TANZANIA– Tanzania’s sorghum consumer price has stabilised following a surplus in the past four months, according to data released by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The price is said to have remained low since July where a survey revealed that wholesale prices of a 100kg sorghum bag ranged from between US$17.32 to US$30.3, reports the Citizen.
The increase in production has seen supply increase from 15 regions to 20 regions with current prices averaging US$32.92 countrywide a significant decrease from US$38.47 in September last year.
According to researchers from the University of Witwatersrand Medical School in South Africa, corn has replaced sorghum in some areas.
Sorghum production in the region has increased following interventions by the ministry of agriculture through the establishment of various projects especially the Hope project whose aim was to promote sorghum farming by implementing projects that could see farmers have sufficient and reliable access to quality planting seeds.
The decision by the East African Breweries Limited to use sorghum as one of the raw materials in their beer production has led to a dramatic increase in demand of sorghum in East Africa.
However, the demand for sorghum in the country is still above what the farmers can supply leaving a deficit of about 2,200 metric tonnes.
The demand for sorghum in East Africa has also increased dramatically.
Sorghum is one of the crops with a potential to improve food security especially among small holder and subsistence farmers in marginalised regions across the country.
The food industry has seen continued utilisation of the commodity into products like semolina, noodles and pasta and gluten free flours.
