The Federal Government says, multinational companies now use about 40 per cent of sorghum grits as adjuncts (unmalted cereals and sugar) for the production of their products.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, made this known at the presentation of the report of the Sorghum Technical Committee (STC), on Thursday in Abuja.
”Sorghum has assumed great industrial relevance such that many multi- national companies such as the breweries now use sorghum grits as adjuncts (up to 40 per cent ),“ he said.
Abubakar said the committee was saddled with the responsibility to streamline the existing sorghum varieties to meet food and industrial demand.
He said that the committee was also to find other ways of improving productivity and quality of sorghum produce.
Abubakar said that streamlining of varieties sorghum was crucial as it would enhance farmers’ income and attract more youth to its cultivation.
”It will also meet national demand and contribute to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.
He said the ministry had been promoting sorghum production and value addition towards self-sufficiency and meeting industrial requirement of the country.
“This cannot be achieved without the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders including the farmers, seed producers, local and international institutes among others,” he said.
Abubakar said that because of the relevance of sorghum, multinational companies, especially breweries, were in high demand of the commodity.
“It is used as barley base (mash) for making alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (Maltina, Maltex and Amstel Malta).
”This serves as main ingredient in the manufacture of confectioneries such as bread, biscuits, cracker, cakes, couscous, infant foods and cookies,” he said.
He said that the prevalence of many varieties and cultivars was the major problem leading to low Sorghum production which resulted in the supply shortfall.
“The varieties in most cases) are not what are needed by our food industries. This necessitated the need to streamline the existing varieties in to meet our food and industrial needs,” he said.
Earlier, Prof. Daniel Aba, technical committee Chairman, while presenting the report, said sorghum was fast gaining commercial importance due to different uses.
He enjoined seeds companies to improve on the production of sorghum, build and maintain responsive data banks that could be accessible by policy makers.
Aba urged Government to come up with policies that encourages the production of sorghum in Nigeria with financial support and enabling environment to the framers.
”From survey, sorghum is moving from subsistence to commercial crop in Nigeria. Sorghum varieties need to be streamlined to meet feed and industrial demand in Nigeria,” he said.
Nigeria is the world’s third-largest producer of sorghum, after the U.S. and India.
