Sorghum Value Chain

Enhancing sorghum production, processing and marketing for improved small-holder incomes and livelihoods in Kenya

Erick Cheruiyot

Egerton University

Collaborators and Partners

CollaboratorsEgerton UniversityUniversity of NairobiSACRED AfricaBondo University

CollegeKARI Biotech LabJomo Kenyatta

University of Agriculture & Technology

PartnersEast Africa

Breweries Limited (EABL)

Spectre InternationalNakuru Pattisserie

Bakery

Overall objective

To enhance sustainable sorghum production, processing and marketing for improved incomes and livelihoods in Kenya

Focus of the Project

Explore and exploit diverse uses of sorghum,

Promote sorghum products,Develop market linkages

Sorghumuses

Industrialuses

Brewing

Ethanol

Domestic uses

Porridges-(soft & thick)

Baking (bread, cakes, chapati)

Partners

Sorghum

GrainBaking

GrainMalting Brewing

StalkEthanol

Nakuru Pattisseri

e

EABL

Spectre Intn’l

Industrial playersEABL

Bakeries

Chemical

manufactures

Processing & Marketing

Farmer

groups

Sorghum production

Farmer

Major outputs

Marketing opportunities for sorghum products increased

Sorghum post harvest handling and processing enhanced and promoted

Sorghum production improved  Information targeting different categories of

stake-holders in the sorghum value chain availed and shared

Collaborators

Sorghum

OPV& HybridsYield Potential

Crop MgtEvaluationBrewingBaking Ethanol

Indigenous Techn

KnowledgeGender

group dynamics and marketing

Seed Multiplication

Activities undertaken so far

Site selection and identification of farmer working groups◦Makueni: Three sites (Kiboko, Kampi-ya-

mawe and Kibwezi)◦Nakuru: Njoro, Kampi Ya Moto, Rongai,

Kisumu,◦Nyanza: Siaya Three sites identified; they are

East Alego, South East Alego and South Alego

Activities undertaken so far Cont’n

Base-line survey on status of sorghum conducted ◦ Base-line survey report covering Njoro and

Rongai Districts◦ Baseline report covering East, South East and

South Alego

Highlights of baseline report

Overall, 49.3% of the respondents were producing sorghum Nakuru county (Majority; within 0.1-1 acres)

Identified factors with significant influence to sorghum production:◦ land tenure, ◦ farm size, ◦access to seed, ◦access to market information and ◦group membership.

Activities undertaken so far Cont’nEvaluation of Hybrids, Open Pollinated Sorghum

varieties and Sweet Stalk sorghum for diverse uses initiated◦31 hybrids and 100 OPV planted and harvested in

Njoro, Kampi Ya Moto (March – October)◦Ten Hybrids and five OPV sorghum planted in Kiboko,

Kampi-ya-mawe and Kibwezi during July – December period

◦Five local cultivars and 10 lines of hybrid sorghum planted and evaluated at KARI Kiboko

◦25 sweet stalk sorghum grown at Spectre International for determination of ethanol yield

Progress so farLaboratory grain analysis for

brewing qualities completed (130 genotypes) and selection of best 20-30 to submitted to EABL for confirmatory test

Baking qualities will be completed by October 2012

Progress so far

Field evaluation of sweet sorghum for ethanol completed

Laboratory analysis for ethanol yield going-on

2-3 genotypes promising

Activities undertaken so far Cont’n

Marketing opportunities for sorghum products initiated◦Baseline marketing survey undertaken in

Nakuru and Makueni Counties◦ Four farmer’s groups with 132 members

mobilized◦Initial drafts for prototype marketing

constitutions, brochures and marketing manual prepared

Activities undertaken so far Cont’n

◦Information targeting different categories of stake-holders in the sorghum value chain shared. Sorghum demonstration sites Kampi Ya

Moto and Egerton , at Kiboko, Kampi-ya-Mawe and Kibwezi - attached to farmer-groups.

Sorghum Field Days in Kampi Ya Moto 189, Kathonzweni 176, Kiboko: brought together farmers, Ministry of Agriculture, NGOs and industry players (EABL).

Activities undertaken so far Cont’n

Monitoring and evaluation conducted ◦ Regular visit to the research fields to check

progress and collect data◦Visit by ICRISAT scientist and EABL

sorghum co-ordinator to Njoro and Kampi Ya Moto field sites to evaluate sorghum genotypes.

◦Visit by World Bank Mission to Sweet stalk sorghum field at Spectre Farm in Kisumu.

Observations made Farmers with strong religious –ve

attitude on sorghum varieties for beer production

Birds damage cause great lossLanguage for communication

especially in Makueni where most farmers understands their local language only

Constraints and challenges

The major constrain was delay in disbursement of funds which hampered planning and delayed implementation.  There is need to synchronize calendar of project events with funds disbursement.

Work for the current quarter

Setting up of community based seed multiplication centers

Training of 132 farmers in collective marketing in a liberalized sorghum marketing system.

Training of 132 farmers in marketing information, quality control and market intelligence.

Plans for the current quarter Cont’n Development of a sorghum seed thresher

Sorghum genotypes for anti- diabetic and anti-cancer properties

Plans for next quarterSubmission of promising

genotypes to KEPHIS Promotion of Baked ProductsCommunity-based seed

multiplication

Gaps Identified

Observed low sorghum productivity low in Makueni and Siaya, - occasioned by soil moisture stress

The need to encourage Water Harvesting, Conservation and Utilization

BLS Siaya identified lack of small scale sorghum irrigation equipments as one of the major constraints to sorghum production

Gaps Identified Quality seed

-Recommended varieties for specific agro-ecological zones lacking. This is applies to Sorghum and Millets (Finger millet, Pearl millet)

Need to think of viable seed system to respond to farmers’ needs

Acknowledgment

KAPAP for fundingICRISAT for sorghum materialsMinistry of AgricultureCollaborator Organizations and

Partners Institutions

Thank You