Separated grains are winnowed and cleaned. Under irrigated conditions, crop is harvested about 3.5 months after transplanting. These are heaped up, and when dry, threshed. Straw from irrigated plants is coarse and thick and is rarely cut. It is grazed down or sometimes turned under as manure for next crop.
Ragi grain possesses excellent storage properties and is said to improve in quality with storage.
Seed can be stored without damage for as long as 50 years. They are highly valued as a reserve food in times of famine. Yield depends on variety and is directly related to duration, height and tillering capacity of type grown. Types with straight spikes give better yields than those with curved spikes. Ragi is the principal cereal crop for many peoples in India, Sri Lanka, and East Africa.