Millet
Millet is a group name for several small seeded grasses grown as cereals, chiefly pearl millet, finger millet, proso millet, foxtail millet, barnyard millet and kodo millet. They are separate species with separate markets, and the name on a contract is the first thing that matters. All of them tolerate heat, poor soil and short rainy seasons, which is why they are staples across the Sahel, the Indian subcontinent and northern China. The grain carries no gluten. Millet is cooked whole, milled into flour for flatbreads and porridge, malted and brewed, puffed for cereals and snack bars, and used widely as bird seed and livestock feed.
Listed millet markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Millet is graded first by species, then on physical purity and sieve size, then on the analytical figures a food or feed buyer contracts against.
Species and form
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Pearl milletPennisetum glaucum, also called bajra | The largest volume type. Grey to yellow grain, food and feed. |
| Finger milletEleusine coracana, also called ragi | Small red brown grain, milled for flour and malted. |
| Proso milletPanicum miliaceum, also called common or hog millet | Pale round grain. The dominant type in bird seed and in food markets outside Asia. |
| Foxtail milletSetaria italica | Small yellow grain, food and bird seed. |
| Barnyard milletEchinochloa species | Fast maturing, food use. |
| Kodo milletPaspalum scrobiculatum | Food use in India. |
| Little milletPanicum sumatrense | Food use in India. |
| FormPaddy, dehulled, polished, broken, flour or flaked, declared | Determines cooking time, shelf life and the analytical profile. |
Physical purity and condition
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Grain colourDeclared, or against a sealed sample | Within a species, colour is a separate contract term. White proso and red proso do not substitute. |
| PurityMinimum percentage by mass of sound seed of the named species | Determined by hand separation of a weighed sample after sieving. |
| Other seedsMaximum count or percentage by mass | Seeds of any other cultivated or wild species, separated and weighed. |
| Foreign and extraneous matterMaximum percentage by mass | Stones, soil, chaff, stalk, husk fragments and any non seed material. |
| Broken and damaged seedMaximum percentage by mass | Split, cracked, shrivelled, heat damaged, sprouted and insect bored seed, separated and weighed. |
| Sieve analysisRetained and passing stated apertures | Test sieves to ISO 5223. Sets the size band and separates fines. |
| Thousand seed massGrams per 1000 seeds | Determined by ISO 520. The compact measure of seed size and fill. |
| Bulk densityKilograms per hectolitre | A filled standard measure, weighed. Drives stowage and container fill. |
| ColourCIELAB coordinates on a stated instrument, or against a sealed sample | Colour type is a contract term where the crop trades in more than one colour. |
| Live and dead insectsAbsence, or count per stated sample mass | Determined by sieving and inspection. |
| Mould and odourAbsence of visible mould and of any foreign odour | Assessed on a drawn sample. |
Analytical requirements
12 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| TanninsPercentage by mass | Determined where a dark seeded type is sold into food use, because tannin content affects palatability and iron uptake. |
| Cyclopiazonic acid and other Fusarium toxinsMicrograms per kilogram | Tested on Indian and African origins where the destination market sets a limit. |
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 712. The controlling figure for storage life and shipping mass. |
| ProteinPercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by ISO 20483, Kjeldahl, with the conversion factor stated. |
| Total ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by incineration at a stated temperature. |
| Crude fatPercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by solvent extraction. |
| Crude fibrePercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by acid and alkali digestion. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram | Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, tested against destination market limits. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram | Cadmium, lead and arsenic, tested against destination market limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, and absence of Salmonella in a stated mass | Contracted to destination market limits. |
| GlutenMilligrams per kilogram, by ELISA | Tested where the lot is sold as gluten free, because cross contact happens in shared handling, not in the crop. |
Production and certification claims
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| OrganicCertificate under the destination market scheme | EU, NOP, JAS or an equivalence arrangement. Named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Non GMODeclaration, with PCR testing where required | Tested where the destination market or the buyer requires evidence rather than declaration. |
| Fairtrade or equivalentCertificate and transaction certificate | Named scheme, with the transaction certificate issued for the specific lot. |
| Identity preservedDocumented chain of custody | Segregation from field to container, evidenced at every transfer. |
| Kosher and HalalCertificate from the named authority | Certificate travels with the lot. |
| TreatmentDeclared | Fumigant, heat treatment or steam pasteurisation, with the agent and the schedule declared, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| India | South Asia | Origin |
| Niger | Africa | Origin |
| Nigeria | Africa | Origin and destination |
