Millet cultivation is losing ground in parts of Africa as agricultural investment increasingly favours maize and other commercially promoted staples, according to an opinion analysis by food-sovereignty advocate Million Belay and researcher Timothy Wise.

The authors say their research examining countries that participated significantly in AGRA programmes found that millet production declined 27% after 2006, millet yields fell 17%, and land allocated to millet fell 12%, while maize acreage expanded substantially. These figures should be attributed to the authors' analysis.

They argue that the shift matters because millet has longstanding importance in dry regions of Africa, where its ability to cope with heat and water stress makes it valuable within diversified agricultural systems.

The article also places millet alongside sorghum, fonio, cowpea, cassava and other indigenous crops that contribute to African food cultures and agricultural biodiversity.

Its central argument is that food-security policy should support greater crop diversity, rather than concentrating public investment and subsidies around a narrow set of staples.

For Millets.News, the development is significant because the debate extends beyond millet production statistics. It raises broader questions about seed systems, subsidy policy, indigenous crops, climate adaptation and dietary diversity.