TRADE PROJECT REPORT

INSTITUTION NAME: THE BUNGOMA

NATIONAL POLYTECHNIC

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE

TITLE OF THE PROJECT: SORGHUM

FARMING

STUDENT’S NAME: ALEX NTOKOIWUAN

REGISTRATION NUMBER: 602101715

UNIT NAME: TRADE PROJECT

TRAINER NAME: MR. DENIS KARANDINI

 SUBMISSION DATE: JULY 2025
DECLARATION

I declare that this project is my original work and has not been submitted to the Kenya national
examination council for the award of marks.

Candidate's name..........................

Signature.. .............

Date............

Supervisor's name..............

Signature................

Date.............
DEDICATION

I declare this project to my beloved parents and guardians,whose steadfast support, encouragement
and sacrifice have made my project possible.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who supported me throughout the competition
of the project. First and foremost the almighty God for granting me good health, wisdom and strength to
carry this work successful.

My appreciation goes to my teacher for the guidance and the advice that greatly contributed to the
success of this project.I also extend my gratitude to my parents for the financial support throughout the
project.
ABSTRACT

This project teaches about the production of sorgum,a Vital cereal crop with significant economic
nutritional value especially in arid and semi-arid [Link] objective was to analyse the production,
market trends,trade patterns and challenges affecting sorgum trade locally and
[Link] was gathered through secondary research including government reports
market and case studies from sorgum producing regions.
CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Sorgum is one of the most important cereal crops grown in many parts of the world especially in arid
and semi-arid regions due to it's resistance to drought and high [Link] serves as a suitable food
for millions of people,a key ingredient in animal feeds and raw material for industrial use such as biofuel
production.

1.2 ORIGIN OF P THE CRO

Is believed to have originated in north eastern Africa , particularly in the region of present day Sudan
and [Link] Africa sorgum spread to India, China and eventually to other parts of Asia and the
middle East through ancient trade [Link] to it's adaptability to hit ,dry climate, sorgum became a
major crop in regions with low rainfall and today it is widely grown in Africa,Asia and America especially
in Mexico and United States

1.3 OBJECTIVE

 To provide food security as it is a staple food in Many parts of Africa and Asia.
 To provide animal feeds because it provide nutrients rich in energy
 To be used in industries for production of biofuels, alcohol and beverages like Bear
 To promote the value addition and processing for sorgum products

1.4 ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT

1.4.1 SOIL

It grows well in a balanced mix of sand and clay

1.4.2 CLIMATE

It is a drought tolerant and performs well in areas with low moderate rainfall (400-700mm per year)

1.4.3 SUNLIGHT

Requires full sunlight (6-8houours) of direct sunlight per day

1.4.4 ALTITUDE

Can grow above sea level up to 2,00metres

1.4.5 RAINFALL

Requires moderate rainfall during the growing season

2.0 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 IMPORTANCE OF THE CROP

 For food security, sorgum is is a staple food for millions hence it is used to make porridge,
flatbreada and traditional dishes
 Drought resistance, sorgum is highly tolerant to drought making it a reliable crop in dry and semi
arid areas where other crops may fail
 To provide animals feed,sorghum stalks and grains are used as nutrious fodder for livestock
 Income generation ,farmers growers sell sorgum local and international markets hence helping
them earn money
 For industrial use, sorgum is used in the production of biofuels, alcohol and starch fro industrial
purposes.

2.2 FACTORS AFFECTING

2.2.1 PEST AND DISEASES

Common pest such as aphids and armyworms

2.2.1 CLIMATE CONDITIONS

Sorgum needs warm temperature and moderate rainfall

2.2.3 SOIL QUALITY

Poor waterlogged soils can reduce productivity

2.2.4 RAINFALL AND WATER SUPPLY

Excess rainfall during key stages like flowering can lower yield

2.2.5 SEED QUALITY

Using low quality or diseased seeds can lead to weak germination and poor crop development

2.2.6 STORAGE AND POST -HARVEST HANDLING

Poor storage leads to losses from pest and spoilagy

2.2.7 FARMING PRACTICES

Poor spacing,late planting and lack of weeding reduces output

2.3 SOLUTIONS

2.3.1 USE OF IMPROVED SEEDS

Plant high-yielding , drought resistant and disease tolerant sorgum varieties

2.3.2 INTEGRATED PEST AND DISEASES MANAGEMENT

Use a combination of natural predators, bio pesticides and safe chemicals to control pest and diseases

2.3.3 SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT

Apply organic manure or recommended fertilisers to boost soil nutrients and improve growth

2.3.5 EFFICIENT WATER USE

Adopt water conservation methods like mulching,rain water harvesting and irrigation in dry areas

2.3.6 CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE

Promote farming methods that helps in sorgum survive under changing climate conditions

2.3.7 POST -HARVEST HANDLING

Improve drying, threshing and storage techniques to reduce grain losses and maintain quality
3.0 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 SITE SELECTION

I chosen suitable climate area with warm temperature

 Soil type ,well drained fertile loamy soil with a pH of 5.8
 Land topography,I selected flat gently sloping land to avoid erosion and ensure easy land
preparation and harvesting
 Previous land use,I avoided land where sorgum or millet were previously grown to prevent
disease building

Accessibility,I made sure that the site has easy transporting inputs

3.2 LAND PREPARATION

3.2.1 SITE CLEARING

I removed weeds and crop residues from the field

3.2.2 PLOUGHING

I ploughed the land to break the soil in order to improve soil aeration and allows better root
penetration

3.2.3 HARROWING

I did harrowing I order to break large particles soil and create fine seedbed.

