Ragi
Also called: Finger millet · Topic: Major Crops of India: Distribution and Conditions · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "Agriculture"; Class 12, Ch 3 "Land Resources and Agriculture"
Meaning
Ragi (finger millet) is a hardy millet grown in dry lands. It grows on many soils: red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils. Ragi is a very nutritious grain. It is rich in iron, calcium, other micronutrients and roughage, which means fibre. So it is called a coarse grain, but its food value is high. It also needs little water, which suits it to a changing climate.
Example
Karnataka is India's top ragi producer. Its dry southern plateau is the main ragi area. Tamil Nadu comes next. Hill states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh also grow it, along with Jharkhand.
Don't confuse with
- Bajra: this is pearl millet of the sandy north-west, where Rajasthan leads. Ragi is finger millet, and Karnataka leads in it.