INTRODUCTION
Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crop or grains for fodder and human food. Millets are important crops in the semiarid tropics of Asia and Africa (especially in India, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger), with 97% of millet production in developing countries. The crop is favored due to its productivity and short growing season under dry, high-temperature conditions.
The most widely grown millet is pearl millet, which is an important crop in India and parts of Africa. Finger millet, proso millet, and foxtail millet (Thinai) are also important crop species.
Millets may have been consumed by humans for some 7,000 years, and potentially had “a pivotal role in the rise of multi-crop agriculture and settled farming societies.
Pearl Millet was domesticated in the Sahel region of West Africa, where its wild ancestors are found. Evidence for the cultivation of Pearl Millet in Mali dates back to 2500 BC, and Pearl Millet is found in South Asia by 2300 BC
Research on millets is carried out by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research in Telangana, India, and by the USDA-ARS at Tifton, Georgia, United States. (1)
IMPORTANCE
Generally, millets are small-grained, annual, warm-weather cereals belonging to grass family. They are highly tolerant of drought and other extreme weather conditions and have a similar nutrient content to other major cereals as maize and sorghum. As at 2016, Nigeria produced a yearly tonnage of 1,468,668million compared to 2008 which recorded the highest tonnage of 9,064,000million and its lowest in 2003 which was 909,560 thousand metric tons. Nigeria is the fifth producer of millet in the world. Millet is also an important food item for the population living in the drier parts of many other countries, especially in eastern and central Africa, and in the northern coastal countries of western Africa. In developing countries outside Africa, millet has local significance as a food in parts of some countries,such as China, India, Burma and North Korea. (2)
CULTIVATION
Pearl millet is one of the two major crops in the semiarid, impoverished, less fertile agriculture regions of Africa and southeast Asia. Millets are not only adapted to poor, droughty, and infertile soils, but they are also more reliable under these conditions than most other grain crops. This has, in part, made millet production popular, particularly in countries surrounding the sahara in western Africa.
Millets, however, do respond to high fertility and moisture. On a per hectare basis, millet grain produced per hectare can be two to four times higher with use of irrigation and soil supplements. Improved breeds of millet improve their disease resistance and can significantly enhance farm yield productivity.
PESTS AND DISEASES
Common diseases of Millet are mostly Fungal diseases which are:
Cercospora leaf spot, Ergot, Pearl Millet Downey Mildew, Rust, Smut. (3)
Some known pests are;
Stem borers and grain midge are of regular occurrence. Spike worms have recently become serious in the sub‐Sahelian zone of West Africa. Sporadic attacks of blister beetles, armyworms, grasshoppers, chinch bugs, leaf beetles, head caterpillars and head bugs result in severe yield losses in certain seasons. During the raining season ,there is usually a higher incidence of storage pests but maintaining a combination of cultural practices and resistant cultivars can prove to be effective in curbing these incidences.
Lastly, a common parasitic weed that grows in a millet farm is called striga or purple witchweed. (7)
HARVESTING
Millet reaches maturity and ready for harvesting between 105 to 180 days after planting, depending on the variety. The crop is harvested by hand either by cutting the spikes from the plant or by cutting the whole plant. In large farms, millet is harvested which the use of farm implements. (3)
GENERAL INFORMATION
PRODUCTION
Millet Production in States in Nigeria.
Source: google image
In 2016, global production of millet was 28.4 million tonnes, led by India with 36% of the world total Niger also had significant production of 3.9m annually. Nigeria is the fifth producer of millet in the world as at 2016 with an annual tonnage of 1.5million tonnes (FAOSTAT of United Nation).
In general, millets are used in the production of beverage and can also serve as a source of food worldwide. Wheat allergy sufferers who needs gluten free diet can now supplement it with millet. Also various alcoholic beverages are produced from millets. It is a common ingredient in seeded bread. Millets are also used as bird and animal feed. In Nigeria, millet is used to make Kunu(local drink) and also used to mix Nunu (local milk drink) and Yoghurt.
The highest consumption of Millet is in Western Africa, In the Sahel region, millet is estimated to account for about 35 percent of total cereal food consumption in Burkina Faso, Chad and The Gambia.
Millet Production Quantity in Nigeria
(4)
CONSUMPTION
Although millet represents less than 2 percent of world cereal utilization, it is an important staple in a large number of countries in the semi-arid tropics, where low precipitation and poor soils limit the cultivation of other major food crops.
