Beijing, 28 March 2022 (TDI): Sorghum cooperation will be introduced into the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC ) by Pakistan and China.
These were the remarks by the experts who spoke at a Symposium on Sorghum Industry Development of China Pakistan held today.
This symposium was organized by the Belt and Road International Institute of Scientific and Technological Innovation of Sorghum Industry, Sorghum Research Institute, Shanxi Agricultural University, and National Sorghum Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, China.
Sorghum is mainly used as livestock feed for a variety of animals. Processed sorghum can be utilized as floating fish food or steam flakes for ruminants in giant feedlots.
“Also, it might be considered as a crop that contributes to food security as they outperform other cereals under harsh environmental conditions and are economical to produce. They are an important source of food and fodder, especially in the hot and dry areas of the country,” stated Dr. Shahzor Gul, Assistant Professor, Sindh Agriculture University’s Institute of Food Sciences and Technology.
Sorghum is a potential option in areas where other cereals cannot grow grains due to challenging environmental circumstances. The unpredictable distribution of yearly rainfall, high mean temperature, and decreased soil fertility define these locations. Its excellent tolerance to many temperatures and soils, except salty and waterlogged soil, makes it a tropical plant that can endure heat and drought stress better than maize.
It produces about 5.4 tonnes per hectare in Pakistan, more than wheat and rice, which have 3.0 and 2.2 tonnes per hectare, respectively. Meanwhile, because wheat is mainly a winter crop and sorghum is primarily a summer crop, demand for millet and sorghum is significantly lower, and there is no direct competition.
However, according to Dr. Shahzor Gul, sorghum and millet yields in Pakistan are meager due to a lack of better cultivators, an insufficient plant population, fertilizer application, weed control techniques, and water conservation procedures.
Pakistan imported $12.4 million worth of sorghum in 2019. “If Pakistan and China join hands in various research, demonstration cultivation, talent training, and technical guidance, we can provide nutritious food for Pakistani people and quality forage for Pakistani animal husbandry,” said Ping Junai of Shanxi Agricultural University’s Sorghum Research Institute.
In the case of sorghum, bilateral collaboration has already begun. In Pakistan, five kinds of Shanxi sorghum were planted for an experiment in 2020-21, and this will continue in the future year.
China bought nearly 9 million tons of sorghum in 2021, a rise of 95.6 percent. Sorghum has no limited quota in China, giving a vast market for Pakistani sorghum goods. Joint partnerships for joint sorghum production can be established in this respect, according to Yuan Guobao, a top agricultural specialist in China.
According to Dr. Shahzad Sabir from Punjab Agriculture Department, “In Pakistan, the area under sorghum and millet is 1.5 million hectares. Punjab and Sindh are the major sorghum-producing provinces, contributing 47% and 26% of the total. They can become the focal areas of bilateral sorghum cooperation.”
Aiman Iqbal is the Managing Editor at the Journal of Peace and Diplomacy published by the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), and the Assistant Editor of The Diplomatic Insight magazine. She holds an MPhil in International Relations. She can be reached at aimaniqbal106@gmail.com
