Sorghum value chain in Nigeria: Explorative study
The decision by HEINEKEN subsidiary Nigerian Breweries to use locally grown sorghum in beer production in 1988 has been a catalyst for the creation of an industrial market for sorghum. Researchers from the African Studies Centre Leiden, in collaboration with partners from Nigerian tertiary institutions, have conducted an exploratory research of the socio-economic and agronomic dynamics in this industrial sorghum market. The research team was led by Dr Akinyinka Akinyoade and included Agnieszka Kazimierczuk, Drs Ogbagu Ekumankama, Toyese Agbaje, and Prof. Ton Dietz.
The study showcases the impacts of the industrial sorghum market on farming communities and with aggregators and other value chain actors. Sorghum production has become an important source of revenue for farmers and the study found impacts on children’s education, meeting food expenses and general well-being. It also identified the emergence of larger-scale commercial sorghum farming, which has created a new labour market structure with smallholder farmers engaged in paid farm labour. This raises additional questions about the labour conditions on these farms, which HEINEKEN & Nigerian Breweries will need to investigate further.
Posted on 11 October 2020, last modified on 6 November 2020