Millet utilization is mostly confined to the developing countries, even more so after production and utilization fell sharply in the CIS, the largest producer in the developed world. Accurate data are not available for most countries, but it is estimated that about 80 percent of the world’s millet (and over 95 percent in Asia and Africa) is used as food, the remainder being divided between feed (7 percent), other uses (seed, beer, etc.,) and waste
Health Benefits of Millet
Proso millet is free from gluten and has numerous amounts of fatty acids and carbohydrates. It also contains the minerals such as magnesium, manganese, phosphorus etc. It is helpful for the post-menopausal women. It prevents the high blood pressure and provides adequate zinc, vitamin B6 and iron for the daily functioning. It is easily digested as they are non-acid forming. They are rich in fiber which helps to make the stomach full for long period of time and prevents overeating.
- Healthy heart
Millet is rich in magnesium which helps to lower the blood pressure and also decreases the chances of strokes, heart attacks and atherosclerosis. It is a good source of potassium which helps to maintain low blood pressure as it acts as a vasodilator. It helps to optimize the circulatory system which helps to shield the cardiovascular health. Additionally, Millet possesses lignans which is converted into animal lignans by microflora in the digestive system which helps to prevent the chronic ailments such as heart disease and cancer. (1)
- Balance cholesterol level
The balance in cholesterol levels is directly associated with the heart health. The high amount of fiber found in Millet helps to lower the cholesterol. Dietary fiber helps to eradicate the bad cholesterol from the body and promotes the good cholesterol level. (2)
- Prevent diabetes
Most of the people are suffered from diabetes today. Millet is used as a staple food in developing countries. It helps to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes as it possesses an adequate amount of magnesium. Magnesium is the vital mineral that helps to increase efficiency of glucose and insulin receptors in the body and prevents this disease from occurring. (3)
- Assist digestion
The foods rich in fiber help to enhance the gastrointestinal health and eradicate the ailments duch as excess gas, constipation, cramping and bloating. The regulation of digestion process helps to promote the retention of nutrients and lowers the chances of gastrointestinal problems such as colon cancer and gastric ulcers. The waste elimination and digestion helps to enhance the liver, kidney and immune health as it is closely associated with the metabolic activities. (4)
- Prevent cancer
The research shows that fiber is the simplest way to prevent the outbreak of breast cancer in women. The women who consume Millet, their risk of getting breast cancer were reduced by 50%. Breast cancer has become the common disease in women. (5)
- Detoxification
Millet contains antioxidants which help to neutralize the free radicals that can lead to cancer and also clears up the toxins from the liver and kidney. Curcumin, Quercetin, ellagic acid and catechins assist the system to eliminate the toxins and foreign agents by enhancing the excretion and neutralize the enzymatic activity in the organs. (6)
- Respiratory health
Research shows that Millet helps to improve the asthma and also prevent it. The evidence shows that it helps to lower asthma attacks and wheezing with high intake of Millet. Wheat is the allergen which is related with wheezing and asthma but Millet does not have negative effect and the same components. (7)
- Anti-ageing properties
Proso millet is rich in antioxidants which help to eradicate the free radicals from the body. Free radicals are produced in the body which damages the cells and fatigue. These results in wrinkles, loss of complexion, etc. The daily intake of Proso millet slows down the ageing process.
- Strengthen bones
Millet is an excellent source of calcium which assist in the maintenance and growth of bones. It assists the young children that are in the growing period and requires adequate amount of calcium.
- Cardiac ailments
The regular intake of Millets helps to lower the chances of heart disease. The study shows that the level of triglycerides was reduced in the rat that was fed Millets. Millets helps to lower C-Reactive protein level that helps to reduce the chances of heart disease.
ECONOMIC POTENTIAL
In recent time, 97% of the global millet production and seed demand comes from developing countries. India has the highest demand for millet seeds and is the largest millet producer globally, followed by Nigeria, Niger, China, and Mali. Pearl millet is the most cultivated millet, grown predominantly in India and parts of Africa. Millets are the way forward for countries like India and Africa, where food and nutritional security are major challenges. (6)
According to Fact.MR, the global millets market is expected to reach a value of over US$ 13 Mn by the end of 2022. The growth of the global millets market is mainly bound to various macro-economic and micro-economic factors. Sales of the millets are expected to remain high attributed to increasing preference for healthy and fiber-dense food products among customers. As consumers are becoming more aware of the healthy food products and prefer maintaining a healthy lifestyle, leading companies in the food industry are focusing on offering millet-based food products globally. Besides food products, millets also continue to witness significant demand for production of the malted and alcoholic beverage products. Limited access to water resources in the semi-arid regions will continue to fuel sales of millets significantly. (5)
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References
Culled :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/millet #History (1) (2)
Culled: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09670878909371411 (7)
Culled: https://www.factfish.com/statistic/millet%2C%20production%20quantity (4)
Culled: https://www.plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/pearl-millet/infos (3)
Culled: https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/millet/
culled: https://www.fooddive.com/press-release/20180619-global-millets-market-report-2017-to-2022-analysis-size-share-growth-d/ (5)
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