Sorghum is a unique cereal that is drought tolerant and adaptable, making it a crop mainly utilized for subsistence farming and cash cropping in arid regions. Sorghum, together with corn and rice, is one of the main grain crops cultivated in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan, yet its importance has been emphasized in recent years due to its potential to support regional water-efficient agriculture, and landscape degradation initiatives. This insight brief describes the current flow of products and stakeholders involved in the sorghum value chain in Karakalpakstan. Taking into account regional conditions, it highlights the opportunities that sorghum can bring to local farmers due to its drought tolerance and adaptability, as well as the potential products that sorghum can be processed into in order to support the development and improvement of the value chain. The value chain of sorghum in Karakalpakstan ends with the commercialization of sorghum grain and flour for food and grain, stalks and leaves for livestock feed; all of these products undergo limited value addition from the production stage.

This publication is a key product of GGGI’s Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to address impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis in Uzbekistan, funded by KOICA.

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