Magness et al. 1971 Proso millet is the only millet grown as a grain crop in the United States. Other millets as foxtail, Japanese or barnyard, and pearlmillet or cattail are grown mainly for forage or pasture and are listed under Grass Forage and Pasture Crops. Proso millet is probably grown on not more than 150,000 acres in the United States, though actual data are unavailable.
Most production is in the Northern Plains and other short-growing season areas.
In Asia, Africa and Russia, grain millet is an important food crop, but is less important than formerly as other adapted grains are more desirable. Since proso millet will mature a grain crop in from 60 to 75 days after seeding, and is low in moisture requirement, it will produce some food or feed where other grain crops would fail. Millets have been grown in Asia and North Africa since prehistoric times, and little is known of their origin. They probably came originally from Eastern or Central Asia. They were important in Europe during the middle ages before corn and potatoes were known there.