SORGHUM PRODUCTION. The Mindanao Development Authority conducts a sorghum orientation at the Apo View Hotel in Davao City on Monday (March 3, 2020). MinDA aims to develop 100,000 hectares of marginal lands and ancestral domains by 2021, which would generate PHP15 billion every year. (Photo courtesy of MinDA)
DAVAO CITY – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) on Monday conducted an orientation seminar on sorghum production and market prospects for local governments that are recipients of the project.
MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a forum here that the orientation delved on production technology, market prospects, and funding.
MinDA's Sorghum Development Program aims to reduce poverty, increase productivity, and sustain the peace gains of the government by generating jobs and providing alternative livelihood options, Piñol said.
“We will orient you on what you could do with the crop, how the LGUs (local government units) could assist in the financial aspect, and MinDA on its part, will be reaching out to our funding agency partners and also link you up with a ready market,” he said.
MinDA's program partner, PILMICO Foods Corporation -- a supplier of feeds for aqua, hogs, and poultry -- has been tapped to provide the marketing component of the project.
Glen Banogon, PILMICO assistant vice president for nutrition, explained the nutrient composition, quality, and processing of sorghum as considerations in ensuring its market potentials.
“The three main considerations for sorghum are its nutritional value, availability, and cost. There’s a big potential here, with DA and MinDA’s assistance and facilitation in the cultivation process and PILMICO’s help in the market aspect,” Banogon said.
Sorghum is touted to possess multiple uses: its seeds are used for feeds for fish, ducks, chicken, and hogs. Sorghum stalks are used for silage for goats and cattle.
Piñol noted that currently, most of the sorghum requirements of domestic feed manufacturers are being sourced overseas.
He said MinDA aims to develop 100,000 hectares of marginal lands and ancestral domains by 2021, which would generate PHP15 billion every year.
During the seminar, sorghum experts facilitated a series of presentations and discussions for various representatives from the provinces of Davao del Norte, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Sur, Bukidnon and Basilan which are slated to receive sorghum seeds donated by Scott Seeds of Texas, USA.
Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform of the Bangsamoro government and Department of Agriculture regional offices were also present during the seminar. (PNA)
