Report on a review mission to the CPHP programme of research on sorghum utilisation in India (Projects R6767, R6686, and R6687)

The aim of the mission was to review progress on project components to date, to identify any strategic changes of direction or approach in the work programme, and to assess capacity for producing outputs on schedule. (Full TOR are given in Annex 1 ). There are three projects within the programme covering Utilisation (R6687), Post Harvest Losses/Storage (R6767) and Consumption (R6686). To varying degrees these projects share five common components within the programme as a whole - data surveys (both informal and questionnaire); storage analysis; consumption issues; industrial utilisation and potential; analysis and development of policy conclusions. A brief outline of key issues affecting the sorghum sector in India is provided at Annex 2 (drawing upon work by Day, Hall, Kelley, Marsland and others). This indicates that the most important components of the NRI programme are the data surveys (especially the development of partial budgets), and potential for industrial use. Issues concerning consumption remain of some significance (especially in the context of poverty agenda), whilst storage issues have only modest importance. Analysis and development of policy agenda remain fundamental to the programme. The proposed resourcing of activities (see Annex 5) over the remaining lifetime of the project, broadly reflects this relative importance between the five components.