Why don't we humans grow more millet for food?

Question

The various types of millet grow well in arid regions. The southwest seems an appropriate place for it. However, production is mostly based in India. Is this a matter of demand only?

Answer 1

I don't know, but we should because it's pretty much an awesome food!  I mean, it can be a base for pretty much anything.  But yes, i think it's pretty much a demand thing, most people in America don't even know what Millet is.  So, why would they invest in growing a crop that people have never heard of and therefore probably won't by in bulk?

Answer 2

Farmers don't get paid for Millet as high as any other compared crop e.g. some pulses that can be grown without much of irrigation, or cotton/sugarcane which off-course may require water.

Low demand is per say not for the quality / utility of the Produce as a nutrient.

But who is cared about utility, ecological balance anyway?

Everybody is after quick and large sum of profits.

Answer 3

We do not grow millet for food because the demand for it is not high enough.

Currently, millet is used as a grain and used to brew alcohol. It is not used as the main staple food in many places because its nutritional value is not as high as other grains such as wheat and rice.

Also, rice is more widely used because of the Asian community, and therefore a lot cheaper.

Answer 4

because millets won't like that

Answer 5

Because we’re idiots as a whole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

could be because millet is hard to handle.  It is hard to harvest, ship, and process because of most varieties small size.  In the arid west most millet varieties also leave very little residue allowing  for a lot of wind erosion.  I believe millet also requires more moisture than you would get in Arizona or Western New Mexico.  In our area it will not compete with wheat for yields or ease of handling.

Answer 7

Millet is grow here along with and as Sorghum.

In 2006 USA produced 9,981,000 tonnes of the stuff and was the top producer world wide.

One problem with sorghum is that it will produce cyanotoxins (prussic acid) when young or when stressed so it is a risky fodder crop.

It is also no where near as productive a grain compared to wheat or corn where the climate lets you grow them instead.

Sorghum and millets also have no gluten so it is not really good for breadmaking.

Maybe if droughts keep getting worse more land will be put into Millet (sorghum) production.

Currently it is used for alcohol, and for birdseed as well as an export crop.

Answer 8

There is quiet a bit of millet grown in the US, but it is not a major crop here. As you stated India is a big producer, but Africa is a big producer as well. It is a good crop for dry and low fertility areas. In the US most millet is exported or used as bird seed with some going into making alcohol. In Africa it is grown as a mixed crop with cassava, sweet potatoes, etc. It is used as a food source and they also make a traditional home brewed beer with it.