Thank Joni, Dipak, and Gary. Much food for thought. Here are a few thoughts from my desk. No. 3 turned out to be pivotal, but you might prefer to read in order 1. Advocating for more specific reporting on millets cultivation. As Gary and Dipak have noted, the reporting and aggregating of data on these grains in a "collapsed" category of "millet" is problematic. Especially in the long term or when discussing world statistics (which USDA does). When looking at USDA data on "millet" in the US* today, one may safely assume based on our knowledge that proso millet is meant, but it shouldn't be necessary to have that context in order to understand what they're communicating. If there are other organizations that would like to advocate for more specific categories for millets in US and international data and reporting, NAMA could join with them to do so. 2. Promoting proso. I agree with Dipak's concern about new markets for proso millet. (Btw, proso is the millet-of-the-month in January - more on that separately.) It's crazy that farmers can produce this crop efficiently, but then not find markets or good prices for it (or in some regions even processing facilities?). This got me to thinking about what might be the approaches or structures to assisting on such market growth. Could a growers group like the High Plains Millet Association (HPMA)** be a key for such efforts? How about a private (non-university) research effort like Dryland Genetics?*** Should we and partners advocate for a proso checkoff program? Should we organize a consideration (by online panel, meeting,or planning group) of the challenges and opportunities for proso in North America over the next decade or so? What specific food sectors would one focus on in order to increase proso's market? 3. Perspective. That said, I'm not sure that attention to proso means that we have to deprioritize other millets, or think of them in competition. This is a rich and complex space, with different dynamics for different millets, and as well as different dynamics in different regions (for example, sorghum, proso, and teff are biggest in different states in the US, for instance) and population groups of North America. Could there actually be a benefit to the work with proso of working at the same time with selected other millets? Can we actually learn and accomplish more from working on several millets than we would by focusing only on one? On the level of consumers, I don't see a tradeoff between different species of millets. Which is to say, of course, that they're not fully substitutable, any more than other grains are. (Personally I don't consume proso and other millets in the same way. Funny story - the first time I tried proso was in 1987, somehow thinking I had bought pearl millet - interesting, but not at all the same.) So, rather than focusing on one or another of the millets, could we (NAMA) focus on specific problems in the millets space, such as those mentioned under #2 above, in the support of proso farmers and processors? Plus the general question about teff at the end of #4, and the potential for small scale pearl and finger millets production in #5? 4. Promoting teff? The three millets grown for human food on significant scales in North America (primarily the US) are sorghum, proso, and teff. Teff production is very small in relation to proso - as proso is to sorghum, and sorghum to any of the major cereal grains. Teff, unlike proso, has a niche market (populations with roots in the Horn of Africa), but is gaining wider popularity. Could the story of how teff was introduced to the US and became an established grain crop in this part of the world hold lessons for promotion of selected other millets? By the way,here is a claim that Idaho is the second largest producer of grain teff in the world, after Ethiopia. Could this North American teff market continue to grow? 5. Pearl millet & finger millet. Pearl millet of course is grown in parts of the US as a cover crop and for feed. There are some farmers interested in planting food grade pearl millet, but as Dipak has previously mentioned, it would still take up to a decade to develop varieties for large-scale cultivation in this part of the world. Finger millet is only in experimental plots, so is not even familiar to any farmers in North America. These two millets as human food (grains, flour, processed products) come to North America by import - overwhelmingly from India. However, we were recently contacted by a company in northern California that is trying to work with local farmers in that area to grow pearl & finger so that they can ultimately mill fresh flour of these grains for their customers (who I understand to be mainly of South Asian heritage). This sounds to me a bit like the situation when teff cultivation got started in Idaho back in the late 1970s - an "ethnic" community provided ready-made demand for whatever the farmers could grow, enabling the development of a small-scale system of production, processing, and sale. Production still may take a long time to scale up, as has been the case with teff, but maybe this is a way to begin the process for some of the other millets? 6. The place of imports. North America, and the US in particular, given its size and diverse heritage, is a significant destination market for export of millets and products made with them as "consumer packaged goods" (CPGs) from Asia (primarily India and China) and Africa (West Africa for fonio, and Ethiopia for some varieties of teff). We may be the biggest import market (or set of niche markets) for millet CPGs? In any event, this is an area that hasn't had much attention. So it might benefit from (1) a means for importers of these products to communicate among themselves, if this doesn't already exist, and (2) a study to bring this sector more to light (perhaps as a masters or upper division undergrad student project?). I don't see these as subjects that NAMA would necessarily take the lead on, but like the advocacy suggested in #1, it could be something we talk about with others. Sorry to be long-winded, but thanks again for your previous thoughts, and we look forward to any follow-ups. Best to all, Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA Notes: * https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/cropview/comm_chartview.aspx?ftypeid=... ** https://sites.google.com/view/hpma/home *** https://www.drylandgenetics.com/ On Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 2:32 PM Joni Kindwall-Moore < joni@snacktivistfoods.com> wrote:
I’m 100% with you Dr Santra!
