For harvest, post-harvest! EFFICIENT MACHINERY NEEDED FOR MinDA SORGHUM PROGRAM

Kidapawan City – The Mindanao Sorghum Development Program which assures stable grains supply for the region’s poultry, livestock and small ruminants industry needs appropriate harvest and post-harvest equipment to be profitable.

In the recent harvest in the Mlang Demonstration Farm, the lack of harvest and post-harvest machinery and equipment was identified as a major challenge.

While the yield per hectare of 8.4-metric tons was higher than the average yield in Texas, the use of a Rice Thresher in separating the grains from the pannicle resulted in high post-harvest losses.

Dryers and grains silos are also identified as two most critical facilities for the Sorghum Program to succeed.

There are modern mechanical harvesters from the US and other Sorghum-producing countries but these not be ideal given the small farm lots and undulating to rolling areas where the crop will be planted in Mindanao.

These challenges, however, could provide a wiindow of opportunity for Filipino inventors and fabricators.

The Mindanao Sorghum program would need machinery and equipment designed for small farms and terrain in Mindanao.

There is a small family-owned farm machinery fabrication plant in Cabatuan, Iloilo, the Jover Farm Machinery, which has built a Sorghum thresher but this has to be field-tested.

The Jover family has already perfected a flat-bed mechanical dryer which is preferred by most rice farmers now.

Another equipment which could be fabricated by Filipino engineers would be a small harvester and a silage harvester-cutter.

The Mindanao Sorghum Program will not only provide a new income earning opportunity for farmers and assure sustainable feed materials supply.

It is also expected to open a new horizon for Filipino inventors and fabricators.

#EveryCrisisOffersOpportunities!

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

(I took this video of the Sorghum threshing yesterday using my Samsung phone.)

https://fb.watch/aJZMJ9sR-c/