Bajra is one of the major crops that is able to grow on dry land. It forms an integral component of winter season diet, chiefly of low-income group people as compared to urban population. It is important to put in perspective the general social-economic impact that nutritionally and biologically important mixed and alternate sources of food can have. A comparative account of available antioxidants (before and after processing treatments) from daily dietary sources such as wheat, rice and bajra is presented in this investigation to emphasize focused utilization and promotion of mixed diet trends. The preliminary studies conducted in our lab suggest that the nature of antioxidants in bajra (before and after processing) and their scope for exploitation as adjuvant in urban diet are more promising than only relying on rice and wheat (before and after processing) as staple source of food for the growing population. Bajra is very cheaper than rice and wheat and can have considerable impact on economy as well as health of the society thereby decreasing the load and demand on rice and wheat production. Bajra-based diets can reduce the risk of development of several pathological conditions like arthritis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, ageing, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, etc., thereby acting as natural source of neutraceuticals as well.

Cost price is not the prime consideration for rich people who are able to afford any type of food even if it is available at extremely high price. But this is not the case with people on the other side of socio-economic divide. Their desire for healthy food is more often than not compromised and constrained by their budget besides the availability of well-advertized and established staple diet items. The dependence on fine cereals such as wheat and rice continues as they are still enjoying the place of pride after being projected as the staple diet components for ages now. We are also aware of the fact that the total arable land area is also regularly decreasing in response to meet housing needs of growing millions of people. India has a great diversity of agroclimatic zones. Thus, farmers owning lands rendered infertile as a result of cumulative abiotic factors acting simultaneously are getting poorer day-by-day after spending their resources to make their land suitable to grow crops in demand and fetching good money, largely on wheat and rice besides other cash crops. They can easily grow coarse cereals like ragi, jowar, bajra and fingermillets (Satheesh, 2008), which suit such zones ecologically as well as economically. As per the area statistics available for 1990, 45.9 million ha was under millet cultivation, which decreased to 31.5 million ha in 2005, recording a 35% decline in total area (Satheesh, 2008). Apparently, there had been a decline in the areas earmarked for growing coarse millets to the tune of 35% for sorghum, 30% for ragi and 16% for pearl millet (Satheesh, 2008). The focus of this conference is on highlighting the potential of arid zone particularly, bajra which can be grown as a rain-fed crop of choice with fewer inputs and marginalized land.

If we look at it from marketing perspective, we find that the rates of rice and wheat are increasing because of their higher demand. Compared to that, coarse grains for food are not so much in demand and hence people are exploring other options like preparing ethanol/whisky from these, otherwise edible food grains (Saha et al., 2005). The government should take appropriate measures to promote consumption of such crops. Inducting them in public distribution system (Satheesh, 2008) so as to bring them at par with other staple items could be one of the most important steps leading to due recognition and improvement in the status of farmers involved in their cultivation.

Biotechnology Journal, Processing Methods, Cardiovascular Diseases, Public Distribution System, Agricultural Market Trends, Methanolic Extraction, Gallic Acid Equivalents, Microwave Treatment, Natural Dietary Resources, Public Distribution System, Dehusked Grains.