Is the sorghum industry lifting its head?
FAST FACTS
Sorghum can be an important alternative to maize due to the crop’s resilience against drought, heat and waterlogging.
Sorghum production is currently more expensive than maize production due to lower yields in comparison with input costs.
A new industry plan for sorghum production in South Africa suggests that local production of the crop can be increased from around 200 000t, according to the 2021/22 production estimate, to 500 000t.
Following the International Sorghum Conference held in Cape Town in 2018, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) embarked on a two-year study to determine the challenges and needs of the sorghum industry in South Africa. Because sorghum is resilient to climate change and able to withstand drought, heat and waterlogging caused by erratic rainfall, it is
