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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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Proso millet & soil health (3 research articles)
by Don Osborn 31 Jan '25

31 Jan '25

Passing on Gary Wietgrefe's short reviews of three research articles on proso millet and soil health in crop rotations: Thank you, Gary, for this insightful analysis! DO, EL, MI, US NAMA *Proso Agronomy Topics*, January 6, 2025, Gary Wietgrefe Three research articles in the Nov/Dec issue of Crops & Soils magazine indicate where proso millet can support soil health in crop rotations. Members of the American Society of Agronomy and Certified Crop Advisors have access to the full articles, or they can be purchased through Wiley's on-line library. (Abstracts attached.) *Black-Eyed Pea in the High Plains* highlights Colorado research rotations with wheat and proso millet. Being a drought hardy and short growing season legume, black-eyed peas can provide a nitrogen-supplying legume in the two grass crop rotations. "...A plant-to-harvest time of ~95 days (and) the short growing season makes it very competitive with proso millet acres. It allows farmers to plant winter wheat immediately following black-eyed pea harvest if moisture allows." See Library <https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/crso.20404?af=R> https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/crso.20404?af=R *Potential Blind Spots and Hot Spots for Nutrient Loss* article details how nutrients (especially phosphorus and nitrogen) can be carried by water and lost, or concentrated in prairie potholes. In the 1950s and '60s we planted foxtail and proso millet in potholes that were too wet when cool-season spring wheat, oats, and barley were planted. Located in the pothole region of north central South Dakota, we used millets (for forage, grain, and grazing) which could be planted up to late June to utilize pothole nutrients and moisture. Rose Tirlalistyani, Iowa State U., "...Led work on assessing nutrient flow through farmed prairie potholes..(and) differences between how nitrogen and phosphorous behave in potholes...(where) phosphorus may increase over time as the pothole continues to be inundated." See https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/crso.20410. *Understanding the Mineral Nutrient Value of Wheat Residue* evaluates nutrients carried from soil by harvesting wheat straw "...(that) contains a good deal of nitrogen and secondary macronutrients, and micronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn, and Mn)...(which) can have a high (replacement) cost when they are applied as fertilizers." In the 1980s and '90s my research with direct seeding crops, like proso millet, into wheat stubble (and vise-versa) increased crop moisture, decreased wind and water erosion, increased soil organic matter, decreased wind at soil-level, lowered summertime topsoil temperature, decreased weeds in germination zone, and increased yields of all rotational crops. This article is available for free at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385281865_Understanding_the_Minera… . Proso millet should be in a minimum of a three-crop rotation (at least one broadleaf), cropped or double-cropped to take advantage of underutilized nutrients especially where summer moisture is limited, and directly seeded into the previous crops stubble....Gary Wietgrefe (Certified Crop Advisor--retired, and member of the American Society of Agronomy)

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 36, Issue 12
by Gary Wietgrefe 30 Jan '25

30 Jan '25

Thanks for the millet food perspective. I disagree with the whole millet cooking instructions. In my area, at 3,500 foot elevation, whole proso in a rice cooker needs no less than 2.5 cups of water per cup of millet. To minimize firmness, I use 3 to 3.5 cups depending on end-use. Since it is very difficult to control heat on an electric stove, one cup of whole (dehulled) proso needs 3.5 to 4 cups of boiling water immediately reduced to a simmer. Lower elevations will likely need less water. Higher elevations >5000 ft. (i.e. Denver) may need more water per cup of millet....Gary Wietgrefe On Wed, Jan 29, 2025 at 5:02 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. Millets in cooking & nutrition (2 articles) (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2025 10:25:40 -0500 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: [Collab] Millets in cooking & nutrition (2 articles) > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibWCW5Yw8jF47hwJ9C8dQMHSV0cLUern8Gu3xEMSc+H+ag(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Two very different articles on millets from last year:(2024), one of > general appeal focusing on ways to cook and eat millets, and the other a > research update on nutritional and therapeutic potential of millets. > > *"Millets Are the Sustainable Super Grains We Should All Be Eating,"* by > Kirsten Nunez, MarthaStewart.com (Updated 18 Dec. 2024) > https://www.marthastewart.com/millets-health-benefits-cooking-info-7486377 > . > > * The article promotes millets with some ideas and instructions for cooking > the whole grains, although not for use of flour (in baking, for example). > It features expert comments by Dana Amaya, McKenzie Johnson Dokter, and Ann > Ziata. > > Jinu, Jacob, Veda Krishnan, Chris Antony, Masimukka Bhavyasri, C. Aruna, > Kiran Mishra, Thirunavukkarasu Nepolean, Chellapilla Tara Satyavathi, and > Kurella B. R. S. Visarada, *"The nutrition and therapeutic potential of > millets: an updated narrative review,"* *Frontiers in Nutrition*, Vol. 11, > 29 April 2024 > > https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1… > > * (Abstract) "Millets are ancient small grains grown in arid and semiarid > regions of the world. They are staple food for many people in Asia and > Africa. They are abundant sources of minerals and vitamins, giving them the > name Nutricereals. Moreover, millets contain valuable phytochemicals that > impart therapeutic properties for various disorders and diseases, thus > giving them nutraceutical value. A wide array of biochemical compounds are > present in the plant parts as well as the grains. In the oldest texts of > medicine in India and China, millets are mentioned for use for their > medicinal value. There has been expanding interest and emerging facts about > millets and their therapeutic uses. Ample evidence shows that consumption > of millets amounts to correction of life style and metabolic disorders. > Therapeutic properties of millets can be viewed in two ways, supplementary > nutrition through minerals and vitamins, and therapeutic value through the > presence of phytochemicals and specialty compounds that include flavonoids, > phenolics, anthocyanidins and others that have antioxidant potential. > Millets are gluten free, have low glycemic index and the phytochemicals aid > in correction of lifestyle disorders and prevention of ailments like > carcinogenesis. Supplementary benefits include treatment of anemia and > calcium deficiency especially for pregnant women and young children. With > the improvements in analytical methods for detection of various compounds, > it is possible to identify the compound-specific genotypes in millets that > can cater to the pharmacy industry. End-use specific genotypes can be bred > to meet the demand. Millets being climate resilient, can contribute to a > healthier life and better world through economic usage of natural > resources." > > > DO, EL, MI, US > NAMA >

