Enhancing Sorghum Production and Marketing in Semi-Arid Kenya

Abstract

Sorghum is an important food security crop especially in semi-arid lands of Kenya. It is adapted in a wide ago-ecological zones. Sorghum requires less water than maize thus offering great potential for supplementing food and feed resources. Although sorghum varieties with a yield potential of 2 to 5t/ha are available, their productivity has remained low, at 0.7t/ ha. The major constraints to sorghum production are: inadequate soil moisture, low soil fertility, bird damage, pests and diseases, high cost of inputs, low adoption of improved varieties, weeds, lack of markets and limited utilization options. Farmers consider lack of markets, low producer prices and bird damage as the main constraints to increased sorghum production. Most sorghum is grown at altitudes of less than 1500 m above sea level. However there are varieties suitable for up to 2400 m a.s.l. It requires a rainfall of 250-400 mm during the growing season. Most dry land sorghum cultivars are those that thrive best in areas with a small range of diurnal temperatures i.e. the day and night temperatures do not differ greatly. Sorghum does best in wide range of soils including sandy, clay and loamy ones. It thrives well on fertile soils but will grow on somewhat exhausted soils.