Finger Millet

Finger Millet (Ragi), widely cherished in India, is a powerhouse of iron, calcium, and dietary fiber — making it one of the most wholesome grains for all age groups.

At Sun Green Farms, we grow finger millet using the System of Root Intensification (SRI) — an innovative method originally developed for rice and thoughtfully adapted to millet cultivation. This approach enables us to:

• Use fewer seeds while cultivating more vigorous, high-yielding plants
• Encourage deeper root systems and stronger tillering
• Improve soil aeration and moisture retention
• Foster beneficial microbial activity and enrich soil organic matter

Combined with our pure organic practices — completely free from synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or chemicals—this method ensures our Ragi is nutrient-rich, environmentally responsible, and safe for everyday consumption .

We cultivate finger millet (Ragi) in a limited area to ensure that harvesting is entirely managed by hand, without the use of mechanized tools. Large-scale mechanical harvesting often leads to contamination, as mud and dust from the field get mixed with the Ragi seeds. By keeping our cultivation small and manageable, we ensure cleaner, purer grain and maintain strict quality control at every stage.

Ragi is harvested manually with great care, once the plant’s “fingers” begin to turn brownish, indicating maturity. Unlike paddy, Ragi doesn’t mature uniformly—the fingers on each plant ripen at different times. This means harvesting must be done in multiple stages, as and when each set of fingers reaches the right level of browning.

If harvesting is delayed for uniformity, there’s a risk of seed drop, as overripe fingers begin shedding seeds onto the soil. To avoid this, we harvest promptly in small, careful batches, preserving every grain.

To gently and efficiently separate the seeds from each Ragi finger, we follow a traditional, time-tested method. The harvested fingers are packed tightly in clean gunny bags, tied securely, and kept in a dark room for about a week. This softens the cloves and helps release the seeds.

The contents are then emptied into a water trough, where gentle hand rubbing helps the seeds separate and settle at the bottom, while the clove waste floats and is removed. The seeds are washed thoroughly multiple times to remove any remaining mud or impurities.

Next, the clean seeds are sun-dried on a neat cloth inside a Solar Drier — a fully enclosed structure that allows sunlight to dry the seeds while protecting them from dust and airborne contaminants.

Once fully dried, the Ragi seeds undergo a fanning process to remove any residual debris. Finally, the grains are carefully packed, preserving their freshness, purity, and nutritional value.