Millet Market Data, Quality and Trade

Editorial evidence reviewedReviewed 2026-09-09Release 2026-09-19-batch-230

Global production

30M MT

2023/24

Market value

$9B

Producing countries tracked

9

Grading systems

1

Active supply risks

3

Trade corridors

3

Latest reviewed evidence

The figures below are USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates for the 2025 United States proso-millet crop, published in January 2026. They are dated U.S. crop measures for proso millet—not all millet species, global production, a current physical offer, a futures quote or a live delivered price. The USDA factor-inspection procedure for millet seed is not a numerical grade standard.

United States proso millet planted area

442000

acres · crop year 2025

United States proso millet harvested area

397000

acres · crop year 2025

United States proso millet average yield

35.9

bushels per acre · crop year 2025

United States proso millet production

14.239

million bushels · crop year 2025

Species, intended use and product stage come before comparison

Millet is a family of crops rather than one interchangeable product. Proso, pearl, foxtail and finger millet can differ in kernel characteristics, food and feed uses, production regions and commercial specifications. Whole food grain, dehulled grain, flour, flakes, feed material and planting seed add separate processing, purity, germination, treatment and labeling requirements. Atlas keeps species, variety where known, intended use and product stage attached to every record before comparing volume, quality, price or trade evidence.

Millet seed is factor-inspected rather than assigned a U.S. numerical grade

USDA FGIS Directive 9180.72 defines millet seed for its inspection service as a commodity containing 50.0 percent or more whole millet seed before foreign material is removed. The cited procedure reports factor results rather than classes, subclasses or numerical grades, including foreign material and test weight after mechanically separated foreign material is removed. Planting-seed commerce adds purity, germination, noxious-weed seed, treatment, kind and varietal labeling requirements under the Federal Seed Act. A certificate or lab report must therefore remain attached to its method, sample and intended use.

A proso-millet crop total is not a delivered millet price

USDA NASS estimated 14.239 million bushels of United States proso-millet production from 397,000 harvested acres in 2025, with an average yield of 35.9 bushels per acre. Those dated U.S. aggregates do not represent pearl, foxtail, finger or every other millet species, and they do not identify lot purity, moisture, foreign material, test weight, food or seed use, treatment, origin, destination or delivery terms. A physical price still requires a defined lot and current permitted evidence.

Questions procurement teams ask

Are proso, pearl, foxtail and finger millet interchangeable?

No. They are distinct millet species or species groups with different kernel characteristics, end uses, production regions and commercial specifications. The species must remain attached to the lot and evidence.

Does USDA assign numerical grades to millet seed?

No. The cited USDA FGIS procedure says millet seed has no classes, subclasses or grades and is inspected on a factor-analysis basis, including foreign material and test weight.

What does the 14.239 million bushel figure represent?

It is USDA NASS's estimate of United States proso-millet production for the 2025 crop year. It is not an estimate for every millet species, global production or a current physical price.

Which fields make physical millet offers comparable?

Species and variety, intended use, product stage, crop year, test weight or bulk density where applicable, moisture, foreign material, damaged or discolored seed, purity and germination for planting seed, treatment, food-safety requirements, packaging, origin, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and evidence date.