Sorghum cultivation and value addition on a mass scale in Pakistan can help uplift the country’s agriculture sector. “Only the ethanol extraction from sorghum can help the country reduce its import bill drastically, thus saving precious foreign exchange,” stresses Dr Qamar Shakeel, a senior scientist and in-charge of Fodder Research Sub-Station, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad. Talking to WealthPK, he said sorghum or broom corn is cultivated in a vast area in Pakistan to get fodder. “Unfortunately, farmers in Pakistan are not aware of its industrial value. Actually, no proper work concerning its value-addition is ever performed in the country. So, there is a dire need to bring awareness to farmers about the value-added benefits of sorghum.” Discussing the crop cycle of sorghum, Dr Shakeel said that there are two types of sorghum crops in Pakistan, multi-cut and single-cut. “The multi-cut crop is cultivated from March to July. The crop becomes ready within 70 to 75 days, yielding about 700 to 800 maunds of seed per acre. At least three to four cuts can be harvested from a multi-cut crop up to November and December. The single-cut crop is cultivated in July and is harvested in October and November. The average yield is 12 to 14 maunds of seed. With proper care, the yield of 20 to 25 maunds of seed can also obtained,” he explained.

He said the multi-cut crop is mostly used for fodder or to prepare vinegar, while seeds from the single-cut crop are commercially used for alcohol and ethanol extraction, etc. “The per maund price of fodder varies from season to season, from Rs200 to Rs450 per maund. Sorghum seed is sold in the market from Rs4,000 to Rs6,000 per kilogramme.” Shakeel said sorghum can be cultivated across Pakistan due to its cost-effectiveness, minimal water requirements, high yield, and resilience to weather and insects as compared to other crops like maize. “The average height of sorghum plants is 12 to 14 feet. The cost to cultivate an acre of maize is Rs20,000 to Rs22,000, and the per acre cost of sorghum is only about Rs2,000. For silage, corn is sold at Rs350 to Rs500 per maund, and sorghum from Rs500 to Rs800 per maund, which is a huge difference.”

The agriculture scientist said that for value addition and extraction purposes, proper technology and extraction machinery were required. “Establishment of this industry in the country will prove profitable. Other than fodder, by-products of sorghum like vinegar, alcohol and ethanol are largely used for a variety of industrial purposes. China can be a great market for Pakistan as it is already one of the largest importers of sorghum seeds, especially from the US.” Secondly, Shakeel said ethanol or biofuel would be available for use in automobiles and other industrial purposes. “It will also help cut the import bill of ethanol.” The global market of sorghum plants and seeds is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.8% by 2027 from $11.8 billion in 2021. The international market size of ethanol is projected to grow to $130.33 billion at a CAGR of 4.20% from $93.78 billion in 2022.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)