More Food, Feed and Fuel for smallholder farmers through sweet sorghum based farming ssytems in Mali, West-Africa

Project number

FDOV12ML01

Country

• Mali

Location

• South of Bamako

Sector

• Agriculture

Project budget

Partners

• Mali Biocarburant
• FACT Foundation
• Koulikoro Biocarburant
• ICRISAT
• Fondation Mali Biocarburant
• WUR

Project description

The project aims at farmers switching from regular (unimproved) regular Sorghum to improved Sweet Sorghum, thereby further boosting the yield through the use of fertilizer. The resulting grain will serve as food (of which there will be more available – possibly surpassing the farmer’s own needs / to be marketed) and different partners of the consortium will create maximum value from the leaves and stalks as described above. Yields could be substantially increased by using improved seed qualities and fertilizer. When additionally switching to so-called Sweet Sorghum, a variety with far higher sugar contents in the stalks, possibilities of cultivation in Mali of which by now are proven, attractive possibilities exist for making use of the left overs of the plant. Sugar from the stalks can be fermented to provide ethanol (fuel), valuable proteins can be extracted from the leaves – e.g. to be used for enriching of flour in Mali, after which the remains of the stalks and leaves still provide ample nutritional value to serve as animal fodder.

Note:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is formal partner in this project.