Proso Millet: Forgotten food for the future

Abstract

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) is a ‘star cereal’ highly nutritious and loaded with good quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Among several millets, proso millet is termed as broomcorn millet, hog millet, red millet, white millet, kashfi millet, and Hershey millet. Proso millet has significant benefits as a drought-resistant crop, limited demand on soil nutrients, low water requirement, short growing season compared to other millets, and can be cultivated in very different climatic conditions. Since prehistoric times proso millet has been harvested in North Africa and Asian countries. The protein content in proso millet is identical to wheat. Including proso millet in the diet is an excellent option for celiac patients as it’s a gluten-free millet. Consumption of millet may help to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and improves the digestive system, and detoxifies the body. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets”. There is a need for promoting millet and enhancing millet usage in order to increase production. Due to the unawareness of people, millets are being used as livestock feed or bird seed mixtures instead of human essential food.