Earlier this morning, sorghum seed and genetics company Chromatin announced an agreement with African distributor Zaad to produce and distribute sorghum seed throughout the African continent. By increasing the access and availability of high-quality, affordable seed to farmers, this partnership has the potential to greatly influence the production of one of the most important staple crops in Africa.

Sorghum’s advantage over other crops lies in its ability to grow under harsh conditions on marginal land. Highly resistant to heat, drought, water-logging, and lack of fertilizer, the crop is the logical choice for a continent that suffers from food security largely due to poor farmland, lack of inputs, and poorly managed farms.

Apart from its principal use as a food staple, numerous end-uses are providing local producers an attractive way to monetize the crop; namely, as a feed ingredient for the animal protein sector, which has grown about 6% annually over the past 20 years. Even more promising, sorghum is being used as a substitute for barely in beer production by multinational breweries such as SABMiller, Heineken, and Diageo. In the past ten years, the sorghum beer market is estimated to have grown at a 9.5% annual rate. A further increase in the productivity of farmers would not only address food security issues but boost local and regional economies.

By providing farmers with the inputs they need, Chromatin and Zaad have the potential to jumpstart production. In Africa, sorghum seed is commonly replanted, a practice resulting in sub-optimal yields. In contrast, Chromatin’s high-quality, affordable genetics have already shown a strong potential on the continent, offering immediate yield increases of 3-5 times, with some seeing even greater benefit.

“The result is life changing,” commented Chromatin CEO Daphne Preuss. Now these farmers, who had traditionally relied on sorghum as a subsistence crop, can turn around and monetize their excess production.

While Chromatin has already been distributing seed throughout the continent for some time, Preuss adds that “This relationship will significantly advance our efforts to bring high-quality sorghum seed products to Africa’s growers at a competitive price.” With a proven track record on the continent, look for Chromatin’s continued involvement to bolster the sorghum sector, from production to end use.

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Eric Francucci