Sorghum demonstration farms will soon be established in two more Mindanao provinces next month.

As the agency’s Sorghum Development Program goes full swing, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairman Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Agusan del Sur Governor Santiago Cane Jr. and Agusan Del Norte Governor Dale Corvera whose provinces are among the most fertile areas for agriculture, both expressed willingness to explore the potentials of sorghum as a new crop for their farmers.

“I met with the two governors during a three-day, four-province swing which started Wednesday in Davao Del Norte, Thursday in Davao Oriental and Thursday evening up to Friday in the two Agusan provinces. The two governors offered the areas for demonstration farm which will be planted to sorghum seeds next week,” he said in a MinDA statement on Sunday.

Piñol added that the sorghum seeds are part of the donation of the Scott Seeds Company of Hereford, Texas for the province of Davao del Norte and MinDA.

“The introduction of sorghum as a complementary grains crop to corn is being initiated by MinDA as part of its poultry, livestock, and aquaculture development program for Mindanao,” he said.

Sorghum is a resilient plant that needs less water than corn. Its grains have a high protein content ideal for livestock, poultry and aqua feeds while its stalks are excellent silage materials.

Recently, a sorghum demonstration farm in New Esperanza, M’lang town in North Cotabato supervised by Vice Mayor Joselito Piñol yielded a harvest of 8.4 metric tons and a silage production of 40 metric tons.

Piñol added that MinDA is now negotiating with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) while the Texas Sorghum Seed Producers led by Coby Kriegshauzer of Scott Seed are coordinating with the United States Department of Agriculture to support the Mindanao Sorghum Development Program. (PNA)