BATAC CITY. — The first national sweet sorghum RDE conference
will be held here on Feb. 27-28.
Conference venue is the Department of Agriculture-Philippine
Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) within the complex of the Mariano Marcos
State University (MMSU), a multi-campus tertiary institution whose seat of
administration is the main campus here.
Theme of the meeting is "Synergizing linkages for a
commercially viable bioethanol industry in the Philippines".
Sponsors are MMSU, Department of Agriculture-Bureau of
Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), Department of Science and Technology-Philippine
Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development
(DOST-PCARRD), Department of Energy, Commission on Higher Education, and the
India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
Expected participants are about 100 researchers, extension
workers, and policymakers from DA, DOE, DOST, Department of Finance, Department
of Trade and Industry, selected state colleges and Universities, private sector
representatives, farmers, and other stakeholders.
The conference aims to summarize current RDE (research,
development, extension) activities on sweet sorghum in the Philippines for
better understanding of its needs and prospects as a multi-purpose crop for
biofuels, food, feeds, and forage.
It will identify key options and research priorities in
designing and evaluating integrated food and energy production systems.
Moreover, it will organize the manpower requirements and
infrastructure and laboratory needs of biofuel RDE in support of the industry.
Among the conference’s expected outputs are reviewed R&D
projects in sweet sorghum; recommendations on the crop’s researchable areas;
probable funding sources for its R&D and technology promotion; and a platform
for the establishment of a National Sweet Sorghum Research and Development
Center.
Sweet sorghum, which looks like a corn plant, is a promising
feedstock for bioethanol production in the country.
Its grains can be used as feed, beverage, and feed; its stem
contains high amount of sugar which can be extracted and fermented to bioethanol;
and its leaves are good fodder for animals.
Experiments on the crop’s use for bioethanol have been done
in the country for the past two years and results are promising.
"There is a need to review the output of these researches so that results and
issues can be properly aligned to the national thrust of the government for food
security and bioethanol production," the conference organizers stressed.