*Joni Kindwall-Moore BSN-RN, BA* Founder, CEO, Innovator, Mother, Nurse, Activist
*P: 406-334-1608* *www.snacktivistfoods.com <http://www.snacktivistfoods.com/>* *Scan this QR code to experience the Snacktivist Nation! *
On Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 10:22 AM Dipak Santra via Collab < collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
I agree 100% with Gary.
UN has included 15 different millets (Sorghum, Pearl, Finger, Proso, Foxtail, Barnyard, Kodo, Little, Black Folio, White Fonio, Brown top, Job’s Tear, Teff, Raishan, Guinea) under IYM20234 portfolio. Sorghum and Pearl millets are obviously kings. My concern is that focus and identity of the other 13 minor millets will not be visible in such data base unless one has detail knowledge of the specific millets produced in respective country and regions.
US scenario:
Caution should be not to lose identity of proso millet under king’s shadow (sorghum). Sorghum has already established industry and association. Unfortunately, proso millet, the only minor millet of the US, does not have well organized market and no association to promote it. In my opinion, it will be years (5-10 or more years) before any of the other minor millets are in commercial production in the US. Proso millet’s limited market is the main and the most difficult bottle neck to promote its acreages in US. In next 2-3 years if proso millet’s market is expanded even 25% (which remains stable) that will be an important success story, And this model can be followed to promote other minor millets after their commercial production commences in the US. *Therefore, in my opinion, NAMA’s primary focus should be how to create new market portfolio for proso millet. *By no means, I want to stop our effort educating public about millets and their potential in the US but this effort should be secondary.
Thanks
Dipak
Dipak Santra, Ph.D.
*Professor (Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist)*
President, International Broomcorn Millet Association
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Panhandle Research & Extension Center
4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/4502+Ave+I,+Scottsbluff,+NE+69361?entry=gmail&source=g>
*(*308) 632-124 <3086321372>4 (work) / (*308) 765-2324* (cell)
*From:* Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> *On Behalf Of *Gary Wietgrefe via Collab *Sent:* Wednesday, January 10, 2024 3:54 PM *To:* collab@lists.millets2023.space *Subject:* Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 24, Issue 9
Non-NU Email ------------------------------
I agree with Dipak that U.S. millet data is hard to decipher by species for several reasons.
Two data references I gave are from two different sources--don't confuse them. U.S.D.A. annual SURVEY estimates are only proso millet production and only in three states (Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota) of the twenty-five or so states that produce proso. Five year U.S. CENSUS data, reported by National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS/USDA) is very crude and unreliable as it must report any grower that claims she/he harvested millet (presumably for seed), but in my opinion, that survey barely touches the full scope of U.S. millet planted acres.
The second link on the other hand is USA TRADE CENSUS data which reports U.S. Dept. of Commerce international trade. It has nothing to do with production. Their "Millet" data, measured in kilograms, must be proso as Dipak suggested and does not include sorghum which lists data separately. To further substantiate proso's dominance in U.S. exports, Fonio is listed separately and is internationally traded some years or at least transshipped through the U.S.
