By Moses Nampala
Somewhere in the farming fields of Tibile village in Kangole sub-county, Bukedea district, lies an expansive field of sorghum.
The vast grain field is breathtaking as it stretches out, far as the eye can see. The field belongs to Solomon Moses Odong, one of the hundreds of farmers growing the cereal crop on a commercial scale.
Odong’s sorghum field sits on 15 acres.
Sorghum variety
Odong grows NARO SORG 1, a sorghum variety. It is among the latest varieties produced by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO).
He says a kilogramme of seed goes for sh5,000. Each acre requires 4kg of sorghum seed.
Field preparation
Odong carries out two separate ploughing exercises before planting the seed. Ploughing an acre using the local tractor goes for sh100,000.
He observes that from inception, they have been implored to grow the crop in lines, observing 60cm between two lines and 30cm from plant to plant.
“A farmer is required to drop five seeds in each hole, in case some seeds do not germinate. However, when the seeds have germinated and are two weeks old, the farmer is obliged to uproot the three extra stalks, leaving only two,” Odong explains.
Weeding
First, weeding is usually carried out when the crop is three weeks old. Odong says locally sourced labourers charge sh50,000 for weeding an acre. The second weeding is usually done when the crop is six weeks old. NARO SORG 1 sorghum variety is resilient and quick-maturing.
Pests, diseases
Odong says the most common fungal diseases include stemborer, shoot fly, sorghum mite, sorghum smut and leaf blight.
“Often, fungal diseases have been well controlled when fungicides are applied,” Odong says.
On the other hand, he has had to use a multi-dimensional strategy to handle cases of sorghum smut and leaf blight.
“The two are so contagious. I have always been compelled to uproot the affected plants and burn them about 100m away from the field,” Odong says.
Alongside uprooting, he also has time to spray fungicides to crops that have not yet been affected. The trick has always yielded positive results, he observes.
Maturity
The cereal crop matures after 100 days (about three-and-a-half months). Motorised crop threshers quicken harvesting as it includes tarpaulins and hiring about 10 labourers.
When the sorghum bulbs are harvested, they are fed in the thresher device that separates chaff from the grains.
“The contract farming firm has eased things for a farmer. By the time a farmer is harvesting, trucks are at hand to transport the grain. When processed sorghum grains are packed in sacks, the bulk is weighed and loaded on the trucks.
“A critical task a farmer has at this point is noting the weight of each sack, then later computing the net weight of the harvest by the farm gate price of sh1,100. The next thing would be getting paid,” he observes smiling.
Odong’s target is to cultivate at least 50 acres of sorghum in three years.
“I will not turn back. I am aiming at increasing my acreage to about 50 acres by ploughing back whatever profits I make,” he says.
Odong already has the land to carry out the expansion.
