Lahari Bai is on a mission to protect seeds that are slowly disappearing from India’s farms.

A farmer from Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district, she collects and conserves traditional millet seeds—many of them on the verge of extinction. Her dedication has earned her the title of the ‘Millets Queen’ of Madhya Pradesh.

Belonging to the Baiga tribal community, Lahari Bai has preserved more than 150 varieties of indigenous millet seeds, safeguarding agricultural biodiversity while promoting healthier food choices.

"There are 150 varieties of millet seeds in my seed bank, including kodo, kutki, salar, sikhiya, sama (names of millets). There are 20 kinds of Kutki alone....in all there are 150 varieties. My dream is that these spread across the nation, that everyone eats millets and becomes strong and disease free" said Lahari Bai, farmer and millet seed collector.

Her work has now received official recognition. The district administration has appointed Lahari Bai as the brand ambassador of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, entrusting her with promoting millet cultivation and sustainable farming practices.

Anju Pawan Singh Bhadoria, district collector, Dindori say, "Lahari Bai has played a very important role in preserving Shree Anna (millets), and for this reason she has also been honoured by the Honourable President. We have such a respected farmer who represents the Baiga tribal community, so we could not have found a better brand ambassador than her. Through her, we will implement this scheme across the entire district and promote Shri Anna production, and show farmers how they can increase their production through organic farming."

Lahari Bai freely distributes millet seeds to farmers in her village and surrounding areas, encouraging more cultivators to return to traditional crops.

Nutritious, pest-resistant and requiring very little water, millets are increasingly being recognised as climate-resilient superfoods offering both health benefits and sustainable solutions for farmers.