Mamoutou Traoré takes pride in coming from a long line of millet producers in Mali’s semi-arid Koulikoro region. Although millets are popular here, his father’s production had gradually declined over the decades, he says, so when Mamoutou started farming his own land, it was up to him to bring his family’s production back to life.
“I noticed that dishes made from millets are good for your health and consistent, and I made it my mission to produce them,” he says. “I learned about millet production and good practices so that I could make a living from it and provide for my family.”
He particularly likes n’gomi, a type of pancake, and the local dish tô, a polenta-like millet porridge that’s known as "the food of the field and of visitors", because it’s highly nutritious. According to Mamoutou, it allows people to perform intense physical work for a whole day without feeling hungry, which “is very rare with other cereals”.
“Millets are very important for the fight against hunger in our localities,” he says. “That’s why they are popular.”
When he does bring excess millets to market, he always fetches a good price. Even though millets are more expensive than other cereals, it’s still the product that sells most easily, he says, and brings him the most profits. “Millets are not like any other cereals here. Everything sells!”
Plus, they can be stored for a long time. In fact, because his village, Gouakoulou, has a collective system to ensures that people can access cereals year-round, Mamatou these days sells most of his millets to the local cereal bank.
In the future, he hopes to grow his production for the market and get involved in processing millets into other products too, he says. “For example, I heard about a young person who is starting to produce millet bread and I would like to see how it is done, what it tastes like and if I can do the same here for our villagers.”
He expects many producers will increase their millet production in years to come, particularly as the climate gets hotter. “Millets are crops that do not betray,” he says. “They are resilient to complicated climatic conditions.”
“I am convinced if more people start producing millets and if our authorities make efforts to support production, we will fight effectively against hunger and food insecurity,” he says. And since it pays well, “[it] would help fight local poverty too.”
