Sorghum is the world's fifth most important cereal, in terms of both production and area planted.
Millet, a general category for several species of small-grained cereal crops, is the world's seventh most important cereal grain. Roughly 90 percent of the world's sorghum area and 95 percent of the world's millet area lie in the developing countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. These crops are primarily grown in agroecologies subject to low rainfall and drought. Most such areas are unsuitable for the production of other grains unless irrigation is available. Sorghum is widely grown both for food and as a feed grain, while millet is produced almost entirely for food.