Kenya Bets on High Value Sorghum to Boost Yields
January 7, 2015| |
Kenya plans to introduce an improved variety of sorghum in 2016. According to David Karanja Principal Investigator for Sorghum at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the proposed variety will be drought resistant and will yield 20 percent more than the current 1,800 kilograms per acre. Mr Karanja said that trials are being carried out under the Agricultural Productivity Research project and will be concluded by February 2015.
Voicing support to the project, Ms. Sicily Kariuki, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries said the research in Kenya has shown that sorghum has the potential to end severe food insecurity in arid and semi-arid areas due to its tolerance to drought and ability to thrive under a wide range of soils.
The government allocates $1.6 million annually for the promotion of traditional high value crops such as sorghum.
The project is being financed by the EU and the Kenya government at a total cost of 8 million Euros.
Read the original story at http://www.farmbizafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1448:kenya-bets-on-high-value-sorghum-to-boost-yields&catid=20:crop-types&Itemid=142.
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