EABL begins to buy local sorghum

By Kenneth Kwama

East African Breweries Ltd (EABL) has started buying sorghum grown in various semi-arid areas with a key focus on the Eastern parts of the country as part of its ongoing strategy to produce alcoholic beverages using locally grown raw materials.

The purchases, which will be done through its subsidiary, East African Maltings Ltd (EAML) will target growers of a high-yield sorghum variety called Gadam sorghum, whose planting the brewer piloted in 17 Districts in the region last year.

"This new sorghum growing initiative in semi-arid areas is expected to impact the livelihood of over 25,000 farmers by providing an extra source of income to benefit the communities in which the sorghum is grown," said Lawrence Maina, agriculture manager at EAML.

To ensure sustainability of the project, the brewer also signed contracts with seed companies to produce and supply certified seeds for the sorghum variety to be distributed to more than 10,000 farmers.

Commercial growing of sorghum is expected to have a huge overall economic impact in semi-arid regions, which have had no viable and sustainable cash crop.

sorghum demand

The project has recruited over 6,000 small-scale farmers in lower and upper Eastern region since its inception last year and we expect more to benefit given the sorghum demand between 2010 and 2015.

"The project will spread to other parts of the country from January next year," said Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, who commissioned the sale of the first sorghum crop to EABL and also launched the new planting season in Mwingi last week.

The project is also expected to provide income-generating opportunities for several other suppliers along the chain.

EABL has guaranteed a ready market for quality white sorghum. This year alone, the brewer is targeting to buy up to 24,000 tonnes with the volume expected to grow in subsequent years.

Last year, EAML signed a contract with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) and Western Seed Company to produce the sorghum seed, which was distributed to about 3,000 farmers in Eastern province in the last planting season covering September to October.

The crop has now been harvested and deliveries of the same commenced in March.

EABL said it will only buy the Gadam sorghum variety whose seed is purchased from Kari or its agents and is approved for beer manufacturing.