February 2025 - Collab - lists.millets2023.space

MIllets in India since IYM 2023
by Don Osborn 31 Mar '25

31 Mar '25

India is the world's biggest producer of millets, and a major exporter of many of these (in North America we see a number of Indian millets packaged for consumers). It was also the country that led the effort to proclaim the International Year of Millets. So how are things going with millets in India? Here are 4 items which paint a broadly positive situation, altho with some challenges. "Millets Are Making a Comeback in India: These hardy, drought-resistant and nutritious grains disappeared from fields in the 1960s. Now, the country is working to revive them," by Charukesi Ramadurai, Reasons to be Cheerful, November 11, 2024 https://reasonstobecheerful.world/millets-making-comeback-india/ Nice overview of the situation with millets in India. Among the experts quoted is Dr. Amrita Hazra, of the IISER in Pune, India, who was founder of the Berkely, CA based The Millet Project. "Millet revolution: Why one of the world’s oldest grains is back on India’s dining tables," The Federal, 11 Nov. 2024 https://thefederal.com/category/features/millet-revolution-why-one-of-the-w… Another overview, including mention of some of the challenges emerging with the rise of popularity of millets. For example, demand for millets in urban areas has raised prices, affecting accessibility by those who depend on them as staples. "Bengaluru to host three-day 'Organics and Millets' fair from Jan 23," Deccan Herald, 20 Jan. 2025 https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/city-to-host-three-d… Bengaluru (aka Bangalore) is the capital of Karnataka state in India, and "Karnataka has been promoting organic farming as a sustainable alternative for the past two decades and organised its first organics and millet trade fair in 2017." This event last month was the latest in a series of fairs. "Smart Foods for Smarter Policies: Millets in India’s Public Distribution System," ICRISAT Media Release, January 28, 2025 https://pressroom.icrisat.org/smart-foods-for-smarter-policies-millets-in-i… (Thanks to Lauren Swann, MS, RD, LDN, for calling our attention to this item) "As India intensifies efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition, the Tata-Cornell Institute (TCI) and ICRISAT are helping policymakers with evidence-based strategies to include millet in the Public Distribution System (PDS) which provides food subsidies to low-income families." It seems like this PDS program might help redress the accessibility issues where prices of millets have risen.. (For more on the Tata-Cornell Institute, see https://tci.cornell.edu/ ) Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 37, Issue 6
by Gary Wietgrefe 26 Mar '25

