Sorghum is known for its ability to withstand adverse conditions like drought, heat, and waterlogging caused by erratic rainfall. This is just one of the reasons it is considered a good alternative to planting maize.
Although there are a number of sorghum species, it is mainly Sorghum bicolor, native to Africa, that is produced for human consumption.
Sorghum is primarily used around the world in the production of grain for products such as porridge, sorghum molasses and syrup, alcoholic beverages, and biofuels. Its versatility makes it a great alternative to other types of grains, grasses and cereals, and it can be considered the fifth most important cereal crop in the world.
The South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) launched a feasibility study in 2021 to ascertain the value of sorghum in the country's value chain. The study not only highlighted the major challenges the industry is facing but also identified some actions that could be implemented for its survival.
One of the recommendations was to establish the Sorghum Cluster to act as a framework for implementing the initiatives recommended in the report. According to Willem Groothof, chairperson of the Sorghum Trust, the creation of this initiative make sense as it will focus simultaneously on all the identified focus areas for sorghum production and market development in South Africa.
The DSI's Sorghum Cluster Master Plan stands on the following development pillars:
• An advanced germplasm development programme;
• Establishing a sorghum promotion agency like the US's Sorghum Checkoff;
• Removing VAT from sorghum and sorghum meal and excise duty on pasteurised traditional African beer, and adding an import duty;
• Promoting inclusivity and food security by means of a pilot sorghum project in the Eastern Cape; and
• Securing yield gains through precision agriculture and extension services.
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