By Albert Futukpor
Nyankpala (N/R), Nov 01, GNA – The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) has introduced a new dual-purpose sorghum variety to farmers to help boost production.
The new variety produces 2.75 tonnes of yield per hectare and matures between 115 to 120 days, and it is less susceptible to bird damage and insect attack compared to existing varieties on the market.
The new variety, known as Atokple Chi (Atokple Sorghum), is named after a renowned Ghanaian sorghum breeder, Dr Ibrahim Atokple, who championed the inclusion of sorghum in the brewery industry.
Dr Atokple worked at the CSIR-SARI from 1992 to 2014.
The new variety has been approved by the National Varietal Release and Registration Committee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Mr. Kenneth Opare-Obuobi, Head of Sorghum Improvement Programme at CSIR-SARI, speaking at a demonstration farm at Nyankpala to introduce the new variety to farmers, said it was very good for livestock as fodder because of its dual-purpose nature with thick and sweet stalk (stem).
Farmers and traders from farming communities namely Kpalsogu, Dimabi, Tingoli, Changnayili, Golinga and Bilagu amongst other key stakeholders in the sorghum value chain including certified seed producers, aggregators and NGOs were at the demonstration farm in the Tolon District of the Northern Region to see how the new variety had developed.
Mr. Opare-Obuobi urged farmers and other stakeholders to take advantage of the new variety to enhance production and improve their livelihoods.
Mr. Amadu Alhassan, Northern Regional President, Seed Producers Association of Ghana was optimistic that the new variety would contribute significantly to sustainable sorghum production in the country.
He said: “Comparing Atokple Chi to other varieties, you will realise that it is way better than the existing ones because it has semi-open panicles (head), which make it less susceptible to insect attack and has bigger grains as well.”
Mr. Solomon Ndego, a Certified Guinness Ghana Brewery Aggregator urged farmers to work with approved aggregators in the market because Guinness Ghana Brewery did not deal directly with individual farmers but through the certified aggregators.
Mr. Baba Bernu, Agro Director of Puzuri Group of Companies, was happy that the new variety was less prone to bird and insect attacks.
Some of the farmers expressed their readiness to pilot the new variety in the next farming season.
They also underscored the need to make the seeds accessible to them to ensure timely cultivation.
GNA