page_title: Commercial sorghum
section_title: Cultivation and uses
hierarchical_section_title: Commercial sorghum / Cultivation and uses
caption_attribution_description: English: Bag of traditional Somali massaggo (sorghum) manufactured by Somali Foods Inc.
context_page_description: Commercial sorghum is the cultivation and commercial exploitation of species of grasses within the genus Sorghum. These plants are used for grain, fibre and fodder. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Commercial Sorghum species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.
  Other names include durra, Egyptian millet, feterita, Guinea corn, jwari ज्वारी, jowar, juwar, milo, shallu, Sudan grass, cholam, jola/ಜೋಳ, jonnalu జొన్నలు, gaoliang, great millet, kafir corn, dura, dari, mtama, and solam.
  Sorghum has been, for centuries, one of the most important staple foods for millions of poor rural people in the semiarid tropics of Asia and Africa. For some impoverished regions of the world, sorghum remains a principal source of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Sorghum grows in harsh environments where other crops do not grow well, just like other staple foods, such as cassava, that are common in impoverished regions of the world. It is usually grown without application of any fertilizers or other inputs by a multitude of small-holder farmers in many countries.
context_section_description: Sorghum is used for food, fodder, and the production of alcoholic beverages. It is drought-tolerant and heat-tolerant, and is especially important in arid regions. It is an important food crop in Africa, Central America, and South Asia, and is the "fifth most important cereal crop grown in the world".
caption: Bag of Somali commercial sorghum (massaggo).
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