We see a steep rise in health diseases and cholesterol – the same maladies that refined oils claim to cure! Lies, lies and lies is what we are sold in the name of refined rice bran oil or any other refined vegetable oil, which use chemical solvents for extraction from sources that are not even known to contain natural oils!
“Refined oil that the world is being fed, is slow poison” says Dhanasekaran Rajendran, IT Professional and social entrepreneur from Bengaluru – who started the brand ‘Nutri 360″ to promote wood pressed ghana oil.
What is the best method available for extracting oil with maximum nutrients?
Oils extracted from oil-rich seeds through bull-driven wooden Ghani are the real cooking oils which are healthy. Unlike refined oils, the smell of the peanut, coconut, mustard or sesame is retained in these oils along with their essential nutrients. The slow process of bull driven ghana at about 2-3 rotations per minute, crushes the seeds at ambient temperature without generating heat.
The vision and journey of 4 friends…
4 friends with a vision to bring back benefits of traditional oil extraction to people in cities, started work on revival of this nearly lost technology. During their extensive research they found a carpenter from Chittoor, Andra Pradesh – who had this knowledge of making a wooden Ghani pulled by bullocks. They bought a 4.5 acre farm in Raavani, Mandya district in Karnataka and started extracting best quality oil. They are also now adopting zero budget natural farming methodology for reviving soil fertility and growing the seeds needed for oil production. Dhanasekharan spends 1 week at the farm in Mandya and 1 week with his family in Bangalore. These efforts are indeed commendable.
The integration of native cattle
They are rearing 3 hallikar breed oxen and 3 hallikar breed cows with their calves on their farm. Their view is that – “Hallikar are a very strong and agile cattle. They do not give up on the task at hand. They prefer green grass and vegetables to dry fodder. Oil cake from our extraction is given to them to make them even stronger.” Hallikar is the native breed from South Karnataka, whose numbers are dwindling because farmers have replaced ploughs with tractors and people have replaced ghani’s pure oil with chemically refined slow poison. Desi bull driven Ghana saves the bulls from slaughter or abandonment – thereby making farmer gain better livelihood.
Sustainability and economic growth of villages
Sustainability is at the heart of their efforts as bull driven ghani is the lowest carbon emission method of extracting oil. These friends believe that rather than consuming factory made chemically refined oils which are injurious to our health we should switch to bull-driven wooden Ghani oils as this way the money of the villages remains villages only – also making the dream of sustainable swarajya come true. They are willing to share their research and methodology with anyone who is interested in pursuing this work.
The product, pricing and availability
The cold pressed oils are packed in amber glass bottles and tins to avoid any carcinogens that might be in plastic. These packaging also block UV rays from the sun to avoid photochemical reactions in the oil. The price of oils range from Rs.399/- to Rs.699/- per litre which may seem slightly on the higher side but it is a very little cost for conserving our health. They sell online through their website www.krishi360.com
We are grateful for these native cattle rearers for their conservation and optimum utilisation as well as for bringing to us the best fruits of their hard work.