U.S. and international trading codes must be divided into many subcategories to fully understand the species and forms of millet traded. When I sent proso millet seed to Mongolia and Turkey for research, I assume it was reported as "Millet". Also, as millet trade continues to develop, my fear is that millet meal (byproduct of ethanol production), millet forage, hulls, oil, millet sprays, maybe even beer (which is imported), and other forms of millet may be dumped into the same "Millet" category making trade data even more meaningless....Gary Wietgrefe
On Wed, Jan 10, 2024 at 1:07 PM <collab-request@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Proso millet insights & comment on USDA "Millet Explorer" (Re: Collab Digest, Vol 24, Issue 1) (Dipak Santra)
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Message: 1 Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 20:06:45 +0000 From: Dipak Santra <dsantra2@unl.edu> To: Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org>, "collab@lists.millets2023.space" <collab@lists.millets2023.space> Subject: Re: [Collab] Proso millet insights & comment on USDA "Millet Explorer" (Re: Collab Digest, Vol 24, Issue 1) Message-ID: < CY4PR08MB3350A550FB963B728A9923299A692@CY4PR08MB3350.namprd08.prod.outlook.com
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I do not think that either USDA?s Millets Production data or the US Census data mention the specific millet. I agree that it is difficult to decipher without this detail. For US, it almost exclusively proso millet. For China, it is proso millet and foxtail millet.
Thanks
Dipak
[cid:image001.png@01DA43BB.85B7C6D0] Dipak Santra, Ph.D. Professor (Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist) President, International Broomcorn Millet Association Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska?Lincoln Panhandle Research & Extension Center 4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/4502+Ave+I,+Scottsbluff,+NE+69361?entry=gmail&source=g> (308) 632-124<tel:3086321372 <3086321372>>4 (work) / (308) 765-2324 (cell)
From: Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> On Behalf Of Don Osborn Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2024 11:30 AM To: collab@lists.millets2023.space Subject: [Collab] Proso millet insights & comment on USDA "Millet Explorer" (Re: Collab Digest, Vol 24, Issue 1)
Non-NU Email ________________________________ Thank you, Gary. I concur with Joni's assessment of your informative email, and also your prognostication about 2024.
We should be putting such information and links as you shared about proso in a ready-to-reference set of webpages. Kind of a meta-reference to data and analysis by others. (This is on NAMA's full agenda.)
One quick remark concerning USDA's "Millet Explorer." It is not clear which of the various species we're treating as millets are covered in this data. However, it is clear that at least 3 or 4 crops, and perhaps more, are collapsed under the category of "millet." That may be a function of how data is collected in the various countries, but it all points in my thinking to a need for more specificity.
The selection of millets most grown in China, for example, is not the same as that in the US, and the West African Sahel and East Africa are also different. And India has 8 or 9 figuring prominently in annual production.
I did not see such improvement of data collection and reporting on the agenda of the International Year of Millets, but it probably should be a goal moving forward. (FAO would seem best placed to promote such evolution.)
All the best,
Don
DO, EL, MI, US NAMA
On Thu, Jan 4, 2024 at 7:32?PM Joni Kindwall-Moore < joni@snacktivistfoods.com<mailto:joni@snacktivistfoods.com>> wrote: This is very insightful Gary, as usual, your content is very well thought out and reflects your experience. thanks
On Thu, Jan 4, 2024 at 11:29?AM Gary Wietgrefe via Collab < collab@lists.millets2023.space<mailto:collab@lists.millets2023.space>> wrote: With NAMA, there has never been a better opportunity for the U.S. millet future, especially proso. NAMA is best positioned to promote all North American millets based on their multi-million acre base, climate resilience, food quality, and international acceptance.
A fundamental economics rule is that market growth slows as prices increase. Alternatively, as price decreases opportunities increase by finding new users at their initial price point. Once a market is established, barriers to exit drives prices up.
