How to grow teff in south africa?

Teff is one of the superfood grains that is gaining huge popularity across the globe for its stupendous nutritional profile. It is an annual cereal grass cultivated for its edible seeds that survive in hot and drought climatic condition. It is one of the tiniest grains known to man, measuring less than 1 mm in diameter and an average thousand kernel weight of about 0.26 grams. Teff is available in brown and white colours that delivers a nutty and mild flavour. This tiny poppy seed-sized grain is called small millet in India, which is quite similar to ragi, as both belong to the same biological subfamily.

Teff has been the secret of strength behind athletic endurance, stamina and successes owing to its dense amino acid content lysine which is mostly lacking in other cereals. It is a gluten-free grain packed with amino acids, essential fatty acids, dietary fibre and phytochemicals. Teff is bestowed with a high protein profile and well-balanced set of eight essential amino acids, which is valued as an endurance building food. It is mainly high in lysine, an amino acid that is often lacking in other grains, that supports hormones, enzymes, and collagen and elastin production and also promotes energy production and immune function. Being intrinsically rich in iron, copper, calcium and zinc fortifies bones, pump up iron stores, regulates diabetes, and prevents cancer. It is a perfect grain for those suffering from celiac disease and other digestive disorders. Furthermore, studies also reveal that teff is an abundant source of polyphenol compounds flavonoids, which are not found in other common cereals.

Also Read: Gluten Free: 5 Food Groups You Should Eat For A Healthy Gut

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat and other grains that gives an elastic texture to the dough. However, people with celiac disease cannot consume gluten, as the body’s immune system attack the lining of their intestine. This can lead to impairment of nutrient absorption leading to anaemia, weight loss, diarrhoea, constipation and bloating. Teff flour is naturally gluten-free and it’s an excellent alternative to wheat flour.

Teff is high in crude dietary fibre than most other grains that packs 12.2 grams of dietary fibre per 100 grams. It contains both soluble and insoluble fibre, where insoluble fibre adds bulk to stool, regularise bowel movements and prevents constipation. While soluble fibre softens stools, feeds gut bacteria and promotes carbohydrate and fat metabolism. A diet high in fibre is linked with a lower risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and other digestive problems.

Teff is loaded with immense volumes of iron, an essential mineral that supplies oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in the body. Adding this grain as a part of a diet regimen is known to decreased rates of anaemia in pregnant women and also helps others with iron-deficiency anaemia to improve their iron stores.

Also Read: Ragi/Finger Millet: Health Benefits, Nutrition, Uses For Skin And Hair, Recipes, Side Effects

Teff is blessed with eight essential amino acids, including lysine that can deliver potential support for normal growth and development. It holds a significant role in the regeneration of new cell, tissue repair, and development of muscle mass. It is a must-to-have cereal for vegetarians that helps to meet their protein demands.

Teff helps to control blood sugar spikes because of its low glycaemic index and high fibre content. It is loaded with resistant starch that delays the gastric emptying time, keep you satiated, control unwanted hunger pangs, shed extra kilos and effectively regulate blood glucose levels.

It is adapted to all of South Africa and can be utilized for dairy, beef and horses. Plant from late spring/early summer into a firm seed bed at a seeding depth of no deeper than 0.6 cm. Soil temperatures at planting should be at least 16° C and rising. Teff does not tolerate frost.

Eragrostis tef, also known as teff, Williams lovegrass or annual bunch grass, is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the Horn of Africa, notably to both Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is cultivated for its edible seeds, also known as teff. Teff was one of the earliest plants domesticated. It is one of the most important staple crops in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Eragrostis tef is a self pollinated tetraploid annual cereal grass. Teff is a C4 plant, which allows it to more efficiently fix carbon in drought and high temperatures, and is an intermediate between a tropical and temperate grass. The name teff is thought to originate from the Amharic word ጠፍፋ teffa, which means "lost". This probably refers to its tiny seeds, which have a diameter smaller than 1 mm (0.039 in). Teff is a fine-stemmed, tufted grass with large crowns and many tillers. Its roots are shallow, but develop a massive fibrous rooting system. The plant height varies depending on the cultivation variety and the environmental conditions. As with many ancient crops, teff is quite adaptive and can grow in various environmental conditions; particularly, teff can be cultivated in dry environments, but also under wet conditions on marginal soils.