26 Mar '25

Thank you Don for investigating elusive millet production. Ancient crops, like millet, are not considered industrial crops, therefore I am extremely cautious quoting production numbers, especially by type of millet. At least two of your sources date to 1993 and would have used prior sources. No matter how many times those numbers are quoted, even decades later, I consider them highly suspect. For several reasons: 1.) *Unreported millet*: Mongols have lived on proso millet for thousands of years and still do. The Soviet Union production of millet in Mongolia from 1940-1990 was "Zero!" Though obviously not true, Soviet State Farms's production goals did not include millet, so it was left unreported. Mongolian proso varieties were compared to Russian and varieties of U.S. proso I sent to Mongolia for research in the late 1990s. See (PDF) Ancient Proso Millet and the Twentieth Century Survival of Mongolia <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358270886_Ancient_Proso_Millet_and…> . Another example is Canada which produces proso millet and sorghum, yet the UN's FAO reports NO millet or sorghum produced in Canada. See FAOSTAT <https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL> ( https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL) Those are crops not reported by Statistics Canada, and I suspect therefore are not reported by the UN. 2.) *Mixed data*: Production data collected on millets sometimes include sorghum, consequently it is not reliable. See UN's FAO data. FAOSTAT <https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL> ( https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL) Note that since the 1960s (FAO's reporting period) Canada and Mongolia are not even listed as a millet producers. 3.) *Under reporting*: By far most acreage of millets produced in the U.S. is not reported by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Millet grain production volume since the late 1990s only lists one millet produced for grain, proso, and only reports 481,000 acres of proso production for 2024 in three states (Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota). However, another branch of USDA (Farm Service Agency) reports over forty states (971,443 total acreage) planting proso, foxtail, pearl, Japanese, teff and "common.". Keep in mind, only farms that seek government program payments report to FAS which generally includes millets planted for forage, cover crops, game farms, and wildlife uses. See FAS kmWMJUc631qPEbuuKeWH | Farm Service Agency <https://www.fsa.usda.gov/documents/kmwmjuc631qpebuukewh>, compared to NASS page 32 in cropan25.pdf <https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/k3569432s/nk324…> ( https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/k3569432s/nk324… ). 3.) *Uses*: UN's FAO is mainly concerned about "Food" production, hense their name (Food & Agricultural Organization). FAO is likely the most common source of worldwide and individual country data. Consequently, millet uses for livestock fodder, grazing, erosion control, and wildlife habitat is not reported by the UN. Without countries reporting actual millet acres, including the U.S., my advice is do not rely on publicly reported millet statistics when estimating millet's actual annual production.....Gary Wietgrefe On Sun, Feb 9, 2025 at 5:01 AM <collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > Send Collab mailing list submissions to > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space > > You can reach the person managing the list at > collab-owner(a)lists.millets2023.space > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Collab digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Quantifying global production of grain millets by crop > (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2025 21:25:04 -0500 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: "collab(a)lists.millets2023.space" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Subject: [Collab] Quantifying global production of grain millets by > crop > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibW7bXbFWtT99813uqLUei7XiaCsRUQPtJgfZ+nbwUgbgQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Trying to get clear current estimates of global production of various > millets is not easy. First of all, current statistics gathered by USDA and > by FAOSTAT collapse all millets ("grains surname millet") under a single > "millet" category. Secondly, some of the sources that have figures on > production of one or another or several millets are two or three decades > old. Then there are sources that are behind paywalls. > > In any event, from some research on the matter, I got the impression > several years ago that the production levels of the main 4 or 5 (including > sorghum) millets followed this pattern: Sorghum, alone, had double the > production - around 60 million metric tons (MT) per year - of all the other > millets combined - around 30 million MT/yr. Pearl millet then had half that > amount, or around 15 million MT. The remainder was split among - in order - > foxtail millet, proso millet, finger millet, and all the rest. Figures for > the rest might be on local and national levels but might take some time to > aggregate. > > Anyway, I put together a list of some sources with estimates, below. These > are for millets (without sorghum), pearl millet, foxtail millet, proso > millet, and finger millet. Although these are from different times and > sources, they tend to support the proportions indicated above: > > > MILLETS, TOGETHER, WITHOUT SORGHUM (28-31 million MT?) > > "The annual world production of millets accounts for about 30,463,642 t." > > Pexov? Kalinov? J, T??ska J, Ho?ej?? K. "Comparison of the Main > Constituents in Two Varieties of Proso Millet Using GC-MS." *Foods*. 2023 > Jun 7;12(12):2294. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12122294 . PMID: 37372504; > PMCID: PMC10297711. Quoting in footnote, FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture > Organization of The United Nations, Rome. [(accessed on 30 July 2022)]. > Available online: https://fenix.fao.org/faostat/internal/en/#data/QCL. > > > "Millet 2024. World Production: 31,073 (1000 MT) (PS&D Online updated > 01/2025)" > > USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, FAS Home / IPAD Home / Crop Explorer / > Commodity Explorer / Millet (accessed 8 Feb. 2025) > > https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/cropview/commodityView.aspx?cropid=0… > > > "Developing countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, account for about 94 > percent of global output, estimated at some 28 million tons (1992-94 > average, Table 1). Of this, pearl millet accounts for about 15 million > tons, foxtail millet for 5 million tons, proso millet for 4 million tons > and finger millet for over 3 million tons." > > The World Sorghum and Millet Economies: Facts, Trends and Outlook, FAO & > ICRISAT, 1996 https://www.fao.org/4/w1808e/w1808e0c.htm > > > > PEARL MILLET (15-18 million MT?) > > "Pearl millet accounts for almost half of global millet production." > > "The Global Agro-Ecological Zoning, version 4. Crop profile: Pearl and > Foxtail millets" > > https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/data.gaezdev.aws.fao.org/crop_profiles/G… > (accessed 8 Feb. 2025; this is apparently connected with > https://gaez.fao.org/ ) > > > "According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations > (FAO), in 2019, global pearl millet production was approximately 17.9 > million metric tons." > > "Pearl millet," by Lynette Abbott, Cultivation December 8, 2024 > https://cultivationag.com/pearl-millet/ > > > > FOXTAIL MILLET (5-6 million MT?) > > "Total production of foxtail millet is around 5.7 ? 10^6 t of grain per > year" > > M.I. Gomez, S.C. Gupta, "Millets," in B. Caballero, ed., *Encyclopedia of > Food Sciences and Nutrition* (2nd Ed.), Academic Press, 2003, Pages > 3974-3979, ISBN 9780122270550, > https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-227055-X/00791-4. ( > https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B012227055X007914) > This article is reproduced from *Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food > Technology and Nutrition*, Copyright 1993, Academic Press. > > > > PROSO MILLET (4-5 million MT?) > > "Proso ranks third after pearl millet and foxtail millet in terms of total > global millet production, about 5 ? 10^6 t of grain per year." > > M.I. Gomez, S.C. Gupta, "Millets," in B. Caballero, ed., *Encyclopedia of > Food Sciences and Nutrition* (2nd Ed.), Academic Press, 2003, Pages > 3974-3979, ISBN 9780122270550, > https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-227055-X/00791-4. ( > https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B012227055X007914) > This article is reproduced from *Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food > Technology and Nutrition*, Copyright 1993, Academic Press. > > > > FINGER MILLET (3-5 million MT?) > > "With an estimated global annual planting area of 4-4.5 million hectares > and a total production of 5 million tons of grain, finger millet plays a > pivotal role in ensuring food security and sustenance for millions of > people." > > "Finger Millet: A Story of Health. Crop Chronicles: 13 Nov 2024," Crop > Trust, > https://www.croptrust.org/story-articles/finger-millet-a-story-of-health/ > > > > If you have any other sources or figures for any of the above, please let > us know. > > Don Osborn, PhD > (East Lansing, MI, US) > North American Millets Alliance >

