Among the minor cereals, bajra (millet), Jowar (sorghum) and barley are grown in Pakistan. In total, their production is about 4 percent that of wheat. These cereals are eaten by poorer families and are also used as animal fodder. They are therefore known as coarse grains. With the development and expansion of the poultry industry, they have become quite important as chicken feed.
Bajra, jowar and barely can be grown in poorer soils. They also require less water than wheat. They can be grown in dry areas where there are fewer irrigation facilities. The districts of eastern an northern Punjab lead in the production of bajra and jowar, followed by the eastern and western districts of Sindh, where there is very little irrigation. Tharparkur Sindh leads in bajra production , whereas the Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal and Khushab Districts of Punjab constitute the jowar belt. Barley is of lesser importance both in area and production and is grown largely in Balochistan and the NWFT.
Recently, wheat has been encroaching on marginal lands and pushing out the coarser, less profitable, grains. The coarse grains, however, still have an important place in Pakistan's economy as animal fodder. The government has, therefore, established research institutes to assist in their development and continues survival.