Sorghum can replace yellow maize in poultry diets

Importation of resources for the manufacturing sector is negatively impacted by disruption in trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war. This includes importation of livestock feeds. Both energy and protein sources for feed formulation are imported and maize, especially yellow maize, is the mainstay ingredient in poultry feeds.

With increasing maize prices, confounded by COVID-19 and Ukraine war and climate change, alternative energy sources are needed. Chandapiwa Moses, a PhD candidate at the Department of Animal Sciences of BUAN and former Mogae-Barclays thinks one such possibility is malted sorghum. From her village upbringing, she recalls that malted sorghum is entrenched in Tswana indigenous knowledge systems of local beer making. From an agronomic point of view, sorghum as a crop is tolerant to harsh climatic conditions of Botswana. Therefore, Moses went on to test her theory that malted sorghum could be a substitute for yellow maize in poultry diets in her masters thesis in which she was supervised by Drs Freddy Manyeula and Molebeledi Mareko, and Professor Othusitse Madibela.