• Sorghum is a major cereal crop, being grown extensively in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
• It is an important food crop for a large section of people in Africa and Asia and also the main source of fodder and industrial raw material.
• It ranks third in area and production after rice and wheat.
• Sorghum is also used in production of starch, biscuits, sugar and alcohol.
• Sorghum grain is a principal source of alcoholic beverages in many countries.
• The major sorghum growing areas include great plains of North America, sub Saharan Africa, North Eastern China, India, Argentina, Nigeria, Egypt and Mexico.
• France and Spain are major producers of sorghum in Europe.
• In some countries sorghum stalks are carried as decorations by people in their marches during festivals.
• The national flag of Burundi, an East African country bears the figure of a bundle of sorghum stalks.

• Sorghum, the second largest grain crop in India till the green revolution, presently occupies third place among food grains in terms of acreage and production.
• There had been a gradual decline in the area of sorghum from 18 million hectares in early 1960 to 9.98 million hectares in 1998-99.
• Although there is a continuous decrease in the area, the total production in the country has increased which is mainly due to increase in productivity from 492 kg / ha in 1964-65 to 958 kg/ha in 1996-97.
• The production of sorghum in India is about 8.71 million tonnes.
• In Tamil Nadu it is cultivated in an area of 4.01 lakh hectare with a productivity of 612 kg /ha.
• The production amounts to about 4.6 lakh tonnes.
• Maharastra stands first in area (5.14m ha), production (3.91m tonnes) and productivity (761 kg/ha) followed by Karnataka.

Source : DACP

• Archeological evidence suggests that the practices of cereal domestication was introduced from Ethiopia to Egypt about 3000 BC.
• It is possible that domestication of sorghum began about that time.
• Cultivated sorghum probably originated in east central Africa in or near Ethiopia or Sudan because of the great diversity of types found growing in that region.
• The diversity of cultivated types decreased towards Northern Africa, Southern Africa and Asia and also towards Western Africa.
• The general types found in Europe, Southern Asia and in other parts of Africa also occur in North East Africa. The cultivated sorghum would have arisen from one or more wild species of genus Sorghum.
• The wild species include Tunis grass (Sorghum virgatum), Komerun grass (S. effusus), Tabuki grass (S. verticilliflorum), S. plumosum, S. arundinaceum and S. aethiopicum each with 10 haploid chromosome.
• It has been reported that any or all of grass sorghums designated as S. verticilliflorum. S. arundinaecum and S. aethiopicum were the progenitors.
• The beginning of sorghum culture, as that of most other crops, is shrouded in mystery. Evidence indicates that it started in eastern Africa (probably Ethiopia or Sudan) in prehistoric times perhaps 5,000 to 7,000 or more years ago.
• Sorghum apparently was carried by migrating natives to many countries of Africa before its existence was recorded. It had reached Botswana (Bechuanaland) by the 10th century A.D., Zambia by the 14th century and Southern Africa in the 16th century.
• The earliest available record of sorghum is its occurrence in a carving in the palace of Sennacherib, at Ninevah, Assyria, about 700 B.C.
• It had reached India and Europe by about the beginning of the Christian era and was mentioned by Pliny in the 1st century A.D. Sorghum production spread across southern Asia, and reached China apparently in the 13th century.
• There are no authentic records of sorghum in China before about 1200 A.D. despite several suggestions of an earlier arrival.
• It may have been introduced there from southeast Asia or India, after which the characteristic kaoliang types of China, Manchuria and Japan were evolved.
• Seed of sorghum was carried from Africa to various parts of the western hemisphere by captive slaves during the 17th and 18th centuries.
• One variety, a type of kafir called guinea corn, was grown well into the 20th century.
• Another introduction, called chicken corn, escaped from cultivation, became a serious weed pest, and is now called shattercane or wildcane because its seeds shatter readily and remain viable over winter in the soil.
• The culture of sorghum for syrup and forage in the United States followed the introduction of Chinese Amber sorgo from France in 1853 and 15 varieties of sorgo brought from South Africa by Leonard Wray, an English sugar planter, in 1857.
• Sorghum was extensively used for syrup production in early 1900.

• Sorghum is a staple food and provides carbohydrates to the people in North Karnataka, Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• It occupies 5.27 per cent of gross cultivated area.
• The value of 8.71 million tonnes of sorghum grains produced annually amounts to Rs.26,130 million. Sorghum grain is an important raw material for starch industry and also used as cattle and poultry feed.
• This crop also has export potential.
• Sweet sorghum varieties have juicy stalk and can be utilized for jaggery and alcohol production.
• From one hectare of sweet sorghum 33 kg of jaggery and 2100 litres of alcohol can be obtained.
• These value added products have good market potential and can improve the economic status of the farmer.

• In Tamil Nadu Sorghum is grown in Coimbatore district extensively followed by Dindigul district and Tiruchirapalli district. Virudhunagar district has the minimum area.
• Production is highest in Dindigul district while the productive per hectare is the highest in Dharmapuri district.
• The area under the grain sorghum is gradually declining due to its low demand for food and low producer price.
• It is being replaced by maize in many districts which gives higher return due to better market price.
• In many areas sorghum is raised as fodder crop.

• Sorghum is a staple food and provides carbohydrates to the people in North Karnataka, Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• It occupies 5.27 per cent of gross cultivated area.
• Sorghum grain is an important raw material for starch industry and also used as cattle and poultry feed.
• This crop also has export potential.
• Sweet sorghum varieties have juicy stalk and can be utilized for jaggery and alcohol production.
• From one hectare of sweet sorghum 33 kg of jaggery and 2100 litres of alcohol can be obtained.
• These value added products have good market potential and can improve the economic status of the farmer.