India is the largest producer of millets in the world. Who thought that preserving different verities of millets in a tribal area of Odisha will take a rural women straight to the G20 summit. Well yes, it is true. The millets queen of India, Raimati Ghiuria, was a special guest who was invited alongside the delegates all over the world. She is a school dropout who got the pleasure of sharing her table with international delegates. Not just luck but her hardwork and creativity got her there. Read more and take your share of inspiration from her story.
The shift from millets to grains
India is the largest producer of millets in the world. The major production is managed in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh etc. They also have high nutritional value. Do you also have this question that when we are its largest producers in the world and the nutritional value is also high then why don’t we use it as a staple diet in our daily routine? Well, around 60-70 years ago, millets were a staple diet in many states of the nation.
However just like the western influence promoted a shift from many basic thins, the eating habits also changed. Today, wheat and rice are the grains included in a staple diet of the majority of population. But isn’t it more worthy if we rely on our home grown crop for proper nutrition and good health?
Who is the Millets Queen of India?
Well, there is a lady in the old tribes of Odisha who refused to accept the idea of this shift from millets to grains. She was so invested in the benefits this crop has to offer that she earned the title of Millets Queen of India. Have you heard the story of Raimati Ghiuria?
Different types of millets in India
| Jowar (sorghum) |
| Bajra (Pearl Millet) |
| Ragi (Finger Millet) |
| Jhangora (Barnyard Millet) |
| Kangni (Itallian Millet) |
| Kodra (Kodo Millet) |
| Barri (Proso/Common Millet) |
Raimati Ghiuria hails from the Koraput district of Odisha, India. With three children and a basic family her life was also going to take a normal turn but she decided to step ahead and preserve her culture and be a role model for all the other females in her village. Today, she is a millets farmer, a community resource person and a trainer as well. This 36-year old woman has not only preserved 30 verities of rare millets but has also preserved 72 traditional paddy as well including Kundra Bati, Mandia, Jasra, Juana etc.
From Raimati Ghiuria to the millets queen – Special guest at G20
Her remarkable achievements were highlighted in a surprising turn of events when she was invited as a special guest at G20 Summit in 2023. Alongside the delegates from countries like Australia, China, Italy and the European Union, there was a special guest from a small district of Odisha, Raimati Ghiuria. Adapting organic farming, Raimati cultivates millets on four acres of land with better technology and scientific methods.
She studied only till 7th grade but today she is a wonder woman in Odisha. She dedicates her success to learning and evolving on field only. At the biggest platform of G20 Summit, she represented her village and shared her expertise in growing and preserving millets with the delegates. On such a big global platform, she presented culinary delights crafted from millets. This added another badge of glory to her achievements cap as she was adored by the local villagers for this great achievement.
Rising high with her zeal and inspiration
With the guidance of her inspiration, Kamala Pujari, a 70-year old woman honored with Padma Shri for conserving hundreds of paddy seeds throughout her life, Raimati joined arms with an NGO to create and promote strategies for economic growth so that she could make benefit out of her cultivation and encourage more and more people to join her. She herself prepares organic pesticides like Handikhata, Neemastra, Agneyastra and fertilizers like Hadri, Vermicompost etc. and this is the secret behind her successful crop preservation without any chemicals.
Raimati Ghiuria achievements
| Award | Organization | Year |
| Genome Savior Community Award | PPV&FR Authority | 2012 |
| Best Leadership Award | District Administration | 2013 |
| Best Farmer Award | TATA Steel | 2015 & 2017 |
| Best Farmer Award | ICAR-IISWC | 2016 |
| Best Farmer Award | TATA Steel | 2018 |
Millets Queen is a leader and educator as well!
She has a queen in her title for a reason as Raimati never wished to grow alone. As soon as she realized the potential of millets, she began training 2500 others for its cultivation generating employment for other underserved women of the village.
Today, she owns a self-help group of female farmers and farmer-producer companies. Together, they have adopted unique ideas to promote millets by curating tasty products out of them like samosa and ladoos which are loved by the youth and local people today. She is a real motivating personality who puts health before everything.
It is well said that elderly people are smarter than the new generation and they have a solution for everything. There was a reason that earlier the life expectancy was around 100 and today it is just 60. Accepting modernization is good but at the cost of leaving our own traditions and believes. Is it really worthy?
We hope that the millets queen succeeds in her motive of pushing the generation to adopt millets as a staple diet again. Mad4India appreciates her efforts and we aim to support more such thriving individuals who are working hard every single day to make India better than yesterday. We wish you happy reading and healthy eating!
For copyright purposes, links of the feature image – Canva
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is known as the queen of millets in India?
Raimati Ghiuria is known as the queen of millets in India.
What is the age of Raimati Ghiuria?
Raimati Ghiuria is a 36 year old woman from Odisha, India.
Who is the father of millets in India?
Dr. Khadar Vali is popularly known as the ‘Millet Man of India’.
If you loved reading this inspiring story of the millets queen making it to G20, then do have a look at How Garba – The Folk Dance Of Gujarat Is All Set To Rule The World In 2024?
If you know more inspirational stories about any person, company, new idea, or social initiative, write to us at mad4india.com, or share such information with us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.
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