ABSTRACT
Shrinking of agricultural land, rapid urbanization, climate change, and tough competition between food and feed industries for existing food and feed crops have limited the available cultivable plant food sources. In developing tropical countries, these food resources are inadequate to supply proteins for both human and animals. The term millet is derived from the French word “mille” which means thousand, to suggest that a handful of millet contains up to a thousand grains. All millets belong to the order of Poales and to the family of Poaceae. Millets are given lesser preference than cereals because of their strong taste. Archeological evidence suggests that foxtail millet and proso millet are the oldest of the cultivated millets, even older than rice. Millets exhibit positive agronomic and nutritional characteristics and are well suited for various climates and in crop rotation with other grains while being resistant to certain pests and diseases.