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Invitation from Purdue U. to GSA Millets Expo
by Don Osborn 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

It is my pleasure to pass on a letter of invitation to the GSA Millets Expo (11-12 April 2025, West Lafayette, IN) from Prof. Senay Simsek, chair of the Department of Food Science at Purdue University. This and a flyer about the conference are attached. I also reproduce the text of Prof. Simsek's letter below. The webpage for the event is: https://ag.purdue.edu/events/department/foodsci/2025/04/gsa-global-millets-… The registration page for the event is: https://web.cvent.com/event/3be6ea1e-4022-4f42-87fe-f7b4823183cc/regPage:55… At least one member of NAMA is planning to attend what promises to be an important event for networking and information sharing about millets. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance (Text of Prof. Simsek's letter follows) "On behalf of the Purdue University's Department of Food Science, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the first GSA Global Millets Expo which will be held at Purdue University on April 11-12, 2025. We are looking forward to your attendance to present or showcase your products! "Throughout the two-day expo, you will have the opportunity to engage with keynote speakers who will share insights into the advantages of using millet in global food systems as well as the use of millet as a functional ingredient. The expo will feature an exhibition wheremany can showcase their products and share important information about millet's applications in food and agriculture. This event is designed to foster collaboration and promote millet as a key player in building resilient and sustainable food systems worldwide. "We truly look forward to welcoming you to Purdue University for this new event. We will discuss the role millet will play in the coming decades in our food chain and economies. "Thank you so much for your interest in the GSA Global Millets Expo. We are excited to have you join us here at Purdue University in spring 2025! "Sincerely, Senay Simsek, Ph.D. Professor and Head Dean's Chair in Food Science"

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Webinar on the genetics & breeding of proso millet, Thurs. 20 Feb.
by Don Osborn 23 Feb '25

