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Niger is an erect, stout, branched annual herb, grown for its edible oil and seed. Its cultivation originated in the Ethiopian highlands, and has spread to other parts of Ethiopia. Common names include noog/nug; niger, nyger, nyjer, or niger seed; ramtil or ramtilla; inga seed; and blackseed.

Niger seeds resemble sunflower seeds in shape, but are smaller in size and black. It bears a fairly thick, adherent seed coat and can be stored for up to a year without deterioration. Niger seed contains proteins, oil and soluble sugars. Niger seeds are used as bird feed worldwide. Commercial niger seed is grown in Africa, India and other areas of southeast Asia, and the seed is imported around the world as a popular type of birdseed. 

Niger Seed is rich in oil, easy to digest, high in energy and protein making it ideal for supplementing your canaries/finches diet and to help keep them in peaked condition or during times of high nutritional needs.

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It is ready for harvest within 3/4 months of planting, after its flowers have decay.

A large part is used for the extraction of its oil, while the rest is used for bird feeding and a small amount is used for human consumption as a snack or as a spice.