Jowar is sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), a drought-tolerant cereal with round, usually white or cream grain in the Indian food trade. India grows it mainly in Maharashtra and Karnataka, with smaller areas in Gujarat, Telangana and other states.
Abroad, Indian jowar is used as gluten-free flour, whole grain for cooking, popped and flaked snacks, a staple for South Asian diaspora households, and in bird seed and animal feed.
Kharif and rabi jowar
India grows jowar in two seasons. Kharif jowar is sown with the monsoon and harvested roughly October to November. Rain at harvest can cause grain mould and discolouration, so much of it goes to feed and industrial use.
Rabi jowar is sown after the monsoon on stored soil moisture and harvested roughly February to April. It usually gives cleaner, whiter grain and is preferred for food. Maldandi, a traditional rabi type from the Solapur area of Maharashtra, is well known in the food trade. Confirm the season and variety for each lot.
How jowar is used abroad
- Gluten-free flour: for flatbreads, baking blends and pancakes. Jowar flour is a common base in gluten-free mixes.
- Whole grain: cooked like rice or added to salads and bowls in health food ranges.
- Popped sorghum: small popped grains sold as a snack, similar to popcorn.
- Flakes and puffs: for breakfast cereals and snack bars.
- Diaspora staple: jowar flour for bhakri and roti, sold through South Asian grocery channels.
- Bird seed and feed: lower grades and coloured types, in larger volumes.
Quality points to specify
- Colour: white or cream grain for food, with a limit on discoloured and mould-affected grain.
- Moisture: low enough for safe storage and container transit.
- Foreign matter, stones and dust: machine cleaning and de-stoning are standard for food grade.
- Damaged, weevilled, immature and broken grain: separate limits for each.
- Mycotoxins: aflatoxin and others, especially for kharif grain.
- Pesticide residues: tested against your own market's limits.
- Gluten: if you sell it as gluten-free, test for gluten and control cross-contact. See whether Indian millets are gluten-free certified.
Flour and processed forms
Jowar flour keeps better than bajra flour but still loses freshness over time. Agree on milling date, mesh size and packing. For flakes, puffs and popped sorghum, check that the processor has food safety certification and a clean, separate line. The options are compared in what forms of millets are exported.
Prices move with the monsoon and with government buying of grains for public distribution. Booking after the rabi harvest arrives often gives you the best choice of quality.
How we help
We locate jowar cleaners and millers that work with rabi food-grade grain, visit their plants and test samples at NABL-accredited labs. We then follow production and supervise loading so the shipment matches the approved sample. Ask for a free sourcing review.