Teff originated in the Horn of Africa, corresponding to what is today modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it is one of the most important cereals. It is grown for its edible seeds and also for its straw to feed the cattle. The seeds are very small, about a millimeter in length, and a thousand grains weigh approximately 0.3 g (0.011 oz). They can have a color from a white to a deep reddish brown. Teff is similar to millet and quinoa in cooking, but the seed is much smaller and cooks faster, thus using less fuel.

Teff is mainly cultivated in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it originates. It is one of the most important staple crops in these two countries, where it is used to make injera or Tayta. In 2016, Ethiopia grew more than 90 percent of the world's teff. It is now also marginally cultivated in India, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the US, particularly in Idaho, California, Texas, and Nevada. Because of its very small seeds, a handful is enough to sow a large area. This property makes teff particularly suited to a seminomadic lifestyle.

Teff was one of the earliest plants domesticated. Teff is believed to have originated in Ethiopia between 4000 BC and 1000 BC. Genetic evidence points to E. pilosa as the most likely wild ancestor. A 19th-century identification of teff seeds from an ancient Egyptian site is now considered doubtful; the seeds in question (no longer available for study) are more likely of E. aegyptiaca, a common wild grass in Egypt.

Teff is the most important commodity produced and consumed in Eritrea and Ethiopia: The flat pancake-like injera provide livelihood for around 6.5 million small farmers in the country. In 2006, the Ethiopian government outlawed the export of raw teff, fearing export-driven domestic shortages like those suffered by South American countries after the explosion of quinoa consumption in Europe and the US. Processed teff, namely injera, could still be exported and was mainly bought by the Ethiopian and Eritrean diaspora living in northern Europe, the Middle East and North America. After a few years, fears of a domestic shortage of teff in the scenario of an international market opening decreased. Teff yields had been increasing by 40 to 50% over the five previous years while prices had remained stable in Ethiopia. This led the government to partially lift the export ban in 2015. To ensure that the domestic production would not be minimized, the export licenses have only been granted to 48 commercial farmers which had not cultivated the plant before. Lack of mechanization is a barrier to potential increases in teff exports. Yet the increasing demand, rising by 7–10% per year, and the subsequent increase in exports is encouraging the country to speed up the modernization of agriculture and is also boosting research. Because of its potential as an economic success, a few other countries, including the US and some European countries, are already cultivating teff and selling it on domestic markets.

Teff is a multipurpose crop which has a high importance for the Ethiopian diet and culture. In Ethiopia, teff provides two-thirds of the daily protein intake. It is not only important for human nutrition, but also as fodder for livestock, or as building material. Teff is the main ingredient to prepare injera, a sourdough-risen flatbread. During meals, it is often eaten with meat or ground pulses. Sometimes it is also eaten as porridge. Moreover, teff can be used to prepare alcoholic drinks, called arak'e or katikalla or beer, called t'ella or fersso. Finally, due to its high mineral content, teff is also mixed with soybeans, chickpeas or other grains to manufacture baby foods.

According to a study in Ethiopia, farmers indicated a preference among consumers for white teff over darker colored varieties. As a nutritious fodder, teff is used to feed ruminants in Ethiopia and horses in the United States. It is a source of animal feed, especially during the dry season, and it is often preferred over straw from other cereals. Teff grass can be used as a construction material when mixed with mud to plaster the walls of local grain storage facilities.

