Conventional and Advanced Methods in Small Millet Processing

Small millets, which are mostly grown in rainfed environments, are a forgotten subclass of millets. Sorghum and pearl millets are referred to as “big millets,” while finger, kodo, little, foxtail, proso, barnyard, and browntop millets are considered as “small millets” in the Indian context. Small millets are high-valued crops with excessive nutritional attributes and climate resilience. They can serve as an essential crop for nutritional security in present world. The present scenario calls for better utilization of small millets through innovative postharvest processing. The conventional processing of millets is also important to study as they are more adaptable to local processors. Hence, a detailed study of conventional and advanced methods in millet processing can bring new opportunities for efficient utilization of millets, along with new product development which can help in sustainable agricultural growth and income generation for the farmers as well as processors. This chapter discuss in detail various conventional and modern techniques of small millet processing together with a comparative analysis among them to find a solution for better adoption of these methods.