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Mali | Africa | Origin |
| Burkina Faso | Africa | Origin |
| Sudan | Africa | Origin |
| Ethiopia | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Senegal | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Chad | Africa | Origin |
| Tanzania | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Uganda | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Zimbabwe | Africa | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Russia | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Ukraine | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Kazakhstan | Central Asia | Origin and destination |
| United States | North America | Origin and destination |
| Canada | North America | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | South America | Origin and destination |
| Brazil | South America | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Origin and destination |
| Nepal | South Asia | Origin |
| Pakistan | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Myanmar | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Belgium | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Poland | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| Mexico | North America | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to Nov, arrival Apr to JanRajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Kharif harvest from September, rabi from February. | |||
| Niger | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanPearl millet across the southern Sahel belt. | |||||||
| Nigeria | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanNorthern states. | |||||||
| Mali | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanThe Niger valley and the southern regions. | |||||||
| Sudan | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Dec, arrival Dec to FebKordofan and Darfur. | |||||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Oct to DecInner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Hebei. Proso and foxtail millet. | |||||||
| Russia | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Sep, arrival Sep to NovVolga and southern federal districts. Proso millet. | ||||||||
| Ukraine | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Sep, arrival Sep to NovCentral and southern oblasts. Proso millet. | ||||||||
| United States | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Sep, arrival Sep to NovColorado, Nebraska and South Dakota. Proso millet, largely bird seed. | ||||||||
| Argentina | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Feb, arrival Feb to AprBuenos Aires and La Pampa. Southern hemisphere counter season. | |||||||
| Ethiopia | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Jan, arrival Jan to MarFinger millet from the highlands. | |||||||
| Tanzania | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Aug, arrival Aug to OctFinger millet from the central and lake zones. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for millet. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1008.29 Millet, other than seed
1008.21 Millet, seed for sowing - PackingPP woven or jute bags of 25 kg to 50 kg, 1 t big bags, or bulk in a container liner. Moisture at load is the operative clause on every grain and seed contract.
- Container loading20ft: 21 t to 26 t bagged or bulk lined. 40ft is volume limited around 26 t. Bulk vessel parcels price against the same specification with an independent superintendent at load.
- Contract and arbitrationGAFTA contracts, GAFTA 119 for containerised and the GAFTA 100 series for bulk, with GAFTA Arbitration Rules No. 125 in London and sampling and analysis under GAFTA 124.
- Destination limitsEU pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, mycotoxin limits under Regulation 2023/915, phytosanitary certification under Regulation 2016/2031 and GMO controls where the crop has genetically modified varieties. US FDA FSMA and, where applicable, USDA AMS grading.
Common questions
What grades of millet does SIP Global trade?
We quote 37 published grades of millet, including Pearl millet - Pennisetum glaucum, also called bajra, Finger millet - Eleusine coracana, also called ragi, Proso millet - Panicum miliaceum, also called common or hog millet, Foxtail millet - Setaria italica, Barnyard millet - Echinochloa species and Kodo millet - Paspalum scrobiculatum. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is millet graded?
Millet is graded first by species, then on physical purity and sieve size, then on the analytical figures a food or feed buyer contracts against. Grading runs on 4 systems: Species and form, Physical purity and condition, Analytical requirements and Production and certification claims.
Where does SIP Global trade millet?
We trade millet in India, Niger, Nigeria, China, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan and Ethiopia and 32 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is millet harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are India: harvest feb to nov, arrival apr to jan; Niger: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to jan; Nigeria: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to jan; Mali: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to jan; Sudan: harvest oct to dec, arrival dec to feb. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for millet?
Millet is normally classified under HS 1008.29 (millet, other than seed) and HS 1008.21 (millet, seed for sowing). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for millet?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed millet market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.