Koraput Tribal Millet Cultivation Odisha

Koraput in southern Odisha is a hotspot of agro-biodiversity, with tribal communities maintaining hundreds of rice and millet varieties across shifting cultivation (podu) and terraced fields. Mandua (ragi/finger millet), bajra, jowar, and kodra millets form the dietary backbone of Kondh, Bondas, and Gadaba tribal communities. The Koraput traditional seed system was recognised by the FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). Farmers exchange seeds at the annual seed festival and maintain living gene banks in their homes.