In only 18 months, Sushant Gaurav, a 2014-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), remodeled the poverty-stricken district of Gumla in Jharkhand into a possible hub of financial exercise centred round ragi (finger millet).

Posted as deputy commissioner (DC) between February 2022 and August 2023 in a district   predominantly inhabited by the indigenous Adivasi communities and marked by many years of Naxalite insurgency, he launched some game-changing interventions.

Primarily, Sushant led to a change in native agricultural practices by serving to 1000’s of farmers, significantly ladies, transition from water-guzzling paddy to a extra sustainable mannequin of ragi cultivation. He empowered them to leverage that transition right into a self-sustaining enterprise alternative by serving to them promote ragi-based merchandise out and in of the state. Given its well being advantages, he additionally employed ragi to deal with extreme anaemia and malnutrition.

Earlier than his arrival, farmers within the district didn’t domesticate this ‘tremendous grain’. Right this moment, there are roughly 30,000 farmers within the district rising this millet on greater than 30,000 acres and largely promoting their harvest domestically, in response to the district’s agriculture division.

A few of these farmers are additionally a part of a profitable women-driven Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) referred to as the ‘Baghima-Palkot Farmer Producer Firm Ltd’ promoting a wide range of ragi-based merchandise.

Chatting with The Higher India, Bhagwati Devi, a 40-year-old ragi farmer and member of this FPO, says, “Our organisation [the] Baghima-Palkot Farmer Producer Firm, at present makes a wide range of objects out of ragi together with laddoo, cookies, combination, khajuria, nimki, bhujia, chips and flour. Because of the intervention of DC Sushant, we promote a few of these objects to the native administration, significantly for his or her ICDS (Built-in Baby Growth Scheme), and varied native markets too. On the Millet Cafe in Gumla, we additionally serve samosa, pakoda, and so forth.”

An official intently related to the FPO claims, “Since Might 2023, we have now earned roughly Rs 15 lakh by way of retail gross sales and Rs 28 lakh by way of promoting meals objects to the native administration. Our firm has generated a complete income of round Rs 43 lakh.”

For his efforts, Sushant was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration within the “holistic improvement by way of aspirational district programme — general progress with particular give attention to saturation method” class in April 2023.

What’s extra, this initiative was additionally offered on the Harvard Enterprise Faculty earlier this yr by Avinash Kumar, a Mahatma Gandhi Nationwide Fellow on the Authorities of India’s Ministry of Ability Growth. Chatting with the Nationwide Press earlier this yr, Avinash claimed that the institute has additionally commenced a case examine on the ‘Gumla mannequin’ and it is going to be circulated amongst different enterprise faculties and utilized in coaching modules for bureaucrats.

Lay of the land

Situated within the southern a part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, about 100 km away from Ranchi, Gumla district is marked by a extremely undulating and rugged terrain consisting of flat-topped hills. What Sushant discovered right here was a poverty-stricken populace predominantly depending on rain-fed agriculture. He famous that because of the lack of irrigation services, infrastructure, scientific inputs and advertising and marketing, nearly all of the households engaged in agriculture don’t earn sufficient to supply fundamental requirements to their households.

“About 85% of the inhabitants has agriculture as the first supply of livelihood, amongst whom 90% are small and marginal farmers. They predominantly interact in paddy cultivation despite the fact that the soil situations don’t actually assist it. What we discovered was acidic soil with a mixture of purple (soil) and laterite (soil). The topography is marked by light and steep slopes leading to a variety of floor run-off (unconfined move of water over the bottom floor) and soil erosion,” he says.

“That is a part of the legacy of the Inexperienced Revolution the place an emphasis was made on rising wheat and paddy. Because of this, what we noticed by way of meals habits had been locals consuming rice-intensive diets. Within the mornings, for instance, individuals would eat paani bhaat, an area delicacy containing leftover rice soaked in water in a single day with a touch of salt. There was a scarcity of protein and no scope for roughage or greens of their diets,” he provides.

Discovering the answer in ragi

Ragi, recognized domestically as mandua, is consumed in Jharkhand “in several meals preparations corresponding to porridge, chapati, cake, cookies, kurha, and sweetmeat,” in response to this 2020 paper revealed within the Worldwide Journal of Present Microbiology and Utilized Sciences.

“Along with these, boiled and malted germinated grains are used as a meals complement to infants and pregnant ladies because it doesn’t kind acids and are simple to digest,” the paper provides.

Going additional, ragi can also be “a drought-tolerant and extremely dietary crop which has an financial worth and productiveness within the vary of main cereals.” Given its recognition domestically, dietary worth and suitability to native climate situations, ragi appeared like a sensible choice to exchange paddy.

