Top Kenyan scientist Dr Sylvester Anami leads global researchers to boost food security
Scientists and researchers from East and Central Africa led by Dr Sylvester Anami from the institute of Biotechnology Research, JKUAT as the principal investigator gathered at the Tropical Institute of Development Innovations head office in Mukono Uganda for an annual review for innovative Soghurm hybrid project that is being piloted in selected countries of Africa with Uganda being the host.
Participating countries were Kenya,Uganda,Tanzania,Sudan, and China.
The gathering brought together leading agricultural researchers and institutions from across Africa and China, marking a new chapter in climate smart agriculture.
Anami has been orchestrating complex international collaboration with remarkable success.
Already 500 farmers have benefited from training in business and financial management and microdistillery, and a sorghum mill has been procured.
A community seed bank is being constructed in Kakamega Kenya.
With more than 10,000 poor resource farmers being targeted,including 4,000 women in participating countries.
His team role is ensuring that scientific innovations translate into practical benefits for farmers across the region.
The project goal is
to establish a circular economic model in Kakamega for the sustainable production of ethanol, animal feeds, and biofertilizer from the stems of sweet sorghum hybrids and also
Develop composite flour to contribute to enhancing food and nutrition security in SubSaharan Africa.
Enhance farmers resilience through establishing a community seed bank and evaluate sweet sorghum hybrid performance in East Africa and evential release to the small-scale farmers to revolutionalize food security and also building capacity of sorghum farmers in sorghum agronomy, business, and financial management.
The team from Uganda is led by Dr. Clet Masiga and Dr. Ronald Kakeeto Kenya, Sudan Prof. Mohammed Abdalla, Tanzania, Dr. Eliud Kangola, and China, Prof. Hai Chun Jing to evaluate the project progress at the TIRDI, Kampala Unganda, and in sorghum fields in Kayunga District, Maluya village, Central Uganda.
Data shows from the citizen science approach show that significant progress has been achieved where sweet sorghum hybrids are being evaluated in all partner countries, they are more yielding when compared to local varieties and that they have more sugar in their stems when compared to local varieties.
An international exhibition is planned in Dodoma Tanzania later this year to show case the revolutionary potential of sweet sorghum hybrid in East Africa.