23 Feb '25

This Thursday, February 20, at 11 am EST/8 am PST, NAMA will host a webinar with two prominent researchers on the genetics and breeding of proso millet: * Prof. Dipak Santra, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln https://agronomy.unl.edu/santra/ * Dr. Vetriventhan Mani, Senior Genetic Resources Scientist, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) https://www.icrisat.org/public/about/team/dr-vetriventhan-mani Prof. Santra is the alternative crops breeder at the University of Nebraska. His program works on cultivar and germplasm development of existing alternative crops and developing new crops for semi-arid High Plains region. He has organized international conferences on proso (aka broomcorn) millet and millets in general. On Thursday, he will discuss "Proso Millet Breeding and Genetics Research in the USA." Dr. Mani's primary focus at ICRISAT's Genebank revolves around strategizing and conducting germplasm research to enhance the efficiency of conserving and utilizing this valuable collection. He has specialized in plant genetic resources, primarily focusing on eight dryland millets: sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, and little millet. He will present on "Proso Millet Genetic Resources Conservation and Research." Please join us for insights into genetic resources of one of the most widely-cultivated millets, and how they're being used in crop breeding: ────────── Zoom Meeting, Thurs. 20 Feb., 11 am EST / 8 am PST https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87650498139?pwd=FcrFFyWmg1NOt916ykQzyNlfwbN2UD.1 Meeting ID: 876 5049 8139 Passcode: 423770 --- One tap mobile +16694449171,,87650498139#,,,,*423770# US +16699006833,,87650498139#,,,,*423770# US (San Jose) --- Dial by your location • +1 669 444 9171 US • +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) • +1 719 359 4580 US • +1 253 205 0468 US • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) • +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) • +1 386 347 5053 US • +1 507 473 4847 US • +1 564 217 2000 US • +1 646 931 3860 US • +1 689 278 1000 US • +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) • +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) • +1 305 224 1968 US • +1 309 205 3325 US • +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) • +1 360 209 5623 US Meeting ID: 876 5049 8139 Passcode: 423770 Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdojpyl4h4 ────────── Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Nutritional qualities of little millet: 3 recent articles
by Don Osborn 22 Feb '25

