Here is a summary statement for the standards proposal. I should have had this with the previous mailing. Thanks to Gary for writing this up, and to Joni for some editorial input. DO, EL, MI, US NAMA *Proso Millet Grain Standards* (A brief review) For the last twenty-five years, there has been an average of 460,500 acres of proso millet grain annually produced in North America, mostly in the U.S. Plains. However, there are no uniform grain standards for buying or selling proso millet grain in North America. The North American Millets Alliance (NAMA) has adopted Proso Millet Grain Standards and proposes adoption by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The United States has standards for twelve grains established by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Marketing Service, https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/grain-standards and Federal Grain Inspection Service https://ams.stg.platform.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Book2.pdf, but no standards for marketing proso millet grain. Canada has standards for twenty-one grain categories, but none for proso millet https://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/en/grain-quality/official-grain-grading-guide... . Significant quantities of North American proso millet grain is exported annually, but there are no uniform export marketing standards. Since proso millet is a food, feed, and fuel grain, NAMA has established four uniform marketing Grades (#1,#2, #3, Sample), four proso millet Classes (White, Red, Mixed, and Other) and two subclasses (Regular, and Glutinous). NAMA proso millet grain standards allow for unlimited price variations while all sellers and buyers have fungible Grades and Standards for all uses and trading. Annually there are significant quality variations of proso millet grain going through U.S. commercial businesses and exporters. High quality (Grade #1) proso is mainly used by food processors and seed companies. Bird food is generally Grade #2, and low quality proso grain (Grade # 3 or Sample) is used for livestock feed. In recent years, most proso millet grain produced and marketed in the United States is graded as Number 2 White Proso having minimum test weight of 53 lbs./bushel and not more than seven percent dockage. Establishing industry standards for proso millet quality is imperative and these standards are a critical step toward developing market adoption for diverse, climate-smart crops like millets. -- On Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 1:42 PM Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> wrote:
Gary Wietgrefe has, in consultation with other experts and with reference to other documentation, put together a draft for Proso Millet Grain Standards for the US (attached). There is currently no such set of standards in the US (or in Canada).
We are scheduling a webinar on Thursday, Dec. 19 in which he will present this important work, what went into it, and the hopes for its impact on the proso millet market. More information forthcoming.
The webinar will be a chance to share comments on the proposal. You are welcome to share this with other experts in your respective networks.
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance