A group of crops with hundreds of different uses, coarse grains have been extensively cultivated in Sri Lanka's dry zone. Maize and minor millets, which include finger millet or kurakkan (Eleucine coracana), foxtail millet or thana hal (Setaria italica), proso millet or meneri (Panicum miliaceum.), little millet (Panicum sumatrense.) and kodo millet or amu (Paspalum scrobilatum) have traditionally sustained countless generations of chena farmers and also served as animal feed. Their phenomenal ability to grow and produce grain in marginal environments, both in terms of soil productivity and rainfall, have made coarse grains an integral component of dry zone rainfed farming systems. As food for human consumption, minor millets surpass rice, maize or sorghum due to their high content of protein, fat and minerals. 

Maize
Sorghum
Finger Millet
Other Millets