Thread by @sarnchos

I just started a new research into sweet sorghum production in Nigeria, and I discovered that we are the third largest producer of sorghum in the world, behind the US & India

What I didn't know is that the STEM of the sorghum plant (just like sugarcane)

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can be used to produce sugar, which is fermentable to ethanol

Again, i want to mention our attitude towards extractive exports.

If we can master the procedure for refining sugar to ethanol, we can be a world leader in biofuel production withing a very short time.

Nigeria is extremely rich in the sort of crops that will produce immense value once we process them.

The attitude of just exporting without adding value needs to stop.

With sorghum, sugarcane and cassava, we can dominate the world in sustainable energy production.

Our farmers need to understand the value in every single component of the crops they produce.

I'm not sure if the stems of sorghum plants are currently used today in Nigeria instead of being burnt or discarded.

But, as I always say, we are sitting on a goldmine!

There are several advantages of growing the crop for bioethanol, glucose syrup and animal feeds. First, it is hardy and thrives in arid conditions such as where precipitation is low and access to irrigation water is limited

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Second, yields of syrup and bioethanol from sweet sorghum are comparable to that of sugarcane and better than cassava. It is a short duration crop which can be grown twice in a year.

dailytrust.com.ng/well-begin-pro…

While grain sorghum is used for human food, forage and animal feed, sweet sorghum combines both attributes with the production of edible syrup

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I propose that that the government sets up an ethanol production department in either the ministry of science and technology, or the ministry of agriculture

The collaboration with Brazil must focus on ethanol. The financing being provided should include its technology transfer

Various studies have also indicated that sweet sorghum is the most sustainable ecosystem for renewable fuel, syrup and animal feeds production as it provides the most efficient use of land, water, nitrogen and energy resources.

dailytrust.com.ng/well-begin-pro…

Various studies have outlined the best practices for sweet sorghum production. These conditions are prevalent in most parts of the North where sorghum has been cultivated economically and sustainably for decades by local farmers.

Studies have also shown that for satisfactory yields, sufficient temperature levels are necessary. These should include a minimum soil temperature of about 15ºC while the optimum temperature for growth is about 30ºC. Rainfall regimes should be between 400 – 750 mm per year

These conditions are prevalent in most parts of the North

In some cases, however, the sweet sorghum productivity may be even higher. These practices have been observed by local farmers for decades and Nigeria is one of the major producers of sorghum in the world.

As these conditions are also what is required by sweet sorghum, it is believed that its cultivation will succeed in Nigeria.

The primary objective of the council is to develop sweet sorghum value chain in Nigeria and also to promote the venture as small/medium enterprises

in rural areas using the village model system

Emphasis is being placed on the production of glucose syrup and bioethanol for industrial & energy uses.

For instance, between 2011 and 2017, over 300,000 tonnes of syrup valued at $130m were imported.

Ekha Agro Farms Limited, located at Km 25 on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, is one of the few companies producing glucose syrup from cassava starch

It produces about 26 per cent of national demand, while more than 70 per cent of the national requirement is still being imported. Apart from this, Nigeria imported over 71,900MT of ethanol between 2011 and 2017 value at 200 billion naira for various industrial applications

The need to stem this tide and make the nation self-reliant in the production of bioethanol and syrup made the council to initiate this project

The major equipment required are weighing machines, conveyor belt, shredder, press, digestion chamber, maturation chamber, & evaporator

In view of the paucity of foreign exchange, the council has commissioned Bonaffairs Nigeria Limited for equipment design and fabrication

It is our intention that by end of the first quarter of 2019, the equipment would have been fabricated, tested and commissioned for the production of syrup and ethanol for various industrial uses.

Two of the council’s engineers have undergone training in China on the design and fabrication of the requisite equipment and they are coordinating the equipment design and fabrication exercise

As I said earlier, the world is moving gradually from fossil fuels to biofuels.

While our initial plans are to satisfy local industrial demand of glucose syrup and ethanol for use in our different industries, our projection is to encourage production of adequate and sustainable quantities of bioethanol for all the markets where it is required globally

These are beverages, pharmaceuticals, confectioneries, cosmetics and other industrial applications including fuel producing industries

This will ensure that Nigeria also contributes to the elimination of global warming by the replacement of fossil fuels by biofuels in several

areas of industrial applications locally

This may take some time as a result of the level of technological advancement locally

However, with the approach we have introduced, it's my belief that this is achievable & will positively impact our industrial development aspirations