Somehow missed this, but there has been an International Fonio Day on July 27 for some years.
Evidently it was proposed by a Senegalese, Sanoussi Diakité, who dates his invention of a fonio dehulling machine to 27 July 1993./1 Mr. Diakité won a Rolex award for this invention, based on its impact on local fonio processing and benefits to rural communities - especially women who are traditionally tasked with processing it by hand - in fonio-producing areas./2
NAMA has fonio as the "millet of the month" in August this year, but could consider possibly switching it to July in 2025.
However, it will also be good to check about other dates associated with fonio. Noting for example "Ovazu" (Ɔvazu), or fonio festival, of the Akposso and Akebou in southern Togo, celebrated after harvest, later in the year,/3 often on the second Saturday of December./4
Similarly, I'd like to check for other such observations connected with various millets, before considering further possible changes in the millet of the month calendar.
Don Osborn, PhD
(East Lansing, MI, US)
North American Millets Alliance