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Millets in cooking & nutrition (2 articles)
by Don Osborn 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

Two very different articles on millets from last year:(2024), one of general appeal focusing on ways to cook and eat millets, and the other a research update on nutritional and therapeutic potential of millets. *"Millets Are the Sustainable Super Grains We Should All Be Eating,"* by Kirsten Nunez, MarthaStewart.com (Updated 18 Dec. 2024) https://www.marthastewart.com/millets-health-benefits-cooking-info-7486377 . * The article promotes millets with some ideas and instructions for cooking the whole grains, although not for use of flour (in baking, for example). It features expert comments by Dana Amaya, McKenzie Johnson Dokter, and Ann Ziata. Jinu, Jacob, Veda Krishnan, Chris Antony, Masimukka Bhavyasri, C. Aruna, Kiran Mishra, Thirunavukkarasu Nepolean, Chellapilla Tara Satyavathi, and Kurella B. R. S. Visarada, *"The nutrition and therapeutic potential of millets: an updated narrative review,"* *Frontiers in Nutrition*, Vol. 11, 29 April 2024 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1… * (Abstract) "Millets are ancient small grains grown in arid and semiarid regions of the world. They are staple food for many people in Asia and Africa. They are abundant sources of minerals and vitamins, giving them the name Nutricereals. Moreover, millets contain valuable phytochemicals that impart therapeutic properties for various disorders and diseases, thus giving them nutraceutical value. A wide array of biochemical compounds are present in the plant parts as well as the grains. In the oldest texts of medicine in India and China, millets are mentioned for use for their medicinal value. There has been expanding interest and emerging facts about millets and their therapeutic uses. Ample evidence shows that consumption of millets amounts to correction of life style and metabolic disorders. Therapeutic properties of millets can be viewed in two ways, supplementary nutrition through minerals and vitamins, and therapeutic value through the presence of phytochemicals and specialty compounds that include flavonoids, phenolics, anthocyanidins and others that have antioxidant potential. Millets are gluten free, have low glycemic index and the phytochemicals aid in correction of lifestyle disorders and prevention of ailments like carcinogenesis. Supplementary benefits include treatment of anemia and calcium deficiency especially for pregnant women and young children. With the improvements in analytical methods for detection of various compounds, it is possible to identify the compound-specific genotypes in millets that can cater to the pharmacy industry. End-use specific genotypes can be bred to meet the demand. Millets being climate resilient, can contribute to a healthier life and better world through economic usage of natural resources." DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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Booths & displays at the Purdue GSA Millets Expo (11-12 April 2025)
by Don Osborn 26 Jan '25

26 Jan '25

The GSA Millets Expo at Purdue University on 11-12 April 2025 has some opportunities for exhibit booths and millet product display. The attached flyer was posted by the GSA head, Dr. Vijay Prabhakar, on LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Note that the contact email addresses are different than those given on the event webpage at https://ag.purdue.edu/events/department/foodsci/2025/04/gsa-global-millets-… . We'll pass on further info as it becomes available. DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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Recording of the 1/16/25 webinar on the proso market & what's next
by Don Osborn 24 Jan '25

24 Jan '25

Here is the link to the recording of the webinar on Thursday 16 January on the proso market and what's ahead for proso millet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDOGUWxc708 This is on a new YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@MilletsAlliance ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdY15A1wOfbqePyGYx1RFgA ) Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Millet-of-the-month calendar for 2025
by Don Osborn 21 Jan '25

21 Jan '25

Happy New Year 2025! With the new year, there is one change in the "Millet of the Month" calendar: Fonio and the Digitaria species are now in July, with the barnyard millets now in August (switching places). Since "Fonio Day" on July 27 seems to be getting more attention, it seemed to make sense to join that initiative in the same month. The Millet-of-the-Month calendar for 2025 follows, in text (and attached as an image file): Jan. proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) Feb. little millet (Panicum sumatrense) Mar. foxtail millet (Setaria italica) Apr. pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) May finger millet (Eleusine coracana) Jun. sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Jul. fonio & raishan (Digitaria spp.) Aug. barnyard millet (Echinochloa spp.) Sep. browntop & Guinea (Brachiaria spp.) Oct. kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) Nov. teff (Eragrostis tef) Dec. adlay/Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) The idea behind the Millet-of-the-month calendar is the same as before - spotlighting one unique millet (or 2 or more closely related ones) each month, over the course of the year. This rotating spotlight does not limit attention to any millet at any time, of course. It just assures that there is a predictable time to give attention to each millet. We seek to coordinate this calendar to the extent possible with other calendars and observances. For example, sorghum is also the Whole Grain Council's Grain-of-the-month in June. Our focus on teff in November harmonizes partially with WGC's observance that month. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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NAMA YouTube channel & video of 1/16/25 webinar
by Don Osborn 21 Jan '25

21 Jan '25

We now have a YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MilletsAlliance For the moment there is only one video available - the 16 January 2025 webinar on what's ahead for proso millet - for which the direct link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDOGUWxc708 In the channel description, there are also URLs for the 2023 Millets Webinar series, and the 19 December 2024 review of the proso millet grain standards proposal. More to come... Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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