Farmers Shakila and Gulab Mullani have been preserving the kar jondhala seeds for more than 30 years / credit: Sanket Jain

Forced to Compete with Multinational Corporations While Lacking Gov’t Support, Indian Farmers Say UN International Year of Millets Changes Nothing

Over several decades, most Indian farmers have moved either toward commercial crops—like soybean and sugarcane—or toward hybrid varieties of indigenous crops. Meanwhile, grains like traditional millets, which can withstand rapidly changing weather, are on the decline in India. With the Indian government having convinced the UN to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets, what does it mean for Indian farmers? Sanket Jain reports from the western Indian state of Maharashtra.