As Bhagwati explains, “Previously, we used to domesticate ragi however we ultimately left it behind and the crops we did find yourself rising we might promote fairly than devour it at dwelling. As soon as DC Sir re-introduced ragi, he defined the advantages of cultivating and consuming it.”

On a coverage stage, former district programme officer (DPO) Sujit Bari recollects how in early April 2022, the DC organised a gathering with the district agricultural division, Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) and the social welfare division. At this assembly, Sujit recollects the DC emphasising how Gumla was affected by extreme malnutrition and anaemia.

Throughout this assembly, Sujit additionally recollects how the DC additionally directed officers in these three departments to search out roughly 5,000 farmers, significantly ladies, who had been concerned about cultivating ragi, and inspire them into really making that transition.

“We went to every block delivering his message by way of self-help teams (SHGs) related to JSLPS. Following this outreach, about 5,500 ladies farmers volunteered to develop ragi. Though these farmers had some understanding of cultivating ragi, they weren’t conversant in among the newer technical strategies. Earlier than sowing started, we educated them in these new methods with help from a personal company and the government-run Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). Presently, we distributed high-quality ragi seeds, organised reside demonstrations in every Block and offered on-field coaching on right harvesting processes,” recollects Sujit.

In the meantime, Sushant recollects that it wasn’t tough for them to deal with the general public on the advantages of rising and consuming ragi given the true well being advantages related to it.

“However altering long-standing habits is a tough train. Amongst different issues, we might convey messages like how ragi comprises excessive calcium content material which permits youngsters to play with extra vitality. Given how sports activities is one medium to flee the troubles of poverty, it might be of their finest curiosity to let their youngsters devour ragi,” says Sushant.

To present farmers the boldness to make that transition away from paddy to ragi, he lists the steps that had been taken.

1) Assurances from the collectorate that their ragi harvest will probably be purchased at a superb worth and that it is going to be processed and distributed to youngsters and ladies of their communities.

2) Determination to distribute seeds without spending a dime: This addresses a key a part of the farmer’s enter prices. In March 2022, the administration positioned orders for 20,000 kg of high quality ragi seeds primarily based on soil suitability from the Birsa Agricultural College in Ranchi and the Nationwide Seed Company (NSC). “Upon receiving the seeds, we distributed them to the farmers freed from price,” says Sushant.

3) Distributing the seeds on time: “As we had been coaching them on the method of rising ragi, we distributed the seeds too on 15 April. Our sowing season started in June,” says Sushant.

4) “Our farmers had been rising weary of the overdependence on restricted irrigation infrastructure, rainfall and unpredictability of cultivating paddy. They needed to be free of those issues from rising paddy and wanted the boldness to make that transition away,” he provides.

5) Lastly, the district administration’s determination to empower ladies farmers in the neighborhood “who had the fervour to fearlessly do one thing new,” notes Sushant.

In only a matter of weeks, earlier than the Kharif sowing season started in 2022/23, Sushant recollects how they’d about 5,500 farmers who volunteered to develop ragi of their fields. In the meantime, the administration additionally labored in the direction of creating drip irrigation and photo voltaic raise techniques, and renovating ponds to enhance the state of irrigation infrastructure in Gumla.

“Because the farmers reached the midway mark of the manufacturing stage (‘baali thootne laga’ or when the grain begins to interrupt out of the husk), we organised common subject visits to clarify to farmers that this can be a finer seed selection and that in contrast to standard ragi crops you’ll not get massive grains. With out the emergence of massive grains, farmers usually really feel they’ve suffered a loss by way of quantity of manufacturing or that the grain has not been harvested correctly. As an alternative, we defined the properties of this finer number of ragi grain they had been harvesting,” explains Sushant.

“Going additional, we defined to them the sort of pests that will assault their crops and methods to cease them. By way of worth, we additionally gave assurances on the MSP (minimal assist worth) they’d obtain for these crops from the federal government and that they will promote these ragi grains for practically double the worth in the event that they’re formally deemed to be natural. Throughout these subject visits, we additionally raised consciousness in regards to the sorts of natural pesticides (neem-based), pesticides and fertilisers they will supply from state-run cooperatives at subsidised charges,” he provides.

Throughout their first subject go to earlier than the harvest, officers instructed farmers to move their harvest to their respective cluster-level federations (CLFs) within the space. Every CLF has about 100 members minimal comprising totally different village organisations (VOs) and neighbourhood self-help teams (SHGs). Native communities are effectively represented in these CLFs and their attain is in depth.

