F

by Andrew
Wilkinson

ecent studies have shown that at the

current rate of growth, by 2050 the
human population will have swelled
to 9.5 billion. Recent FAO statistics
have also shown that we do currently
not have enough land set aside for
cultivating crops to cope with this
population surge.
So to meet this increase in demand,
we will need to find new ways of getting food to those who
need it most. One of the most effective ways of meeting this
deficit would be to grow the food at source even in some of the
worlds most hostile climates.

Why millet?

mechanical thresher. The plant can quickly come to head, so it

must be managed accordingly because as the plant matures the
value and palatability of feed reduces.
Pearl millet should be harvested as early as possible to minimize
losses due to birds, and bad weather. Mature grain pearl millet in
the field usually contains about 30 percent moisture. At moisture
levels higher than 25 percent, the seeds are too soft to withstand
the threshing action. The ideal moisture content for harvesting
grain pearl millet is about 20 percent. However, it is worth noting
that thin stems, heavy panicles, and profuse tilling may result in
lodging of the plants.
The seeds in the panicles of lodged plants germinate in the
moist field and thus affect grain yield and quality. Hence, the
plants are tied together to prevent
lodging of plants.

Starchy endosperm

Millets are a group of versatile,

small seeded, resilient, cereal
Storage
Style
crops that are used widely around
Storage of crops is an essential
the globe for both food and
component of the whole production
animal feed.
system, and millet is no exception.
Corneous
One of the key factors in the
This stage in the process facilitates
spread of millet is that the crop has
several of each farmers key
proven itself throughout history to
objectives, such as ensuring that
Floury
be particularly drought resistant.
excess food is made available for
Millet also boasts an impressive
the future; whilst also presenting an
Peripheral
wealth of health benefits, as well
opportunity to prevent against food
as being gluten free.
shortages. The storage stage can also
Aleurone
However, among cereals, millet
provide seed during the next growing
ranks sixth in the world in terms
season, allowing the farmer to keep
of area production behind wheat,
the grain aside for a time when they
Germ
maize, rice, barley and sorghum
will be able to sell at a much more
Scutellar epithelium
according to FAO statistics.
favourable price.
Annual world production of
However, in previous years, not
Scutellum
millet grains is currently 762712
so much attention has been paid by
tonnes - with India the top
scientists to establishing the most
Embryonic axis
producer at 334 500 tonnes.
favourable conditions for storing
In sub-Saharan Africa millet
millet, and according to McFarlane,
is the third most widely grown
et al. (1995), this attention, has
Hilum
crop, with the worlds top millet
been considerably less than that for
producers being India followed
other cereals. The main reason for
Schema of Pearl Millet Seed Structure.
by Nigeria; with Nigeria and
this, according to the FAO, is that
(Source: Rooney and McDonough, 1987
Mali producing the third and
sorghum and millets are regarded
fourth highest yields respectively.
as, minor grain crops despite their
Presently, the African continent produces 56 percent of the worlds
relative importance as food staple in many growing countries.
output, of which 99.9 percent is produced in sub-Saharan Africa.
The other notable reason given by the FAO is that farmers in
the arid and semi-arid countries where millets are grown achieve
quite impressive storage performance with regards to millet by
Harvesting
employing relatively simple traditional methods.
Once the grasses and seed heads have turned golden brown,
Most millets have excellent storage properties and can be kept
millet can be harvested either by hand or with the use of a

46 | September 2016 - Milling and Grain

for up to 4-5 years in simple storage facilities such as traditional

granaries. This is because the seeds are protected from being
eaten by insects by the hard hull covering the endosperm, and
because grain is usually harvested and stored in dry weather
conditions (FAO and ICRISAT, 1996). So , although there may
be large year-to-year variations in production, stockpiles can
easily build up over a number of years.
Following drying and threshing, millets can be stored as loose
grain in bags or or in loose containers (McFarlane et al, 1995).
The most common method then involves leaving the grains on
the field, prior to threshing, in stacks or piles of harvested plants.
That said, the detached heads may also be stored away from
the field, in exposed stack or in traditional storage containers.
However, the essential pre-requisites for storage of millets are the
same as those for other grains.

Processing on an industrial scale

At present, industrial methods of processing millet are not as

well developed
as the methods used for say, processing wheat and rice; which

in most places are considered to be much more useful than millet.

Attempts have been made to develop improved industrial
techniques for milling millet. One such attempt was made by
Ngoddy in a study carried out in 1989. It was found that custom
milling has had a significant impact in several African countries
where it had recently been introduced.
In Nigeria alone, the study found that where about 80 percent of
millet was custom milled into whole flour, just over 2.5 million
tonnes of millet had been processed in this way.

