Ragi or Finger Millet first saw cultivation over 4000 years ago. Scientifically known as Eleusine Coracana, it is an annual plant widely grown as a cereal in the arid areas of Africa and Asia. Though originally native exclusively to the Ethiopian highlands, it is very adaptable to higher elevations and Ragi fields upto 2,300 metres in elevation up in the Himalayas are not an uncommon sight.
To increase yield, Ragi is often intercropped with legumes such as peanuts, cowpeas and pigeon peas, or even other plants such as Niger seeds. Statistics on individual millet species are therefore vastly divergent, but it is estimated that around 38,000 square kilometres of the world's arable land sees its growth and harvesting in any given calendar year.
India is a major cultivator of finger millet with a total cultivated area of 15870 of those square kilometres. The state of Karnataka is the leading producer of finger millet, known as Ragi in the region, accounting for 58% of India's Ragi production itself, and some of it is also exported. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and a few other states also count as major and minor Ragi producers.
Nutrition of Ragi across the globe is just as diverse as it's cultivation. It can not only be ground and cooked into cakes, puddings or porridge, but the grain is also used to mak a fermented drink (or beer) in Nepal and in many parts of Africa. Moreover, the straw from finger millet is used as animal fodder in several temperate climates.
In a niche location in North Vietnam, finger millet is also used as a medicine for women at childbirth. As a beverage too, Ragi has consistently been popular. Ragi malt porridge is made from finger millet which is soaked and shadow dried, then roasted and ground. This preparation is boiled in water and given to children, patients, and adults alike. This is a good substitute for milk powder-based beverages.
In essence - being very high in calcium, and rich in iron and fibre, and having a better energy content than other cereals, its characteristics make it ideal for feeding Ragi to infants and the elderly. In this pursuit, certain developing geographies partner with farmers and the government to help grow nutritious crops in general. For instance, the HOPE project in Africa is increasing yields of finger millet in Tanzania by encouraging farmers to grow improved varieties. This helps the community have more balanced diets and become more resilient to pests and drought and progresses the society at large.
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