For Upland Farmers! Drought-Resistant Sorghum Best Option As El Niño Starts

Sorghum, the hardy and sturdy grains crop which originated from Africa, now stands as the best of choice for upland farmers as the period of long drought, El Niño, hits several regions of the country.
A few days ago, the Philippine Weather Bureau, PAGASA, announced that El Niño, which is marked by a long rainless period, had started and could affect agricultural production, especially rice and corn.
Sorghum, a crop which originated in Africa and developed by Western plant breeders, could withstand long dry spell needing only 25% of the water requirements of corn.
With a higher protein content of 11%, Sorghum is a perfect complement for Corn in feed production and could also be processed for food.
In Africa, Sorghum is a staple food which is milled and processed.
In the Philippines, Sorghum had long been introduced as both food and feed grains but the absence of an industry scale production prevented its growth.
When I was Secretary of Agriculture, I initiated the Sorghum Development Program with a funding of P100-M for seeds and production nationwide.
After I resigned as DA Secretary in 2018, this amount was diverted to other programs, effectively killing the Sorghum Project.
Today, a small company which I and former Senator Panfilo Lacson formed along with several friends, Southseas Agri-Aqua Ventures, Inc., is leading Sorghum Production Program.
While the first phase of the project did not achieve the targets, SAAV Inc. has continued the Sorghum Program in the highlands of Alamada, North Cotabato.
As the threat of El Niño looms, the DA is now scrambling to find sources of seeds which would not be readily available, emphasizing once again the need for long-term planning in agriculture.
As of today, only SAAV Inc. has available seeds for planting but these are all committed to its farmer-partners in Alamada and the surrounding areas.
#FarmingIsLongTermPlanning!