As soon as these grains are lower, farmers usually unfold them on the street for the de-husking (separating the husk from the grain) course of. Autos are sometimes employed to run over these husks and break them, following which the grains emerge. However acquiring grains on this method has a unfavorable influence on their market worth due to the presence of mud and small stones.

“We assured the farmers that they need to promote their harvest to us offered they will maintain them freed from impurities like mud. We guarantee them of a marketplace for their produce. With State and Central government-run funds, we established platforms in every village to show farmers methods to unfold the husked grains on the ground, dry them and separate the grain from it,” he says.

“As per the district agriculture division, we elevated web acreage underneath ragi by 219% in 2022/23. We additionally noticed a 270% development in ragi manufacturing in 2022/23 in comparison with the yr earlier than. In 2023/24, we don’t have the information obtainable and don’t wish to speculate. However the whole land cultivated underneath ragi in 2023/24 has crossed 30,000 acres — a 10-time enlargement within the space lined underneath this crop — in response to our estimates,” he provides.

Empowering ladies

In Gumla, as farmers shifted from rising paddy to cultivating ragi, the district administration fashioned a women-led group named Baghima-Palkot Farmer Producer Firm Ltd. This group, consisting of about 500 ladies, was tasked with shopping for ragi from native farmers, making certain its high quality, and buying good ragi seeds for the next season.

These 500 ladies had been additionally among the many 5,500 farmers who initially volunteered to develop ragi. “Every of those farmers invested Rs 1,500 of their very own cash to boost capital for the FPO,” notes Sujit Bari, the previous DPO in Gumla district.

Extra importantly, the administration gave the FPO seed cash to obtain these ragi crops at a superb worth from these 5,500 farmers. After arriving at this worth, these CLFs procured the ragi harvest from the farmers.

“Farmers in Jharkhand would obtain a minimal assist worth (MSP) of anyplace between Rs 16 and Rs 17 per kg for his or her paddy (rice) harvest. In the meantime, they might get anyplace between Rs 34 to Rs 35 per kg for ragi which supplies them further earnings. We didn’t advise them to fully quit paddy cultivation. As an alternative, we satisfied them to domesticate ragi within the upland areas whereas persevering with to domesticate paddy within the lowland areas,” notes Sujit.

In the meantime, this FPO delegated the method of procuring this harvest from the primary set of 5,500-odd farmers to 18 native cluster-level federations and the SHGs working underneath them.

Creating worth out of ragi

Now, the query was what would the FPO do with all this harvest? On the native APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) mandi, there was a godown which was defunct.

“The district administration gave the FPO a grant of Rs 50 lakh to ascertain a processing unit at this godown measuring 10,000 sq. ft. The godown was divided into primarily 4 components — sustaining, processing, packaging and delivering ragi-based inventory merchandise. Furthermore, this godown was given to the FPO freed from price with no hire to be paid. To energy this processing unit, we put in photo voltaic panels,” says Sujit.

“At this godown, we put in a small machine that might reveal to those ladies methods to grind the grain into flour (atta-chakki machine). As well as, we additionally put in a bigger mechanised plant which might generate one metric tonne of ragi flour per day. We additional offered coaching to the members of this FPO on working this mechanised processing plant to course of flour, the method of packaging that ragi flour, and so forth,” explains Sushant.

“To market this flour, we engaged the CLFs underneath which native SHGs function. Every CLF invested Rs 50,000, purchased the ragi flour popping out of the processing plant and marketed them of their respective areas. Grocery outlets in Gumla and different districts had been additionally inspired to purchase this flour and promote it of their respective areas. If the response to the ragi flour was good, they might get extra,” notes Sujit.

Nevertheless, the district administration knew that promoting ragi flour wasn’t going to be sufficient. So as to add worth, they educated the FPO members working the processing centre to make ragi laddoos and different snacks and distributed them to the native Anganwadi centres.

Days after the FPO began making ragi laddoos, there was an enormous mela (pageant) on the Gandhi Maidan in neighbouring Simdega in November 2022. The FPO had already began promoting packaged ragi flour however ragi laddoos had been already beginning to achieve traction.

“Inside hours, their complete inventory was offered out. This gave them actual confidence,” says Sushant.

“For higher publicity, we additionally took them to a Millet Conclave in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. On the conclave, they offered Rs 50,000 value of laddoos in simply sooner or later. With the success of laddoos, we determined to develop extra merchandise out of ragi. Following this occasion, DC Sir proposed the opening of a ‘Millet Cafe’ in Gumla. Right here yow will discover cookies, samosa and peetha manufactured from ragi, moreover a reside kitchen the place you may get baked objects manufactured from ragi,” notes Sujit.

