RECOGNIZING its potential as alternative crop particularly for silage and feeds, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol pushes for sorghum production in Negros Occidental.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino, who met with Piñol along with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. in North Cotabato over the weekend, said sorghum is promising as a feed ingredient.
The agriculture chief, according to Masculino, said it is a crop worth considering for two major benefits - income for the farmers from feeds and source of silage for livestock.
“Secretary Piñol assured that market is available for sorghum and he will provide Negros Occidental with hybrid seeds,” he said, adding that sorghum production is very suitable in the province.
Sorghum can be ratooned three times in a year. It is considered a versatile crop that can be grown as grain, forage, or sweet crop.
In Negros Occidental, there are already some sorghum plantation mainly as sources of raw materials for bioethanol production.
Considering the huge demand for the local livestock industry, the provincial government will venture in sorghum production mainly for feeds and silage because Negros Occidental lacks feed ingredients that is alternative to corn.
After their visit at the sorghum model farm at Makilala town in North Cotabato along with Piñol, Masculino said they will start the initiative this year.
Masculino said they will present it to the farmers but they have to model it at the earliest.
The provincial government is eyeing a 10-hectare portion of the Capitol-property at Paglaum Village in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City as a model farm.
“It will be a province-led production initiative for the meantime. In terms of market, we can eventually tap our local feed producers,” he said, adding that they will ask them about the acceptability of sorghum.
Moreover, sorghum is considered as one alternative crop which the province can venture especially with challenges hounding the sugar industry now.
Masculino said this will complement the province’s diversification measure which aims to increase the production of other potential crops like rice, corn and high-value crops, among others.