2021 Year in Review

U.S. Sorghum Viewed As Viable Feed Ingredient In Kenyan Poultry Trials

image of person with chickens
The U.S. Grains Council recently visited Nairobi, Kenya, to get an in-person update on the ongoing sorghum feeding trials. The initial results of the trials have been positive, demonstrating that sorghum is a viable substitute for corn in poultry feeds.

Since early 2021, the Council has partnered with Unga Farm Care, a leading feed manufacturing company in East Africa, to demonstrate the reliability, price competitiveness and other benefits of using U.S. sorghum in animal feed rations in Kenya, working specifically to build trust in its quality, ease of importation and use in the country.

Demand for corn across East Africa continuously surpasses supply. In a typical year, the region can face upwards of a 2 million metric ton (MMT) shortage.

Sorghum can act as a substitute, or partial substitute, to corn in animal feed rations. If used in the country, it could not only help reduce the cost of finished feeds, but also the cost of poultry and eggs for consumers.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Quality Sampling Program (QSP), the Council procured and shipped 60 metric tons, 2,362 bushels, of U.S. sorghum to the Port of Mombasa in late 2020 for the poultry sorghum feeding trials in Nairobi. The Council worked with the Texas Grain Sorghum Producers (and its member United Ag), the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) and the National Sorghum Producers to coordinate the procurement and delivery of these samples.

Two feeding trials were conducted – one with layers and one with broilers. The layer trial, which began in late February, compares a control diet with no sorghum against a test diet replacing 50 percent of the corn in the ration with U.S. sorghum. The broiler trial that began in late March compares a control diet using no sorghum with a test diet replacing 100 percent of the corn with U.S. sorghum.

Following a long period of only virtual communication, Council staff members were able to visit Kenya in person in October to conduct an oversight visit of the ongoing programs in the region, as well as to meet with key animal feed and livestock stakeholders.

Sorghum has proven to be a viable substitute for corn in poultry feeds within the scope of the trial. Broilers, for which sorghum completely replaced corn in the trial, performed well against the control diet, with culled birds being well within the desired weight range. Layers, for which sorghum replaced 50 percent of the corn used, have also shown favorable results. The results will be shared with the broader feed industry there through the Association of Kenya Feed Manufactures (AKEFEMA).

Kenya was the fifth-largest market for U.S. sorghum in the 2020/2021 marketing year. Sorghum sales to the country rose to more than 49,650 metric tons (1.9 million bushels).