ann”, has boosted the pride of the state.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the efforts to promote “Shree Ann” i.e. millets are being successful. Prime Minister Shri Modi has appreciated the efforts of Lahari Bai, which is a reflection of her sensitivity. Chief Minister Chouhan said this through social media. It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Modi tweeted while appreciating the efforts being made enthusiastically by Lahari Bai of Dindori district for the conservation of “Shree Ann” and wrote that – ‘Lahari Bai’s efforts will also motivate others to preserve and adopt “Shree Ann.”
Lahari Bai of Baiga tribe is a resident of village Silpadi in Dindori district. She has been engaged in the conservation of millets like Kutki, Sanwa, Kodo, Katki for more than a decade. They have a stock of seeds of many types of millets. Her two-room house, built from the Rural Housing Scheme, is known in the surrounding area as a millet seed store. Lahari Bai says that “To save the seeds which had become extinct in our area, we brought seeds from other villages and produced them, distributed the seeds to the farmers, the farmers sowed them in small areas of their fields and when the crop grew we took them back from them. We now have the seeds of many extinct crops.”
It is noteworthy that the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as Millet Year. Millets give good yield with less irrigation and are full of nutrition. They also have an important role in streamlining the crop cycle and empowering small farmers financially.
