What is the status and opportunities for millets going into 2025 planting season?

Of course, the answer will vary depending on the type of millet and intended uses. Here's a brief look at grain/seed and forage millet opportunities.

Proso millet:  Prices of proso grain have gradually creeped up from the low 2024 harvest price into spring. Why?

1.) Proso pricing: There is a wide spread between locations in USDA's April 11, 2025 white proso prices (ams_2887.pdf) from 6.0 cents/lb. to 8.5 cents/lb. That is roughly a 40% spread--meaning it is far more than freight basis. It appears to indicate some locations have millet on hand and others appear to be bidding up farm prices to pull out from on-farm storage before full-fledged spring planting begins.

2.) Proso uses: Proso prices are increasing to levels not seen in a couple years after excessive supplies after the 2023 harvest through the 2024/2025 winter held prices down. 75-85% of U.S. produced proso millet annually goes into bird food mixes which dominates proso pricing. Yes, new domestic markets are building for proso going into gluten free foods and beverages.That is why the North American Millet Alliance (NAMA) introduced new proso millet grading standards. (See https://youtu.be/lquS2H3XC5Y?si=W6MGDOd6DVhNGyBC.) 

3.) Proso prospects 2025? Since 2023 and 2024 proso supplies seem to be getting used up, even with average yields, the U.S. may need to harvest at least 500,000 acres of proso in 2025.

4.) What happened to bird feed proso? 2024-2025 winter bird feed use of white proso appears to have rebounded. Why? For several years going into the 2023 harvest, proso prices were so much higher than other grains that wild birdseed retail mixes decreased white proso and increased other grains. In doing so, it made birdfeed appear darker from other grains (sorghum, cracked corn, and wheat). Some packagers even changed to non-transparent bags so backyard wild bird hobbyists would not notice the decreased white proso. Therefore, backyard feeding likely dropped. That changed in 2024-2025 with proso priced quite low which increased use. Alternatives, like sunflower seed, tightened due to below average sunflower planting in 2024.

5.) Sunflower impact on proso: In the same USDA  April 11 price chart (ams_2887.pdf) birdseed sunflower prices are high and rising. Backyard bird hobbyists seem to prefer a mix of white and black. As birdseed sunflower prices rise, white proso at 25-30% of the price of sunflowers means price-conscious buyers will tend to buy and feed more proso. High spring 2025 bird feed sunflower prices will drive growers to plant more sunflowers for bird feed this year. Until more sunflowers are available, proso use in bird feeds should remain firm.

Forage Millets: 

Forage millet seed: Foxtail, pearl, teff, Japanese, and brown top millets' seed seems to be adequate going into the forage, game plot, and cover crop mixes this spring. Forage demand will determine millet seed use, but also may affect forage millet seed yields.

Expected 2025 forage millet demand: Winter wheat conditions are a good indicator of summer demand for forages. If winter wheat moving from dormancy to heading is in poor condition, it usually indicates drought which means less pasture grass, lower forage yields, increased fall/winter usage, longer (non-pasture) feeding, and more demand for millets which are the most drought-hardy crop.

Winter wheat condition report: Not good. Drought. USDA's April 7, 2025 winter wheat crop conditions reported Texas had 40% of their winter wheat rated poor to very poor. Nebraska was at 33% poor to very poor and South Dakota was at 38%. See Rough Start for Winter Wheat: First 2025 Crop Data Released.

US Drought Monitor Map: Those selling millet forage seed should keep abreast of drought prospects. Notice the drought conditions in the hard red winter wheat area (see link attached). Look for seed-selling opportunities in the Plains states which will likely need more drought tolerant forage millets this year. Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

Pearl millet does not have prussic acid if grazing fall forage or cover crops. Growers, needing large tonnage cut forage and alternatively want regrowth for grazing, should consider pearl millet. Pearl millet can be grazed before and after frost without worrying about prussic acid poisoning as cautioned with forage sorghum crosses. Other forage millets do not have the regrowth for multiple cuttings or fall grazing like pearl millet.

Cover crops are becoming increasingly important to produce forage, grazing, build organic matter, and reduce wind and water erosion. Most summer cover crops should have warm-season, drought-tolerant millet in the mix. Post-winter wheat summer cover crops for forage should include foxtail millets. Those winter wheat acres intended to be grazed may want to include pearl millet which regrows and produces high tonnage into fall. NAMA's March webinar on foxtail millets has excellent suggestions for forage and cover crops uses. See https://youtu.be/nQ9PRPYly8c?si=bDWQCCRC5fdVQTl0, and Cover crop champions (2024–2025) | National Agricultural Library

Domestic uses for millets: The millions of acres of proso and forage millets produced in the U.S. each year do NOT rely on foreign markets like other grains. 2025 is a good year to grow domestic demand for grain and forage millets.