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KVIC plants drumstick saplings in Varanasi

To supplement its ambitious 'Honey Mission' project, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), on October 9, planted 10,000 saplings of anti-cancerous, highly nutritious, cash-rich and natural pain-relieving drumstick (Moringa in local lingo) in the campus of Kasturba Girls' Inter College as well as both sides of the road till Gandhi Ashram Sevapuri, in Varanasi district.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena, who was the chief guest of this function, said that Besides adding a variety to Indian recipe, drumstick also offers a plethora of health benefits.

"The drumstick tree, seeds, pods, fruits and flowers all have medicinal properties as it contains anti-cancerous and anti-inflammatory elements. While it is a boon for diabetics, it is also an excellent source of B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin and vitamin B12, which are known to play a vital role in improving our digestive health," he said, adding, "The honey produced from pollination in this area will be of special quality as it will have additional medicinal properties. It has also been established that cows and buffalos produce nearly 30 percent extra milk when they consume drumsticks leaves as their fodder."

Saxena further said that as drumstick is a cash-crop, it would certainly increase the farmers' income manifold. "We have decided to supplement this add-on feature to our 'Honey Mission' programme across the nation as it will generate wealth along with health," he said.

It may be mentioned here that from the very moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a call for 'Sweet Revolution' at a function of Banas Dairy in Gujarat on December 16, 2016, the KVIC came in action with its enthusiastic 'Honey Mission' and a target of distributing 1,30,000 bee-boxes before the end of the financial year 2018-19 across the nation. Till the date, KVIC had distributed as many as 32,000 bee-boxes, which had happened for the very first time in India.

The KVIC officials also embarked a 5-kilometer-long Khadi Padyatra at Sewapuri to create mass awareness about Khadi and Honey Mission.

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