3.2.4 LEVELING

I leveled the land to ensure even water distribution and to prevent waterlogging in some parts of
the field.

3.2.5 MARKING ROWS

I made lines with proper spacing of 60cm between rows

3.2.6ADDING ORGANIC FERTILISER

I applied recommended fertiliser to enrich the soil before planting

3.3 PLANTING

I used line sowing method by hand which ensures uniform spacing , better management and
efficient weeding
 3.3.1 PREPARATION OF FURROWS

I used a stick to draw shallow furrows about 60cm deep along the marked lines .I made sure the
furrows were straight and evenly suitable for seeds

3.3.2 SPACING

I used proper spacing to ensure healthy plant growth by reducing overcrowding and good air
[Link] planting depth i used (60cm) was to promote quick germination and strong seedling
emergence.

3.3.3 PLANTING DEPTH

I used planting depth of 2cm in order to reduce delay germination of seeds.

3.5 HARVESTING

3.5.1 HARVESTING METHODS

I applied knives as manual harvesting method after realising my plants had started flowering

3.5.2 POST-HARVSTING

I did drying in order to reduce moisture content to prevent mold and spoilage

I did threshing by beating with a stick in order to separate the grain from the panicle.

I applied winnowing to remove chaff,dust and damaged grains.

After I was sure my grains were completely dry I stored them in a clean containers.

3.5.3 I harvested 6kg of sorgum on my 12square metre of land which was the size of my plot .I sold them
at ksh150.

3.5.4 If I harvested 6kg of sorgum on a 12m² of land ,what about 1acre of land ?

12m²=6kg what about 1cre

1acre×6kg÷12m²

1acre=10,000m² what about 12m²=0.0012acres

0.0012acres=6kg what about 1ha =5,000kgs

0.0012ha=150shillings what about=125,000ksh per ha

4.0 CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 DATA ANALYSIS

I planted sorgum on a plot measuring 12m²

4.1.1 PLOT SIZE AND PLANTING

 Total plot area:12m²

 Total sorgum seeds:used 170grams
 Method of Plantation:sowing in rows
 Germination stared:10days after planting

4.1.2 GERMINATION RATE

Estimated of seeds that germinated is approximately 80%

4.1.3 GROWTH PERFORMANCE

Week2:Plants sprout after 10days

Week 4:plants develop 3.5leaves

Week 6:plants height increased significantly

Week 10:head formation began

Week 14 grains developed and filled with starch and harvest readiness started to dry

4.1.4 FARMING PRACTICES

Weeding -i did twice during the project

Irrigation -it was not done due to availability of enough rainfall

Thinning -it carried out after week 5 to reduce overcrowding

Fertilizer used-well decomposed compost manure

4.1.5 PEST

Aphids were observed and used insecticide to control

4.1.6 HARVESTING AND YIELD

I did my harvesting after 100days after planting and the total yield I got from 12m²was 6kg of
grain sorgum

4.1.7 ECONOMICAL ANALYSIS

Estimated selling price ksh 40 per kg

Total revenue 6kg×40 =240 ksh

Cost-120ksh

Profit -120ksh

4.1.8 CONCLUSION

Sorghum grows well in small plots when well maintained

Natural pest control methods were effective

The project was productive and profitable on small scale

4.2 DATA PRESENTATION

The sorgum project was carried on 12m² [Link] began within 10days with an
estimated germination rate of 80%,by the sixth week the plant size increased
[Link] practices including timely weeding,thinning and use of organic
manure were strictly done by myself

I did harvesting in week 10 yielding approximately 6kgs of grain sorgum.

The results indicate that small scale sorgum farming is viable especially with proper agronomic
practices and minimal input costs

4.3 DATA INTERPRETATION

I found that small scale sorgum farming on 12m² plot shows low yield and minor losses if inputs
are purchased using resources like compost manure and control of pest reduces losses and
profitable activity

4.4 SUMMARY

Small sorgum plot of 12m² gives out about low yield input cost slightly exceeds revenue but
using home resources brings more profit
4.5 CONCLUSION

12m²plot of sorgum demonstrate that small scale farming may not generate high profits when
using purchased inputs .It becomes more economical and environmentally sustainable when
applied home resources and manual labour used.

4:6 RECOMMENDATION

Avoid using chemical fertilizers and use organic fertilizer in order to make profit and good
quality crops .Use home resources to utilise compost manure and manual watering to reduce
the input [Link] direct marketing by selling grain sorgum [Link] the resources are available
in the area expand the project to improve yield profitability

4.7 REFERENCE

Personal observation and data collected from the 12m² plot cultivation during the project

Agricultural practices for grain sorgum International Crops Research Institute for Semi arid
Tropic (ICRISAT)

4.8 APPENDICES

On 24th March -Site selection

25th march -primary cultivation

28th March -secondary cultivation

3rd April -Harrowing of the land

4th-plot demarcation

6th April -planting

20th April -weeding and thinning

27th June -harvesting