Rejoinder: Importation is killing local sorghum production!

 local sorghum

Country Director, ICRISAT, Dr. Hakkem Ajeigbe posited that importation of sorghum is not totally killing its production added that Federal Government has done a lot to boost the production in about thirteen states.

Mr. Oyaniyi is definitely off the point. While I completely agree that Nigeria should discourage or ban importation of some cereals including sorghum, rice, maize and other substitutes like barley, it is however not right that importation is killing local sorghum production or that the government is not doing much on sorghum production the country. Mr. Oyaniyi should be informed that sorghum has been part of the Agricultural transformation Agenda since 2011.

 

In early 2013, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development entered into agreement with International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to provide scientific support to sorghum Transformation value chain (STVA) through a project titled “ Revitalising and Transforming Sorghum production, (Industriasation) and commercialization through value chain Public-Private-Partnership Approach. 

The ICRISAT is a non profit, non political organization that conducts agricultural research for the development in Asia and sub Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. ICRISAT is part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) consortium. The CGIAR is an informal association of countries, international organizations, and private institutions. The overall of this project is to improve livelihoods and promote agricultural development through increased private sector participation and investment in identified sorghum value chains (fortified and nutritious foods, high quality flour, and malt). The project is also to assist in the indusrial utilization of sorghum through important product like sweet sorghum and sorghum for the poultry and fish industries. The target is 40% increase in sorghum grain yield or 4 million tons of sorghum grain produced in 3 years.

In 2014, the sorghum transformation value chain was implemented in 13 states (adamawa) Bauchi, Borno, Gombo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara) of the North East (NE), and NW, while there are plans to extend implementation to 3 more states in the North Central zone.

 To implement its proposed activites and achieve target outputs, the STVC and ICRISAT have put together an innovation platform which consisit of several statkeholders that includes producers (sorghum farmers association, small medium and large scale sorghum farmers and seed companies), Processors (Dala Foods, Dangote Group, Abba Malting Plant, AACE Foods, Spectra Foods, El-Saddai foodssevevral small scale and local processors and women council) Research, Extension, Development Programme?Institutues (Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Abuja, Institutue for Agricultural Research, Zaria, implementing state agricultural Development Projects and some (NGOs).

In addition to inputs distribution through the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), the STVC partners 853 and 1092 inputs farmers group (21,325 and 27,300 farmers) in 2013 and 2014 respectively across 13 states to demonstrate improved sorghum production technologies. During this period 1023 (866 male and 157 female) extension agents, technicians and lead farmers selected from the 13 participating states were trained on improved sorghum production practices.

 The average on farm sorghum grains yield is increasing as a result of combined effort of the STVC, Research Institutes and seed companies who are demonstrating improved production technologies to farmers. On farm yield among collaborating farmers groups have increased to 1.8 t/ ha, hpwever there are instances of above 2.3 t/ha compared to that of 2011 baseline sorghum garains yield of about one ton. We now know that through sustained STVC activities, farmers to farmer dissemination and demand pull, the National average yield can be increased to these figures. Breeder seed (6.4t) and Foundation seeds (30.3t) were distributed to seed companies and out-growers for multiplication of various categories of seeds.

 

Between 2011 and 2014, in collaboration with Research Institutes, seven hybrids sorghum varieties were released by private seed companies (3 by sygenta, 2 by Dupond-Pioneer and 2 by NBL) the sales and use of these hybrid varieties will further increase average yield among farmers in the coming years.

As part of activities to improve qualities of sorghum produce and to encourage international trade, laboratory equipment have been acquired to established an aflotoxin detection laboratory in Nigeria, 2 technicians based in the department of crop protection, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria were sent to India for training in the operation and management of the laboratory. The laboratory will be set up in University and will be used for commercial as well as teaching and research.

Sorghum was promoted for high energy nutritious food, malting and high quality sorghum flour (HQSF) for breads at all levels. Several Training of trainers (TOT) and GAPs were carried out and the TOT in Kano was fortunately expanded by Kano state government using the trainers to train 4000 more in one year and several of the women and youths are in business today. As part of activities to diversify the use of sorghum and increase commercial demand of sorghum the STVC have successfully demonstrated the use of sorghum in poultry feed. This is done on a pilot bases in collaboration with centre for Dry Land Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano in 2014. 

We are exicited to note that weight gain by broiler chicks fed Farafara (local Variety) and ICSC 400 at 100 or 50% maize substitution level were 5 to 15% higher than those feeding on the control maize based diet. This demonstration will now be conducted on a larger scale in 2015. In the Northern Sudan Savanna zone of the country, the cost of sorghum was noted to be lower than maize at least during seven month in a year. The successful demonstration and adoption of sorghum in poultry feed to farmers and feed millers will open another industrial demand for sorghum and put less pressure on maize. Sorghum based poultry feeds are expected in Nigeria market in the coming years. To support the good work in STVC, Fadama must join in the expansion of sorghum work to other states through the SCPZs.

Locally fabricated multipurpose threshers hammer mill and stover chopper have been demonstrated to over 2000 small and medium scale farmers at Kano, Katina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Bauch, Gombe, and FCT. Over 70 youth groups were also trained on the use and maintenance of these machines for income generation activities. In collaboration with Dala foods, visit was organized to India by staff of the Agricultural Processing Company to facilitate the development of new sorghum products for Nigeria market. Over 61 and 30 women groups (1525 and 750 women processors) were also trained in 2013 and 2015 respectively on the use of sorghum in household nutrition and income generation. They were introduced to modern and traditional means of making new sorghum products like bread, cake and biscuit. It is hoped that products like sorghum based bread, cookies, biscuit; sorghum pop etc will start entering the Nigeria market.

Despite the apparent success on sorghum production and utilization enumerated above, the country sorghum production figure may show some decline due to production and data gathering constraints in the North Eastern Nigeria. A large proportion of sorghum cultivation in the country is based in the North east, some areas may have seen reduced cultivation the data gathering is especially affected as enumerated are not able to move freely.

In conclusion importation is not killing local production! Sorghum production is increasing. However insurgency is reducing the production and harvest data collection in the North Eastern geopolitical area.