Bhubaneswar, Dec 7: Raimati Gheuria, a 36-year-old tribal woman from Nuaguda village in Koraput district, Odisha, is known as ‘Mandia Rani’ or ‘Millet Queen’ for her dedication to preserving traditional crops. She has worked tirelessly to conserve 72 varieties of rice and 30 types of millet, helping to protect indigenous knowledge and biodiversity.
Raimati’s journey is one of resilience. Despite having no formal education and working as a daily laborer to support her family, she found her passion in preserving traditional grains.
Married at just 16, Raimati continued her efforts to collect and protect millet varieties while managing household chores. Over the years, she also embraced modern farming techniques to improve millet yield and quality.
Her commitment in preserving ancient farming practices has earned her recognition. She has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Genome Saviour Community Award in 2012 and the Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy Fellowship Award in 2015. Her work recently gained global attention when she was invited to the G20 Summit in New Delhi in February 2024. There, she showcased her millet cultivation techniques and tribal farming methods to world leaders and their spouses.
Raimati has also trained over 2,500 farmers in advanced farming techniques such as millet intensification, organic pest management, and intercropping. She credits programs like the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) for introducing scientific methods that have improved millet production in her district.
She believes in adding value to millet farming by promoting processing activities and tools that make farming easier for women. Raimati’s work has not only improved food security in Odisha but also created economic opportunities for tribal communities.
For her outstanding contributions to agriculture, Raimati was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit. Raimati’s story is an inspiring example of how grassroots innovation can shape the future of sustainable farming.
