HYDERABAD: ICRISAT alumnus, Dr Mahalingam Govindaraj has won the prestigious Norman Borlaug Field Award for his work on biofortified pearl millet. Dr Govindaraj’s work in coordination with team members from ICRISAT and the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) led to the release and scaling up of the world’s first biofortified pearl millet (bajra) variety, called Dhanashakti.
He defined a strategy for biofortification of high-yield, high-iron and high-zinc pearl millet varieties which have contributed to better nutrition for thousands of small-scale farmers across India and Africa and enhanced their livelihoods.
Bioavailability studies showed that 200 grams of Dhanashakti provided women with more than 80 per cent of their recommended daily allowance of iron. Estimates show that by 2024, more than nine million people in India will be consuming iron and zinc-rich pearl millet that offers enhanced health benefits through better nutrition.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr Mahalingam Govindaraj said, “When my research started in 2010 in ICRISAT, Hyderabad, many concepts on this subject were presented but there was no product. Like every human being is different, the nutrient value of each variety of millet is also different.”
Addressing malnutrition
“Anaemia and stunted growth is the major health concern according to the World Health Organisation. About 50 per cent of women and 38 per cent of children suffer from malnutrition. To address this issue, we have significantly improved the nutritional level in millets. The consumption of biofortified millets will benefit humans by providing 70 milligrams of iron per kilogram. This is not just a value, there is a formula which we have developed to attain such nutritional value,” he said.
“According to the reports of National Family Health Survey, many States and Union Territories in the country are facing significant malnutrition, especially post Covid and it is also expected to happen due to the food inflation. It is also a great challenge for the government as well to contemplate. Telangana can also benefit from this by growing these millet crops in rainfed areas.”
“India and Africa are the only two countries which exclusively cultivate millets. It reaches very remote areas where health intervention is required. It is a product of ten years of work, we are awarded not just for Dhanashakti, but for the mass we reached. India should benefit from the product,” he added.Dr Govindaraj is currently senior scientist for crop development at HarvestPlus, based at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in India.He will formally receive the award during a ceremony on October 19 at the 2022 Norman E Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa.