A Bomet farmer has doubled his sorghum harvest from growing traditional seeds to a hybrid.
After reading FarmBizAfrica’s piece on April 13, 2018, (Beer maker launches new high yielding sorghum variety that can withstand harsh weather) Weldon Korir began growing Advanta’s Hybrid 23012 which has increased his output from 20 two kilogram tins or gorogoros to 30.
Kenya’s farmers produce just 0.7 tons of sorghum from one hectare which is significantly lower than the 2–5 tons per hectare sorghum production potential in the country. The key reason for this was that most farmers are still wedded to local varieties rather than high-yielding hybrids.
“I switched from growing maize to sorghum in 2019 after I and other farmers in Bomet had both Maize Lethal Necrosis and Fall Armyworms wipe out our whole farms,” Weldon informed.
His first year growing sorghum was however disappointing because the output he got was too low. After reading our 2017 article on the white sorghum hybrid, he went looking for it for the next planting season and bought three kilograms of the seed for Sh450 at an agrovet in Kericho.
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He said that beyond building a significantly larger head that produced much more grains, the hybrid sorghum also matures in just three months, two months faster than the traditional sorghums. It’s stems are also much bulkier and greener during harvest which makes it a good livestock feed option after harvest.
Korir feeds his cow with a mixture of Napier grass and sorghum stems after harvest.
According to the National Crop Variety List 2024, ADV23012 which is a dwarf sorghum hybrid can produce a grain yield of 2.5 tons per hectare and a stalks and leaves yield of six tons.
It is also tolerant to both drought and flooding or stagnant water as well as being capable of being grown for food, feed and for making beer. Kenya Breweries Limited lists the Kenya Highlands Seed Company distributed seed as one of its recommended white sorghum varieties.
For Weldon and his extended family of nine, 60 kilograms of sorghum is used to make porridge and ugali for six months for the family.
“To make porridge we mix a cup of sorghum with two kilograms of millet, for ugali, we use about one cup of milled maize flour and 250 grams of sorghum,” he said.
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During the holiday months everyone gets to enjoy these nutritious mixes but when schools reopen they are only limited to the family’s children.
Sorghum is a supergrain that is recommended in adding a health value to other milled glours because it is a gluten-free highly nutritional grain that is high in protein and antioxidants.