Millets offer nutritional security and there is a need for promoting millets as they are highly nutritious. These
have been important food staples in human history, particularly in Asia and Africa. Sorghum and other millets
consumption usage as direct food has significantly declined over the past three decades. The decline in demand
has led to the decline in millets production considerably in India. Production of sorghum in India has come down
from 7 million tonnes during 2010-11 to 4.2 million tonnes during 2015-16; bajra production was reduced from 10.4
million tonnes to 8.1 million tonnes, production of ragi reduced to 2.2 million tonnes to 1.8 million tonnes and small
millets production came down to 0.39 million tonnes from 0.44 million tonnes during the same period. According
to the FAO statistics, 2017 millets production in the world was Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth
major cereal of the world after maize, paddy, wheat and barley as per FAO production data of 2014.
This Nutritional Bulletin includes nutritional profile of Sorghum, Pearl millet, Finger millet, Foxtail millet, Common
millet, Little millet, Barnyard millet and Kodo millet. Almost all the millets are used for human consumption in most
of the developing countries, but their use has been primarily restricted to animal feed in developed countries.
Sorghum and millets are gluten free, hence, are useful dietary cereals. In general millets are rich source of fibre,
minerals and B-complex vitamins. High fibre content and presence of some anti-nutritional factors like phytates
and tannins in millets affect bioavailability of minerals. Few studies in humans have suggested that absorption of
iron tends to be lower from millets than from rice or even wheat. (Rao et al.,1983). Millets are also rich in healthpromoting
phytochemicals like polyphenols, lignans, phytosterols, phyto-oestrogens, phytocyanins. These function
as antioxidants, immune modulators, detoxifying agents etc. and hence protect against age-related degenerative
diseases like cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes, cancer etc. (Rao et al., 2011). Some of the known nutrientsvitamins,
minerals, essential fatty acids also have benefits in terms of prevention of degenerative diseases besides
their known functions of preventing nutritional deficiency diseases. Being non-glutinous, millets are safe for people