Urban markets

One of the key issues facing global the spread of millet grains is
that they are still mainly limited to populations in rural areas and
are often milled manually within a household. This, according to
the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety
is due to the lack of innovative millet processing technology
which would enable easy-to-handle, ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat
and safe products and meals at a commercial scale that can be
used to feed large populations in urban areas.
For millet to be used more globally, developments would have

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most digestible grains available. Millet protein is also high in

fibre, B vitamins and magnesium.
According to a study carried out by researchers from Chinas
Agricultural University in Beijing and Assiut University in Egypt,
the potential health benefits of eating millet includes preventing
cancer and cardiovascular diseases; reducing tumor incidence;
lowering, risk of heart disease, cholesterol and rate of fat
absorption. Many of these health benefits owe much to millets
Effects of milling on millet
relatively high antioxidant levels. The study also found that millet
The effects of milling on nutritional contents of millet grains
grains have the potential to be useful in preventing diabetes and
and their milling fractions have been studied by a number of
for treatment of diabetics due to its high poly-unsaturated fat
researchers. One such study, carried out by Haryana Agricultural
content.
University in India, found that the milling of pearl millet changed
However, millet does
its gross chemical
come with a slight health
composition. However,
Nutrient profile comparison of millet with other food staples
warning. The grain is said
baking it did not cause
Sorghum Proso
Synopsis Cassava Wheat
to contain small amounts
a significant change in
Rice Sweetcorn
Millet
Millet
composition:
of goiter genic substances
nutrient content of raw
Component
that can limit uptake of
pearl millet flour. It was
(per 100g portion, raw Amount Amount Amount Amount Amount Amount
iodine to the thyroid. These
also found that milling
grain)
so-called thyroid function
and heat treatment during
Water (G)
60
13.1
12
76
9.2
8.7
inhibitors can cause
chapatti making lowered
Energy (Kj)
667
1368
1527
360
1418
1582
goiter when consumed in
polyphenols and phytic
Protein (G)
1.4
12.6
7
3
11.3
11
large quantities; this may
acid but increased both
Fat (G)
0.3
1.5
1
1
3.3
4.2
explain the correlation
the protein and starch
Carbohydrates (G)
38
71.2
79
19
75
73
between millet consumption
amino acids.
Fiber (G)
1.8
1.2
1
3
6.3
8.5
and goiter incidence in
In a second study that
developing countries
was conducted by Indias
Sugars (G)
1.7
0.4
>0.1
3
1.9
where millet constitutes a
University of Mysore,
Iron (Mg)
0.27
3.2
0.8
0.5
4.4
3
significant part of the diet.
two pearl millet varieties
Manganese (Mg)
0.4
3.9
1.1
0.2
<0.1
1.6
were milled into whole
Calcium (Mg)
16
29
28
2
28
8
flour, semi-refined flour,
Global warming and
Magnesium (Mg)
21
126
25
37
<120
114
and a bran-rich fraction
the increased demand
Phosphorus (Mg)
27
288
115
89
287
285
and were evaluated for
for millet
Potassium (Mg)
271
363
115
270
350
195
nutrients, anti-nutrients,
Millets versatility and
and mineral bioits reputation for drought
Zinc (Mg)
0.3
2.6
1.1
0.5
<1
1.7
accessibility. The results
resistance, could prove key
Pantothenic Acid (Mg)
0.1
0.9
1.0
0.7
<0.9
0.8
of the study indicated
to preventing a possible
Vitb6 (Mg)
0.1
0.3
0.2
0.1
<0.3
0.4
that nutrient content of
impending global feed
Folate (g)
27
38
8
42
<25
85
the semi-refined flour
crisis. With cultivation
Thiamin (Mg)
0.1
0.38
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.4
was comparable to whole
areas soon to be under
Riboflavin (Mg)
<0.1
0.1
>0.1
0.1
0.1
0.3
flour, with the exception
higher demand than ever,
Niacin (Mg)
0.9
5.5
1.6
1.8
2.9
4.7
of its fat content, which
hardier crops such as
was at 1.3 percent. Why
millet, which are able to be
would people choose to
stored for longer periods of
consume millet flour over its more widely consumed counterparts time, could soon be key to ensuring those that live in the most
such as wheat or rice?
arid of climates are fed well into the future.
With the threat of global warming also looming, much more
of
our planet could soon be classed as arid, so with the changing
Potential health benefits
climate
will come the need to adapt and diversify which could
Millet boasts a wealth of health benefits, as well as being
see crops such as millet become much more commonplace in
gluten-free. Millet is also an alkali, which makes it easy to digest
both our diets and our fields.
and is widely considered to be one of the least allergenic and
to be made in industrial milling techniques to ensure that the
grain is more widely available and at lower cost. A cost effective
milling process would need to be employed to ensure that the
versatile grain was reaching those who needed it most; those in
poorer, urban areas. Does milling millet have any effect on its
composition?

48 | September 2016 - Milling and Grain