Amazing Crop! Grains, Silage, Sugar Syrup: All From Versatile Sorghum

Aside from Coconut, also known as the “Tree of Life,” I know of no other crop which offers a long list of useful products aside from Sorghum.
Over a year since our young company, the Southseas Agri-Aqua Ventures, Inc. which former Senator Ping Lacson and I organized along with several friends launched our Sorghum Development Program, I am discovering more exciting opportunities offered by this crop which originally came from Africa.
Aside from the protein-rich grains for food and animal feeds and silage for both large and small ruminants, Sorghum is now the subject of extensive trials for bio-fuel and Sugar Syrup production.
The U.S., where our Sorghum Bicolor seeds came from, had pioneered the development of a Sweet Sorghum variety whose stalks could be pressed and crushed to produce juice which could be processed into Syrup for food processing and industrial use.
Right now, SAAVI is focused on grains production mainly because of our limited resources which were further strained by our initial failed harvests last year.
Perseverance and persistence, however, allowed us to discover the correct planting and fertilization protocols which resulted in a record harvest of 7.9-metric tons of fresh grains in Alamada, North Cotabato this year.
Landowners who participated in our Sorghum program were also taught how to process the stalks and green leaves into Silage to feed their cattle, carabaos and goats.
With the arrival of new seeds from Scott Seed Company of Texas expected to be released from Customs first week of January, we will be able to expand our farming area to an estimated 1,000 hectares by 2024.
This early, however, I am looking at the potentials of Sorghum in producing Sugar Syrup and on my own, with initial seeds of Sweet Sorghum I intend to start a small experiment on Sorghum Syrup Production.
This experiment could contribute a lot to the stability of Sugar supply for food processing and industrial uses and reduce our dependence on imported sweeteners.
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#FoodSelfSufficiency!