22 Feb '25

Little millet (Panicum sumatrense) is our millet of the month in February. Although it is in the same genus as proso millet (P. miliaceum), it is not cultivated on any scale in North America, but can be obtained in imported products.. Like other millets, it is touted for its resilience as a crop and for its nutritional qualities. And like other millets, it has its own particular characteristics .(For example, it's very high in dietary fiber.) Here are citations and abstracts for 3 research articles relating to little millet's nutritional aspects, by researchers from India, where most of its global production is concentrated. The first requires subscription, but the other two are open access. The first is from the perspective of neglected little millet crop varieties, the second considers how processing affects little millet's nutritional properties, and the third focuses on the therapeutic potential of little millet nutrients in treating obesity. 1. Debabrata Panda, Pramila Muni, Aloukika Panda, Kartik C. Lenka & Prashant K. Parida. *"Nutritional and nutraceutical richness of neglected little millet genotypes from Eastern Ghats of India: implications for breeding and food value."* *Planta* 259, 37 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04314-w ABSTRACT Little millet is an important small millet native to the Indian subcontinent and their nutritional value has been underutilized compared to other cereals. Its nutritional and nutraceutical profiling is essential to integrate the plants in developmental interventions. The present study evaluated comprehensive nutritional, nutraceutical and physico-functional properties of 14 selected little millet genotypes originated from Eastern Ghats of India and compared them with an improved variety (OLM 208) of the locality. The proximate compositions (per 100 g) showed significant variations, with moisture content ranging from 4.13 to 8.48 g, ash from 1.90 to 5.15 g, fat from 2.35 to 5.74 g, protein from 10.46 to 13.83 g, carbohydrate from 70.92 to 77.89 g, fiber from 2.03 to 7.82 g and energy from 372.8 to 391.1 kcal. These little millet flours are rich in phenol 5.37–12.73 mg/g, flavonoid 1.06–8.25 µg/g, vitamin C 12.72–22.86 µg/g, antioxidants 7.22–23.17%, iron 20.38 to 61.60 mg/ kg and zinc 17.47 to 37.59 mg/ kg. The first two components of principal component analysis capture 73.0% of the total variation, which reflected huge variability among the investigated genotypes. Maximum heritability and genetic advance were recorded in flavonoid, fiber, iron, zinc, phenol and vitamin C across the populations. Taken together, some indigenous little millet genotypes such as Mami, Kalia and Bada, were exceptionally rich in fiber, protein, energy, flavonoid, vitamin C and antioxidants and are nutritionally superior compared to other varieties from the locality. These nutrition rich little millet genotypes have ample opportunities for future breeding programs to enhance the cereal quality and hold great potential in food industry for making high value functional foods. 2. Annu Kumari, Pardeep Kumar Sadh, Ajay Kamboj, Babli Yadav, Anil Kumar, S. Sivakumar, Surekha, Baljeet Singh Saharan, Basanti Brar, Chhaya Goyal, Sanju Bala Dhull, and Joginder Singh Duhan,* "Exploring the Benefits of Nutrition of Little Millet: Unveiling the Effect of Processing Methods on Bioactive Properties,"* *Journal of Food Biochemistry*, 2025, 2488816, 25 pages, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1155/jfbc/2488816 ABSTRACT "Many terrible illnesses and disorders that modern man is dealing with today were not even known to ancient man. The only factor contributing to this disastrous situation is dietary habits. Thus, by avoiding and controlling them, replacing meals high in empty calories with nutrient-dense millets helps to alleviate the combined burden of contemporary metabolic illnesses and malnutrition. Because millet contains various nutrients, including proteins, minerals, lipids, vitamins, phytochemicals, dietary fiber, and complex carbohydrates, it positively impacts the immune system. Among whole millets, little millet (Panicum sumatrense) is one nutritious millet that contributes significantly to the supply of macro- and micronutrients and bioactive substances, including phenols, tannins, and phytates. However, some processing techniques, such as germination, fermentation, milling, and extrusion, impact little millet’s nutrients and bioactive chemicals by increasing or decreasing these phytochemicals. These nutrients and bioactive substances have physiological and beneficial properties related to health, such as weight management, antioxidants, antidiabetics, anticancer, antiobesity, and cardiovascular disease potential. It is also beneficial in preventing the risk of inflammatory, antirheumatic, and chronic disorders, as it possesses various value-added bioactive compounds such as kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin. Little millet also contains some antinutrients such as tannins, oxalate, trypsin inhibitors, and phytate. These substances bind to the necessary nutrients, rendering them unavailable or limiting their utilization. The nutrients, processing effects, bioactive compounds, and health advantages of these compounds in little millet are all summarized in this paper." 3. Lakhani Komal G., Hamid Rasmeih, Gupta Sheetal, Prajapati Poojaben, Prabha Ratna, Patel Saumya, and Suthar Kirankumar P., *"Exploring the therapeutic mechanisms of millet in obesity through molecular docking, pharmacokinetics, and dynamic simulation,"* *Frontiers in Nutrition*, Vol. 11, 2024 URL= https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1… DOI=10.3389/fnut.2024.1453819 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT "Obesity, a prevalent global health concern, is characterized by excessive fat accumulation, which confers significant nutritional and health risks, including a shortened lifespan and diminished wellbeing. Central to the regulation of energy balance and food intake is the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) protein, which modulates the interplay between caloric consumption and energy expenditure. Given its pivotal role in obesity regulation, the identification of effective inhibitors targeting the FTO protein is imperative for developing therapeutic interventions. Currently available anti-obesity drugs are often plagued by undesirable side effects. In contrast, natural plant-derived bioactive compounds are gaining prominence in the pharmaceutical industry due to their efficacy and lower incidence of adverse effects. Little Millet, a traditional cereal known for its rich nutritional profile and high satiety index, was investigated in this study using molecular docking and dynamics simulation approach for its potential as an anti-obesity agent. Our research demonstrates that four bioactive compounds from Little Millet exhibit superior binding energies ranging from 7.22 to 8.83 kcal/mol, compared to the standard anti-obesity drug, orlistat, which has a binding energy of 5.96 kcal/mol. These compounds fulfilled all drug-like criteria, including the Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge rules, and exhibited favorable profiles in terms of distribution, metabolism, and prolonged half-life without toxicity. Conversely, orlistat was associated with hepatotoxicity, a reduced half-life, and multiple violations of drug-likeness parameters, undermining its efficacy. Molecular dynamics simulations and Gibbs free energy assessments revealed that the four identified compounds maintain stable interactions with key residues in the FTO protein’s active site. We propose further validation through extensive In vitro, In vivo, and clinical studies to ascertain the therapeutic potential of these compounds in combating obesity." -- Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US North American Millets Alliance

