For the agro-industrial operators, sorghum has more than one string to its bow.
Not only does it offer various market outlets (as a food for humans and animals, bioenergy, biomaterials, etc), but, in addition, each harvest can serve several markets at the same time. From a single sorghum crop, the grain can be used as a human food source, the soluble sugars extracted from the juices in the stalks can be used in ethanol production, and the residues from the stalks (pulp) and the leaves can be converted to animal feed or used in energy production (co-generation of 2nd generation biofuel).
Each year, new varieties of early ripening and high productivity sorghum are selected. In this way, sorghum cultivation can be extended into the temperate regions, in the northern hemisphere especially. The genetic progress made in water savings and input through sorghum production offers an exceptional opportunity to the agro-industrial operators and farmers dedicated to local and, at the same time, sustainable production.
