Higher Protein! Sorghum Makes Comeback In Farmlands Of Mindanao

Sorghum, one of the five most important grains in the world, is not a new crop to Mindanao farmers.
In fact, many Bangsamoro farmers I met during the series of forum that I conducted on Sorghum farming said they planted “Bantad” (Sorghum) many years ago.
The reason why the production of Sorghum was not sustained was the lack of an assured market and absence of proper information on its nutritive value.
Actually, Sorghum has a higher protein content of 11% compared to Corn’s 8%.
The website Sorghum.ID.com has this additional information on this less known crop:
“Sorghum offers a nutritional composition similar to that of corn, but with slightly higher levels in protein and energy value. Sorghum can therefore serve an excellent purpose in the feed rations of most livestock animals.
“Contrary to common belief, all current varieties of European sorghum are free from tannins. This is thanks to the valuable work of crop breeders, who have successfully eliminated this anti-nutritional factor that had an effect on digestibility.
“In poultry, the average energy value is 3,730 kcal/kg DM, with a variable incorporation in the ration: 15% on average (all species and growth stages combined) and up to 40%.
“In grazing animals, Sorghum can be used in the composition of energy concentrates to supplement forages and nitrogen sources.
“In pigs, the digestible energy of sorghum is relatively high. As a result, sorghum is a very suitable raw material for feeding pigs and can make up to 25-30% of the ration.”
With an assured market and a guaranteed price, Sorghum is slowly making a comeback in Mindanao and will soon be a major complement to corn in the production of poultry and livestock feeds.
#farmingisendlesslearning!