Sorghum
Sorghum is a staple crop in South Sudan and is found in numerous dishes of South Sudan, such as Kisra and Asida. Sorghum grain is consumed by farmers and their families but sold in all local markets; sorghum production is 40 to 75 percent of South Sudan’s national food supply and is grown in all of its ten states. Sorghum grows during the rainy season; once harvested, it is ground and stored for the dry season. Unfortunately, the dry season in South Sudan is marked by a lack of food, and the price of sorghum rises.
A large portion of the South Sudanese population lives in rural villages, and they lack the extensive tools to yield large harvests. Therefore, whatever sorghum is grown is for consumption and is sold in towns only when farmers must for church clothes, holidays, and doctor’s visits.
Commonly called dura, sorghum was domesticated 5,000–8,000 years ago in Sudan and Egypt, with the first written record of sorghum originating in 8,000 B.C — wild sorghum still grows in the region. The nomadic tribal groups of Africa spread sorghum, which made its way to India, China, and Australia. The resilient crop, which can handle drought and moderate waterlogging, is excellent for the weather conditions of South Sudan, and sorghum is a beneficial crop for areas with food insecurities.
