Foreword II

Summary

Sorghum is a drought-tolerant crop and thus an important food source in semi-arid regions of the world. The area under sorghum production has declined from 18 million ha in 1970 to 6.98 million ha in 2009–10. This decline is more prominent in kharif (rainy) season than in rabi (post-rainy) season. The consumer demands in food production have changed considerably in the last three decades. It is believed that food is not only required to provide necessary nutrients but also to prevent nutrition-related diseases and improve physical and mental well-being of consumers. Sorghum products are being promoted for their positive health benefits by the Directorate of Sorghum Research under the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP). This promotion aims at rural income augmentation and employment generation through post-harvest processing, value addition, and development of rural agro-industries.

I appreciate the collaborative efforts of the authors in bringing out this valuable publication. It will be an important reference book for planners, policy-makers, plant breeders, socio-economists, and nutritionists alike to devise steps to enhance the production, consumption, utilization, and marketing of sorghum.