Ever since Ephraim Opusi, a farmer in Uganda
had strugles to meet up with responsibilities cultivating corn on his five-acre
plot in the hilly Kumi district in eastern Uganda.But now that he cultivates
white sorghum, a grain used in beer brewing, Mr Opusi has managed to provide
for his six children.NaijaAgroNet has report.
Ephraim Opusi started growing sorghum that earned
him $750 during his first season in 2010; Mr Opusi harvested three tons of
sorghum where an average Ugandan makes $510 a year, according to World Bank
data.
NaijaAgroNet learnt that
farmers are now growing less food, preferring to grow sorghum varieties
specifically developed for brewing in order to earn them more profit from
brewing giants Brewing like SABMiller and Diageo that have invested
millions of dollars into African farms, providing a guaranteed market and
better returns to smallholder farmers as they look for more locally sourced
materials such as sorghum.
Okasai Opolot, the head of Uganda’s crop production
and marketing and the agriculture ministry has said that most families are
experiencing food shortage as farmers have focused on sorghum the brewing crop
"There isn’t enough land to accommodate both
kinds of crops and more families are exposed to food shortages."
The question now is, will depending on alcohol going
to sustain farmers in Uganda and Africa?
Chidozie
Anibueze/GEE/ED
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology
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