THE REINTRODUCTION of sorghum as a source of cheaper feed alternative is expected to benefit stakeholders of the livestock and poultry industry in the country.
In fact, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has already started promoting the cultivation of sorghum as an alternative to corn for animal feeds.
Starting next year, the DA is expected to initiate the propagation of sorghum, a variety of grass which produces protein-rich grains, in an effort to supplement the supply of yellow corn that is needed for the production of feeds for poultry and livestock.
According to DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, the Sorghum Production Program will focus mainly in Indigenous People’s Ancestral Domain Areas because it could be easily grown even in poor soil.
Sorghum, which is a genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae, was one of the oldest cereals domesticated by man.
Called “batad” in Filipino, sorghum has been introduced in the country several years ago, but unfortunately, it did not receive the needed push from the government.
Way back in 1984, Allied Botanical Corporation (ABC) was actually formed with the purpose of breeding the hybrid sorghum seed for the Philippine market, primarily because of its usefulness, versatility and potential of sorghum as a feed ingredient and substitute to corn, a cereal which the country was perpetually dependent on foreign sources.
It was learned that some feed millers have said that the supply of yellow corn has been very tight, where its high cost have even pushed the prices of meat and poultry to increase.
During a recent gathering of stakeholders of the livestock and poultry industry, some feed millers have shown interest in the development of sorghum as alternative to corn.
Unlike corn which is harvested only once, sorghum can be ratooned twice, thus saving the farmers a lot in expenses for seeds.
Due to its ratooning characteristics where it regrows when cut at ground level, sorghum could be harvested at least three times.
Like corn, sorghum is protein-rich and feed millers said they are interested in engaging the farmers who will cultivate the crop.
Incidentally, among the varieties of sorghum which can thrive well in the country is the Sorghum ABS763 (TR) F1 Hybrid Sorghum – a very high yielding variety which is resistant to leaf rust and zonate leaf spot, and with semi-compact head and bronze grain.
Being drought-tolerant, hardy, easy-to-grow, and high in protein, sorghum was considered as the main focus of ABC’s research and development (R&D) when it started.
In 1984, ABC set up its first breeding and seed production farm for the hybrid sorghum in Barangay Anolid in Alcala, Pangasinan, which was said to be the first commercial hybrid variety in the country.
Today, sorghum has been considered as an important crop worldwide, which is used for food, animal fodder, production of alcoholic beverages, and even biofuels.
The production of sorghum grains as complementary to corn as a raw material for feeds may help raise the country’s poultry and livestock sector’s competitiveness through cost reduction. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