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Notes re NAMA communication strategy
by Don Osborn 19 Feb '25

19 Feb '25

Here's a quick review of three (or four) elements in our approach to communications: Firist, a number of subscribers to this list - Collab - are also on our mailing list, compiled mainly of people who registered for the IYM2023 Millets Webinars. This list of almost 700 contacts was put together by our former colleague, NAMA co-founder Jonathon Landeck. We have just entered that list of contacts into the new NAMA account with Audienceful.com. The purpose is to facilitate its appropriate and limited use for communication about key activities of NAMA and major news about millets in North America. A mailing just went out to that list today regarding the upcoming Feb 20 Millets Webinar. That also included a note about our dedication to the security of your data, and Audienceful's privacy and GDPR policies. Secod, the Collab list is intended as a discussion list, of course, and a place for deeper dives into various topics about millets. It also features announcements of events, sometimes as early notices. The number of subscribers on Collab is almost 90 people. And third, we also maintain an active page on LinkedIn that has over 1200 followers. There we also feature announcements of events, and a selection of general interest items on millets that also go to Collab. So altho there is some overlap among these three - the mailing list, Collab, and the LinkedIn page - they serve complementary purposes in our communication strategy. NAMA also has a Facebook group, but we haven't done much with it since 2023. If you use FB regularly, and would like to become active on that group, that would be helpful. https://www.facebook.com/groups/243364207975357 Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Millets Webinar, 20 Feb. 2025 (Save the date!)
by Don Osborn 13 Feb '25

13 Feb '25

We're pleased to inform you all that the next Millets Webinar in our 2025 series will feature Prof. Dipak Santra, of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Dr. Vetriventhan Mani of the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). These distinguished guests will each share insights into their work on proso millet breeding and genetics. This will be on Thursday 20 February at 11 am EST / 8 am PST. Additional information, including the Zoom connection details is coming. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Quantifying global production of grain millets by crop
by Don Osborn 09 Feb '25

