The first Pilot Farm for the Sorghum seeds donated by a Texas-based Scott Seeds Company to Mindanao farmers will be harvested tomorrow, Aug. 24.
The harvest comes 5 months after the Mindanao Development Authority and the Province of Davao del Norte received the donated seeds.
The planting was delayed because of the absence of rains and also because of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The 1.5-hectare area is located in Barangay New Esperanza, Mlang, Cotabato and was supervised by Vice Mayor Lito Piñol who provided the labor and the inputs.
My farm tractor was used in the preparation of the field over three months ago.
The Sorghum will be harvested at 95-days-old which indicates that what Scott Seeds donated was an early maturing variety.
With the harvest tomorrow, data will be gathered on how much is the average grains yield and the volume of silage which could be harvested.
The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist of Mlang will be asked to join the harvest tomorrow to validate the estimate grains and silage yield.
Sorghum is a sturdy dual-purpose grass variety from Africa which produces grains for human food and livestock feeds.
At harvest, the stalks and leaves are still green and fresh as shown in the pictures making it an ideal source of silage for cattle and small ruminants.
With one planting, the Sorghum could be harvested three times because of its ratooning qualities, meaning the remaining stumps after the cutting of the stalks could grow again and yield grains for two more harvests.
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is promoting the planting of Sorghum in Mindanao as an additional feed material for the growing livestock and poultry industry of the island.
#ExploringOpportunities!
#AgricultureIsCommonSense!
#FarmIsTheBestClassroom!
(Photos of the Sorghum field to be harvested tomorrow was provided by Mlang Vice Mayor Joselito Piñol.)
More Stories
Trump Presidency Boon To Philippine Agriculture
Mindanao Fruit Fest Scheduled Sept. 2025
DA, MinDA, LGU! MinDA Targets Tribal Areas For Highland Rice Farming