South Africa's Sorghum Industry Faces Stagnation Due to Weak Demand and Biofuel Collapse

South Africa's sorghum industry is stagnant despite the crop's nutritional benefits and climate resilience, primarily due to weak domestic consumer demand and the collapse of biofuel initiatives. Production for 2024-25 is projected at 146,605 tonnes from just 41,150 hectares, a 75% decrease from 1990-91 levels.

Initial optimism in the early 2010s around biofuel projects such as Mabele Fuels and IDC plants, which aimed to create a market for 500,000 tonnes annually, diminished by 2016 due to inadequate government support. While export opportunities exist in southern Africa and potential markets like Cameroon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Japan, and Mexico, these remain untapped amid competitiveness issues and the impact of the 2015-16 drought. Revitalization of the sector necessitates investment in higher-yielding varieties and research, alongside export expansion to leverage global demand, although domestic consumption growth appears limited.