09 Feb '25

Trying to get clear current estimates of global production of various millets is not easy. First of all, current statistics gathered by USDA and by FAOSTAT collapse all millets ("grains surname millet") under a single "millet" category. Secondly, some of the sources that have figures on production of one or another or several millets are two or three decades old. Then there are sources that are behind paywalls. In any event, from some research on the matter, I got the impression several years ago that the production levels of the main 4 or 5 (including sorghum) millets followed this pattern: Sorghum, alone, had double the production - around 60 million metric tons (MT) per year - of all the other millets combined - around 30 million MT/yr. Pearl millet then had half that amount, or around 15 million MT. The remainder was split among - in order - foxtail millet, proso millet, finger millet, and all the rest. Figures for the rest might be on local and national levels but might take some time to aggregate. Anyway, I put together a list of some sources with estimates, below. These are for millets (without sorghum), pearl millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and finger millet. Although these are from different times and sources, they tend to support the proportions indicated above: MILLETS, TOGETHER, WITHOUT SORGHUM (28-31 million MT?) "The annual world production of millets accounts for about 30,463,642 t." Pexová Kalinová J, Tříska J, Hořejší K. "Comparison of the Main Constituents in Two Varieties of Proso Millet Using GC-MS." *Foods*. 2023 Jun 7;12(12):2294. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12122294 . PMID: 37372504; PMCID: PMC10297711. Quoting in footnote, FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations, Rome. [(accessed on 30 July 2022)]. Available online: https://fenix.fao.org/faostat/internal/en/#data/QCL. "Millet 2024. World Production: 31,073 (1000 MT) (PS&D Online updated 01/2025)" USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, FAS Home / IPAD Home / Crop Explorer / Commodity Explorer / Millet (accessed 8 Feb. 2025) https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/cropview/commodityView.aspx?cropid=0… "Developing countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, account for about 94 percent of global output, estimated at some 28 million tons (1992-94 average, Table 1). Of this, pearl millet accounts for about 15 million tons, foxtail millet for 5 million tons, proso millet for 4 million tons and finger millet for over 3 million tons." The World Sorghum and Millet Economies: Facts, Trends and Outlook, FAO & ICRISAT, 1996 https://www.fao.org/4/w1808e/w1808e0c.htm PEARL MILLET (15-18 million MT?) "Pearl millet accounts for almost half of global millet production." "The Global Agro-Ecological Zoning, version 4. Crop profile: Pearl and Foxtail millets" https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/data.gaezdev.aws.fao.org/crop_profiles/G… (accessed 8 Feb. 2025; this is apparently connected with https://gaez.fao.org/ ) "According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in 2019, global pearl millet production was approximately 17.9 million metric tons." "Pearl millet," by Lynette Abbott, Cultivation December 8, 2024 https://cultivationag.com/pearl-millet/ FOXTAIL MILLET (5-6 million MT?) "Total production of foxtail millet is around 5.7 × 10^6 t of grain per year" M.I. Gomez, S.C. Gupta, "Millets," in B. Caballero, ed., *Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition* (2nd Ed.), Academic Press, 2003, Pages 3974-3979, ISBN 9780122270550, https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-227055-X/00791-4. ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B012227055X007914) This article is reproduced from *Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition*, Copyright 1993, Academic Press. PROSO MILLET (4-5 million MT?) "Proso ranks third after pearl millet and foxtail millet in terms of total global millet production, about 5 × 10^6 t of grain per year." M.I. Gomez, S.C. Gupta, "Millets," in B. Caballero, ed., *Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition* (2nd Ed.), Academic Press, 2003, Pages 3974-3979, ISBN 9780122270550, https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-227055-X/00791-4. ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B012227055X007914) This article is reproduced from *Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition*, Copyright 1993, Academic Press. FINGER MILLET (3-5 million MT?) "With an estimated global annual planting area of 4-4.5 million hectares and a total production of 5 million tons of grain, finger millet plays a pivotal role in ensuring food security and sustenance for millions of people." "Finger Millet: A Story of Health. Crop Chronicles: 13 Nov 2024," Crop Trust, https://www.croptrust.org/story-articles/finger-millet-a-story-of-health/ If you have any other sources or figures for any of the above, please let us know. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Millets & satiety (feeling full longer) - a review of research
by Don Osborn 05 Feb '25

05 Feb '25

One less-discussed benefit of millets seems to be that we feel full longer after eating them than is the case with other grains. A review article last year discusses the mechanisms of this and the health implications: Anitha Seetha, Shweta Upadhyay, and Joanna Kane-Potaka, "Millets have the potential to increase satiety and reduce the feeling of hunger: a systematic review," Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 8, 3 June 2024 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3… According to the article * "Millet-based food stays longer in the stomach, thereby prolonging the feeling of satiety or fullness." * This may be due to "millets’ richness in fiber ... increasing gastric volume and prolonging gastric emptying time" * And this, in turn, delays glucose response and lowers the blood lipid profile The attached diagram, which is Figure 2 from the article, illustrates the "Proposed mechanism of action of millets on satiety and other health parameters." Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Dealing with bitterness in millets
by Don Osborn 04 Feb '25

04 Feb '25

Millets sometimes have a bitter aftertaste. What are the causes and how to deal with them? We had a short discussion offline, and Gary Wietgrefe's thoughts with regard to proso in particular wee detailed and specific. I'll copy them in a reply to this email, for your information. First, if I may, I personally haven't noticed problems with the millets I consume, apart from one batch of little millet (our millet-of-the-month in February, by the way) which became musty - I think the batch was a bit old to begin with. In any event, bitterness is an issue that consumers do bring up, and it stands in the way of wider use and acceptance of any grain or food (apart from those always bitter by nature, like bitter melon). In millets, bitterness may be related to issues like premature harvest or poor grain quality. In some cases, I understand that the variety or cultivar of a millet may be naturally more bitter than other varieties of the same grain. Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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