Covid-19 stalls sorghum export, says ICRISAT representative

The Country Representative, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Dr. Hakeem Ajeigbe has attributed the restriction movement in compliance to covid 19 protocol as the reason why plans to export sorghum last year was scuttled, adding that Nigeria is now  80% sufficient in production. Dr. Ajeigbe disclosed all these in a telephone conversation with Food Farm News recently.

                         

Hakeem had last year told Food Farm News that there were plans to export sorghum to United Kingdom (UK), which he said all arrangements were already in place until the appearance of Covid 19 pandemic disease that disorganised the whole plan as the exporter that is expected to off-take the produce from UK could not travel down due to movement restrictions.

Hakeem added that Nigeria is now 80% sufficient, even as sorghum is already seen and used as replacement to maize, wheat, millet and even to rice and all kinds of food, and presently we are now having more people shifting to sorghum production, adding that effort is being geared towards industrial use of the crop in order to increase its demand.

He said that "When the demand goes up, it is a good thing for sorghum as you can easily increase the production without even increasing the land area by at least 40 per cent, so we need to increase the demand to pull the supply. Many of Nigerian flour mills, like the owner of Northern Nigeria flour mills are using sorghum now. They are putting about 10-20 per cent sorghum in wheat flour, while they are also milling sorghum as a whole"

He pointed that the insecurity challenges in the north east has short changed the country from being the largest producer of sorghum in the world, saying that the situation would change for better by the time peace is finally restored to these states like Yobe, Bornu and Adamawa.

"I have told you we are just ending a five-year project on Agriculture transformation, we are ending it in March and in that we have about 5million dollar for sorghum in the five years, and the second phase is coming up and I hope sorghum will also be in that second phase. We need to do more advocacies like we can use sorghum for bread. He said"

In another development at a stakeholders meeting held at Bauchi, the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono emphasized on the need to galvanised sorghum productivity with its sustainability in view of population that is posing threat to food security. This was said in a press release signed by Mrs Eno Oluotu on behalf of the ministry, and made available to the media.

The Minister who was represented at the weekend occasion by the zonal director, North-East, Dr. Musa Inuwa in the press release pointed that inclusive strategy to improve on sorghum value chain would shut up productivity through the use of high yielding technologies for industrial market.

Nanono said that “the overall policy objective of sorghum production is to increase the productivity and to promote small, medium and large- scale commercial production of the crop using improved high yielding varieties and hybrids and to promote value addition of the crop as raw materials for the industrial food markets, livestock feeds and highly nutrition well packaged food products for local and international markets”.

                       

He went further that “the Federal Government is committed to the promotion of the agricultural sector by unleashing its potential to drive food and nutrition scarcity, economic growth and job creation. According to him, “the ministry is ensuring accelerated Sorghum production and value addition towards self- sufficiency to meet industrial requirements as well as boost farmer’s income towards employment generation in the country”

Nanono said the crop has continued to assume great industrial relevance with many multinational companies especially in the brewery industry through the use of sorghum to 40% to of barley to make alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

He explained further that the Sorghum composite with wheat flour are used to serve as main ingredient in the manufacture of confectionaries such as bread, biscuit, cracker, cakes, couscous, infant foods and cookies. Others include; Indomie, spaghetti and macaroni. In the non- food industrial sector, he said, Sorghum as grits are used for aluminium-ore refining, animal feeds, building materials and in foundry binders.