Sorghum can save starving households—agriculture office
PhalombeDistrict Agriculture Development Office says sorghum can be one of the most lucrative agriculture products if given attention and publicity.
Phalombe assistant district agriculture development officer Stanely Mataka said this during a Sorghum Open Day at Mpinda Extension Planning Area in the district on Thursday.
made from sorghum
He said the cereal can be used in preparing many food products that require baking flour and can also save starving households.
“In disaster-prone areas such as Mpinda where people experience floods and droughts yearly, sorghum can be their staple food due to its resistance to drought,” he said.
During the open day, which marked the end of a three-day nutrition training for lead farmers, the farmers showcased how sorghum can be used in baking snacks and preparing daily meals.
One of the farmers, Chimwemwe Thaelo, said for a snack business that uses sorghum flour, it is more profitable because its flour is cheaper than wheat baking flour commonly used in Malawi.
In her remarks, Mulanje district principal nutrition and HIV and Aids officer Lucy Ndiwo said sorghum contains minimal amounts of sugars, making it good for health compared to other flours people consume. “Sorghum is highly nutritious. With it we can fight malnutrition in children,” she said.