Within the meantime, extra women-led CLFs reached out to the district administration speaking about how they too had been able to making such merchandise. Their recommendation to those ladies was to work as collaborators and never opponents. They collaborated with FPO to make different snack objects like ragi-based thekua, nimki, and bhujia. “We introduced these entities collectively they usually converged into one entity. Right this moment, they produce these snacks on a much bigger scale,” says Sushant.  

“Within the second yr of this initiative, we suggested these ladies to not mass launch these merchandise within the nationwide market given the extreme competitors. They want time to develop. We suggested them to give attention to rural markets and assist facilitate change in meals habits which might in flip cement demand for his or her merchandise in these components,” he provides.

Making this a self-sustainable enterprise

The district administration handled 2022–23 as an illustration yr.

“Farmers didn’t endure monetarily, rising ragi required fewer agricultural inputs and all their inventory was kind of purchased out. What’s extra, they didn’t need to journey lengthy distances to promote their produce. All their produce was primarily purchased in-house. In 2023–24, round 30,000 farmers got here to us with their want to develop ragi. We reached out to Karnataka College and paid them Rs 20 lakh simply to purchase premium high quality ragi seeds for the subsequent season,” says Sushant.

After the primary spherical of seed funding, the district administration instructed the FPO that there wouldn’t be one other to purchase this yr’s harvest. “Following the preliminary injection of seed cash into the FPO final season, at present these ladies are shopping for produce straight from the farmers, managing their e book of accounts, making ready for the next season, and are even creating particular person financial savings for themselves. It is a profitable monetary and sustainable mannequin as effectively,” claims Sushant.

Battling malnutrition and anaemia with ragi

Each month, the district administration started organising intensive screening for extreme and average malnutrition and anaemia in youngsters and pregnant and lactating moms. Because of this, they developed real-time information for malnutrition and anaemia within the district.

“As soon as we recognized the kids and ladies in danger, we distributed ragi laddoos, snacks and different nutritious objects to them on an instantaneous foundation on the Anganwadi centres and their houses. Girls who had simply given beginning got these ragi laddoos and different assorted ragi-based snacks to take dwelling and develop the behavior of consuming these meals objects,” he says.

“On the Anganwadi centres, we additionally distributed objects like ragi ka halwa. We’re additionally the one district in India the place 70% of the full tuberculosis (TB) sufferers had been screened, recognized and given Poshan (meals) Kits to enhance their immunity. We added ragi parts to those Poshan Kits,” he says.

Going additional, Sushant claims that over 400 mannequin Anganwadi centres had been arrange geared up with digital haemoglobin metres, revolutionary blue MTC (Malnutrition Remedy Card), top development charts, and follow-up playing cards.

“Every faculty has additionally been given a weight chart and we have now printed a top metre in these instructional establishments. What’s extra, we have now tasked directors there to take care of an up to date profile of the scholars enrolled there. For his or her noon meals, we have now even added objects like drumstick leaves of their daal,” he explains.

“As well as, we have now recognized 52 sorts of native leafy greens. And relying on what’s obtainable in a given panchayat, we have now painted them on the partitions of their respective Panchayat Bhavan and listed out their advantages. Within the combat in opposition to malnutrition, we have now taken small but important steps, which can have an actual influence in 5 or ten years down the road,” he provides.

Bhagwati Devi, a 40-year-old ragi farmer and member of the FPO recollects, “Within the brief time he was posted right here, DC Sir has accomplished nice work for the neighborhood. We’ve left behind the previous methods of farming. Right this moment, we’re seeing the true advantages of cultivating ragi.”

“Past farming, nevertheless, we at the moment are working a enterprise the place we will promote the merchandise produced from the ragi we develop. Right this moment, there are 40 ladies working with me, who had been caught at dwelling, unemployed and would do odd jobs earlier than we began this firm (FPO). The work we’re doing at present has given us self-respect. Not solely do I develop ragi on my land but additionally work on the processing plant making merchandise out of this ragi and promoting them domestically. Ragi has now turn into an integral a part of our identification, not simply in our district, however elsewhere too,” she provides.

However Sushant is fast to level out that each one these initiatives, significantly the one centred round ragi, had been a staff effort characterised by consistency in effort and readability of goal.

“That is attainable if we will all work along with the mandatory rigour, dedication and self-discipline,” he says. It was little shock that he turned the primary ever IAS officer from the state to win the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration.

(Edited by Pranita Bhat; Pictures courtesy District Administration, Gumla)