Meet Tribal Trailblazer Raimati Ghiuria, The ‘Queen of Millets’ Who Grows And Preserves 30 Types of Rare Nutritious Grains

Odisha's Raimati Ghiuria is not only an inspiration in agricultural world but also a driving force for women out there. Here's everything you need to know about the 'Queen of Millets.'

Raimati Ghiuria, widely recognised as the ‘Queen of Millets,’ has devoted her life to preserving and promoting traditional farming techniques, with a special focus on sustaining Indian millets. Her unwavering efforts have led to the conservation of more than 30 varieties of these highly-nutritious grains, playing an essential role in protecting India’s rich agricultural heritage for future generations.

Raimati Ghiuria’s Participation at G-20 Summit

The recent G20 summit, attended by delegates from several countries like Australia, China, Italy and the European Union, included her as a guest. She seized the opportunity to meet the President Draupadi Murmu, engaging in meaningful conversation. She has remarkably preserved at least 72 traditional paddy varieties and 30 varieties of millets, including Kundra Bati, Mandia, Jasra, Juana and Jamkoli. Her national level recognition serves a testimony to drive a positive change on a global level.

Inspiration And Outstanding Achievements

Hailing from Nuaguda village, in Koraput district, Odisha, she was born and bought up in an agricultural family and began farming at a very young age. While being married at the age of 16, she continues to pursue her dream of collecting and preserving millet types while having to do her family responsibilities. Over time, she used better technology and other scientific methods to increase millet quality and productivity. She openly revealed that her inspiration was the legendary Padma Shri awardee Kamala Pujari. Indeed, after stepping in the field of farming, her efforts are paving the way for a sustainable agricultural revolution.

In recognition of her tremendous work, Raimati has been honoured with the title ‘Millet Queen’ at the state level. She received the Best Farmer Award from ICAR-IISWC, Sunabeda, as well as an honour at the Traditional Food Festival organised by TATA Steel. She said that she has gained immense respect from her in-laws and global leaders, motivating her to conserve more varieties and making her state proud.

Millets hosts a myriad of benefits that make them indispensable in today’s world. They are not only rich in nutrients but are also gluten-free which are an ideal choice for people with dietary restrictions. By incorporating them into our diets, we not only boost our overall health but also lead to the environmental sustainability.

Raimata Ghiruria’s leadership and immense dedication has not only transformed the agricultural world but also enabled women farmers to include millets as a valuable products in our society.