Without promotional budget or government interference, proso production, use, and exports have fluctuated for the last half-century based on that economic rule. As markets developed, caged and wild birdseed packagers have been forced by consumers to put white proso into mixes.
Another example is black oil-seed sunflowers as birdseed. In 1978 only confection sunflower seed was used in birdseed mixes. Those confection seeds were too large for most caged birds and low-quality confections were discarded at low prices into the wild bird mixes. Working for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, I introduced black oil sunflower seed as wild birdseed. It took off! Black oilseed sunflower farm prices have ranged from under 10-cents/lb to 40-cents/lb only because birdseed market demand sets the price. South Dakota follows North Dakota in sunflower production. North Dakota black oilseed sunflowers primarily are crushed for oil. Nearly all South Dakota black oilseed sunflowers go into the birdseed market. In fact, the largest SD grain elevator quotes daily black oilseed sunflowers only as "Birdseed." See Oahe Grain Corporation< https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.oahegraincorp.com/__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-t... J5Q2Ujc5Br_jUz99zO7dRQ$>. Market demand drives price!
For a brief U.S. proso economics lesson, review one minute segment (2:20-3:20) of this "Proso Millet Pricing" YouTube video https://youtu.be/pVQclIw5Rbw?si=UMNZg6Ne1RSEkQWp <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/youtu.be/pVQclIw5Rbw?si=UMNZg6Ne1RSEkQWp__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!Hj6Pk4ZsR-ISLqBlViyZqDqGh9CgR5zSmnrUXZ4Zawil2kr95_tL8kLk8d5L-vWNqOH0hDiXf5DPpbdQZ5-rSMzsttRpRA$> < https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/youtu.be/pVQclIw5Rbw?si=UMNZg6Ne1RSEkQWp_...
.
Two other items: 1.) USDA's December 2023 World Millet Production is available at Millet Explorer (usda.gov <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/usda.gov__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!Hj6Pk4ZsR-ISLqBlViyZqDqGh9CgR5zSmnrUXZ4Zawil2kr95_tL8kLk8d5L-vWNqOH0hDiXf5DPpbdQZ5-rSMzbWbOQSA$> )< https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/ipad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/cropview/c...
.
2.) U.S. Census data is only out through Oct. 2023, but with current proso supplies, it would not surprise me if 2024 U.S. millet exports do not exceed 2019 (at 129,286,000 lbs.). In the last five years, as expected, U.S. millet exports have decreased as prices increased. See https://usatrade.census.gov/data/Perspective60/View/dispview.aspx <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/usatrade.census.gov/data/Perspective60/View/dispview.aspx__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!Hj6Pk4ZsR-ISLqBlViyZqDqGh9CgR5zSmnrUXZ4Zawil2kr95_tL8kLk8d5L-vWNqOH0hDiXf5DPpbdQZ5-rSMwFbGID4Q$> < https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/usatrade.census.gov/data/Perspective60/Vi...
.
