India, June 2 -- In the hills of Koraput district in Odisha, farming still follows an older rhythm. In Jalaguda village of Kundra block, Rukmini Kilo tends her fields much as her parents did, sowing traditional varieties of rice and millet without chemical inputs. Not far away, in Nuagada village, Raimati Ghiuria does the same. For farmers like them, the choice is both practical and instinctive: these hardy crops fetch better prices in the market, keep their families healthy and the soil fertile.

Among the better-known native varieties of finger millet are jana mandia, dussera mandia, bati mandia and jili mandia. They are well suited to local soils and weather conditions and, unlike hybrid varieties, require little chemical fertiliser an...