Thailand’s Enserv Holding will launch Brunei’s first sorghum cultivation and processing initiative by year’s end, leveraging the crop’s versatility for applications in food, health and renewable energy.
Through its local arm Enserv BN, the company signed a tenancy agreement with the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DOAA) on September 4. It will establish a sorghum nursery at the Bio Innovation Corridor in Rimba and cultivate the crop at the nearby Agricultural Development Area (KKP) in Tungku, spanning a total of three hectares and supported by processing facilities for flour and biomass.
The initial sandbox phase will test the commercial feasibility of Enserv’s EMF3 platform (Food, Fuel, Fundamentals), which positions sorghum – a grain originating from Africa – as a “super crop” with potential for a value chain spanning food to renewable fuels. If successful, the project will advance to commercial-scale production.
Enserv Chairman Tanachat Pochana explained that the sorghum grain, which is gluten-free and rich in micronutrients, will be processed into resistant starch flour to produce EMF Rice, a low-calorie carbohydrate alternative suitable for diabetics and those managing their weight.
The stalks can be converted into solid biofuels such as biocrude oil and biocoal, while the sweet sap, traditionally used for molasses, can be fermented into bioethanol with further applications in biobased energy storage. By-products from these processes, such as bran and distillers’ dried grains, can also be used for animal feed.
October 16, 2025