Again, 2024 should be a very dynamic millet year....Gary Wietgrefe
On Thu, Jan 4, 2024 at 5:06?AM <collab-request@lists.millets2023.space <mailto:collab-request@lists.millets2023.space>> wrote: Send Collab mailing list submissions to collab@lists.millets2023.space<mailto: collab@lists.millets2023.space>
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: "Year of Millets: Farmers willing, but market needs to develop" (Joni Kindwall-Moore)
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Message: 1 Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2024 22:04:17 -0800 From: Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni@snacktivistfoods.com<mailto: joni@snacktivistfoods.com>> To: Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org<mailto:don@milletsalliance.org>> Cc: collab@lists.millets2023.space<mailto:collab@lists.millets2023.space> Subject: Re: [Collab] "Year of Millets: Farmers willing, but market needs to develop" Message-ID: < CAHVJMLJrcz3s3QPNBWif-beNHvBcknd9tqCfo4CrgcLbN-gsdQ@mail.gmail.com <mailto: CAHVJMLJrcz3s3QPNBWif-beNHvBcknd9tqCfo4CrgcLbN-gsdQ@mail.gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Thanks Don, I am always appreciative of the share. We must focus on the markets, go to market partners, processing, and education. Awareness with influencers, chefs, buyers, and consumers is critical for the adoption of underutilized crops and for the markets to gain any traction. Unfortunately, the Proso millet market had more growers this year but then without any market development, it was harmful to the economics for the farmers unfortunately. We will keep working but there are so few people working on this critical side of the equation and almost no financial support so it remains very difficult. Warm regards, Joni
On Sun, Dec 31, 2023 at 8:44?AM Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org <mailto:don@milletsalliance.org>> wrote:
Here's a recent article on the potential for proso millet in the Pacific Northwest, which includes thoughts from NAMA co-founder Joni Kindwall-Moore on the potential of this crop in general:
"Year of Millets: Farmers willing, but market needs to develop," by Matthew Weaver, Capital Press (Salem, OR), 26 Dec. 2023
https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/grains/year-of-millets-farmers-willi... <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/grains/year-of-millets-farmers-willing-but-market-needs-to-develop/article_578c935c-9614-11ee-8918-4f6ea774f922.html__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!Hj6Pk4ZsR-ISLqBlViyZqDqGh9CgR5zSmnrUXZ4Zawil2kr95_tL8kLk8d5L-vWNqOH0hDiXf5DPpbdQZ5-rSMwRZ6aXgw$> < https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/grains/ye...
I hope Joni won't mind my copying her additional comments on posting
this
article to LinkedIn:
"Thank you Matthew Weaver at the Capital Press for doing a follow-up on the work we have been doing to develop our domestic Millets (including Sorghum) industry.
"We have made strides this year in pushing for education and promotion thanks to the United Nations/FAO Year of Millets and several domestic organizations like the North American Millets Alliance (NAMA), the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, and Nate Blum's visionary work at Sorghum United.
"Hundreds of conversations with farmers have left me feeling confident that there is a major yearning to plant more climate-resilient crops like millets to diversify their rotations and transition to crops that require less water, fewer chemical inputs and positively impact soil health.
"We can not fuel regeneration without the diversification of crops. But this requires diversification of markets.
"Unfortunately, the markets are not developing as fast as we need them to for a variety of reasons. Several factors persist that are hampering the development of market segments that support crop diversity and the adoption of millets.
"First and foremost, I will say that I am personally extremely disappointed at the lack of interest in crop diversity and climate-resilient crops in general from leaders in the Natural Products industry. We tried to raise awareness and put millets on the topics of conversations at events like Expo West and in buyer groups at leading retailers like Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market but they were stubbornly unreceptive to the topic.
"Interestingly enough, the 3 retailers who wanted to hear about millets and the potential role they play in the food system of the future were Walmart, The GIANT Company and Market of Choice. I am so appreciative of their willingness to lean in, take responsibility, and truly understand the pivotal role that retailers will play in shaping the food system of the future.
"They invited the conversations, they wanted to learn. I applaud them!
"While very positive conversations continue, I refuse to just sit here and watch other nations lead the transformation toward a climate-resilient food system, the sluggish adoption of the US markets is truly a shame.
"We will keep pushing these initiatives domestically because of the critical role that climate-resilient crops play in the future of our food system." (Joni Kindwall-Moore at
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joni-kindwall-moore-57a81014_year-of-millets-... <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/posts/joni-kindwall-moore-57a81014_year-of-millets-farmers-willing-but-market-activity-7146600824796852224-dKHS__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!Hj6Pk4ZsR-ISLqBlViyZqDqGh9CgR5zSmnrUXZ4Zawil2kr95_tL8kLk8d5L-vWNqOH0hDiXf5DPpbdQZ5-rSMxgZxSD2A$> < https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/posts/joni-kindwall-moor...
)
Don
DO, EL, MI, US NAMA
bcc: Matthew Weaver
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