Why dryland cereals?

Needs Why dryland cereals? Policy support is needed Education on the nutritional Value addition in dryland cereals receives little policy support. benefits Access to better farm practices, C technologies and markets Development of storage, cooking and products that keep the nutri- tional benefits and are appealing to the local tastes. These all need support to fully de- velop the industry and provide livelihoods for the farmers. Staple foods in many areas of Africa and Asia Improved varieties are needed Currently rainfed sorghum can yield as low as 0.6 t/ha. Yet realistic on-farm potential is more than 3 times this. Millet and Sorghum are one of the major sources of staple diet in the semi-arid tropical regions of South Asia and sub- Saharan Africa. Only about 20-30% of seeds used in sub-Saharan Africa are improved varieties (for sorghum and millet respectively). 1,044 kg/ha Commonly 80% 530 kg/ha 40% 20% of dryland cereals are eaten on farm - a basic food security for the very poorest people. Sorghum grain yields rose 40% and fodder yields 20% from 2010 to 2012, with 25,000 farmers, via the work of the HOPE project in the drylands of Maharashtra in India. 1988 2008 Optimism: Pearl millet hybrid, bred in India, led to a to a doubling of productivity from 530kg/ha in 1988 to 1,044kg/ha within two decades. 500 million >90 million people in more than 30 countries are reliant on sorghum as a staple diet. people in Africa and Asia are reliant on millet as a staple diet. 5. Drought tolerant and few other alternatives exist in the drylands Multiple uses Offering many livelihood opportu- nities for farmers and agribusiness Dryland cereals are the most hardy, resilient and climate adaptable crops for harsh, hot and dry environments. Other cereal crops yield poorly or fail in such climates. As climates get hotter and drier, the dryland cereals will become increasingly suited to areas where other crops entrepreneurs iof are grown. 3. Food Fodder Highly nutritious: Important for fighting malnutrition in developing countries Pearl millet for pops and crunchy snacks, and flat breads. Sorghum for couscous, dumplings, instant porridge, and semi- leavened bread. Net returns from sorghum increased 3 fold by keeping sorghum stover and feeding it to the dairy animals. And increasing their production value from: Easier to produce Millet 100g of finger millet has about Can have large yield increases through im- proved farm conditions. → USD 1,241/ha High levels of zinc in sor- Zn ghum and millet, can help reduce stunting. to 1/3 100g of finger millet has nearly of the daily cal- cium require- 1/2 ment. USD 484/ha Finger millet is very high in Ca calcium and iron making it important for lactating women and children. Often revered by nutritionists as the key to finally solving Africa's malnutrition problem Requires lower external inputs. Sorghum Grows quickly. of the daily iron re- quirement. Beverages High levels of iron Fe in sorghum and millet can reduce 100g of pearl millet has Can adapt to a wide range of soil conditions. Good response to sus- tainable application of fertilizers and water. 100% Emerging new products: nutrifoods, nutrametics, health foods and bakeries. anemia. of the daily iron re- quirement. Biofuels 2