- A Class VII student of Odisha’s Koraput district was the cynosure of all eyes at the international convention on millets.
- The seed girl Harasita Priyadarshani Mohanty has been able to collect 85 types of millets.
- All the millet varieties were on display at the convention and she educated people about its nutritional values.
- Besides millets, Harasita has been able to preserve 150 varieties of traditional grains of paddy.
- “I want to become an agronomist in the future. I want to help the farmers’ communities. I will fight for the farmers’ rights,” said the girl.
- The Odisha government has recognized her outstanding effort and the principal secretary of agriculture and farmers’ empowerment department, has written a letter of appreciation to her.
- She was also invited by the Government of India to participate in the global symposium on farmers’ rights held in September in Delhi.
A Class VII student of Odisha’s Koraput district was the cynosure of all eyes at the international convention on millets that concluded here on Friday. Popularly known as seed girl, Harasita Priyadarshani Mohanty, has been able to collect 85 types of millets.
All the millet varieties were on display at the convention and she educated people about the nutritional values of millets. “These millets from the tribal-dominated areas are nutritious in nature. It controls the blood pressure and also helps in keeping other diseases under control,” said Harasita.
from Prakash Vidyalaya of Jeypore in Koraput district, said while trying to convince people visiting her stall to make millet as a part of their dietary system.
Harasita told the news agency: “I used to visit the different tribal pockets of Koraput along with my father and collected the grains. Later I preserved it either in pots or in small plastic containers. I have set up a food grain and seed bank in my house I love to learn the basic agricultural practices the tribals adopt for survival.”
Besides millets, Harasita has been able to preserve 150 varieties of traditional grains of paddy.
“I want to become an agronomist in the future. I want to help the farmers’ communities. I will fight for the farmers’ rights,” said the girl. She continued: “It is no longer just a poor man’s food. Its demand has grown up.”
Harasita got an insight into collecting grains from Kamala Pujari, the tribal woman, who is known for promoting organic farming. “Another pious lady that has made a lot of impact on me is Padmashree Sabarmati Tiki, an Indian conservationist,” she said.
Her father, Hare Krushna Mohanty, a plantation officer in a private company, said: “I spotted her talent when she started taking care of antique things. She collected coins from 80 countries starting from 1835 AD. Besides, she has collected postal stamps from 40 countries.”
More than 5,000 farmers joined the convention and got exposure to scientific methods of cultivation and marketing. All of them visited Harasita’s stall.
The Odisha government has recognized her outstanding effort and even the principal secretary of agriculture and farmers’ empowerment department, Arabinda Kumar Padhee has written a letter of appreciation to her. She was also invited by the Government of India to participate in the global symposium on farmers’ rights held in September in Delhi.
(With inputs from agencies)