Teff is adaptable and it can grow in various environments, at altitudes ranging from sea level to 3,200 metres (10,500 ft). However, it does not tolerate frost. Highest yields are obtained when teff is grown between 1,800 to 2,100 m (5,900 to 6,900 ft), with an annual rainfall of 450 to 550 mm (18 to 22 in), and daily temperatures range from 15 to 27 °C (59 to 81 °F). Yields decrease when annual rainfall falls below 250 mm and when the average temperature during pollination exceeds 22 °C. Despite its superficial root system, teff is quite drought-resistant thanks to its ability to regenerate rapidly after a moderate water stress and to produce fruits in a short time span. It is daylight-sensitive and flowers best with 12 hours of daylight. Teff is usually cultivated on pH neutral soils, but it was noticed that it could sustain acidity up to a pH below 5. Teff has a C4 photosynthesis mechanism.

The cultivation of teff is labor-intensive and the small size of its seeds makes it difficult to handle and transport without loss. In Ethiopia, teff is mostly produced during the main rain season, between July and November. It is known as an "emergency crop" because it is planted late in the season, when the temperatures are warmer, and most other crops have already been planted. Teff germination generally occurs 3–12 days after sowing. Optimal germination temperatures range from 15 to 35 °C; below 10 °C, germination almost does not occur. Teff is traditionally sown or broadcast by hand, on firm, humid soil. Usual sowing density ranges from 15 to 20 kg/ha, though farmers can sow up to 50 kg/ha, because the seeds are hard to spread equally and a higher sowing density helps to reduce weed competition at the early stage. Seeds are either left at the soil surface or slightly covered by a thin layer of soil, but must not be planted at a depth greater than 1 cm. The field can be subsequently rolled. Sowing can also be done mechanically; row planting reduces lodging.

Recommended fertilization doses are 25–60 kg/ha for N, and 10–18 kg/ha for P. Teff responds more to nitrogen than to phosphorus; thus, high nitrogen inputs increase the biomass production and size of the plants, thereby increasing lodging. To avoid this, farmers can decrease nitrogen input, cultivate teff after a legume crop or adjust sowing time so that the rains have stopped when the crop reaches heading stage. In Ethiopia, teff is commonly used in crop rotations with other cereals and legumes.

Teff is harvested 2–6 months after sowing, when the vegetative parts start to turn yellow. If teff is harvested past its maturation, seeds will fall off, especially in windy or rainy weather conditions. In Ethiopia, harvest lasts from November to January; harvest is usually done manually, with sickles. Farmers cut the plants at the soil surface, pile them up in the field and transport them to the threshing area. Teff is traditionally threshed by using animals walking on the harvest. Alternatively, some farmers rent threshing machines used for other cereals. The seeds are easy to store, as they are resistant to most pests during storage. Teff seeds can stay viable several years if direct contact with humidity and sun is avoided. Average yields in Ethiopia reach around two tonnes per ha. One single inflorescence can produce up to 1000 seeds, and one plant up to 10,000. Moreover, teff offers some promising opportunities for breeding programs: the first draft of the Eragrostis tef genome was published in 2014 and research institutes have started selecting for more resistant varieties. In 1996, the US National Research Council characterized teff as having the "potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare."

The major challenges in teff production are its low yield and high susceptibility to lodging. Efforts to conventionally breed teff towards higher yields started in the 1950s and led to an average annual increase in yield of 0.8%. However, no considerable improvements concerning the susceptibility of lodging have been made, due mainly to low demand outside of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

High-yielding varieties, such as Quencho, were widely adopted by farmers in Ethiopia. Sequencing of the teff genome improved breeding, and an ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS)-mutagenized population was then used to breed the first semi-dwarf lodging-tolerant teff line, called kegne. In 2015, researchers tested 28 new teff varieties and identified three promising lines that generated yields of up to 4.7 tonnes per ha.

The "Teff Improvement Project" marked a milestone by releasing the first teff variety Tesfa to the Ethiopian markets in March 2017. Areas of further development include: "(i) improving productivity of teff; (ii) overcoming the lodging malady; (iii) developing climate-smart and appropriate crop and soil management options; (iv) developing tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought and soil acidity; (v) developing suitable pre- and post-harvest mechanization technologies suitable for smallholder farmers as well as commercial farms; (vi) food processing and nutrition aspects with special attention to the development of different food recipes and value-added products; (vii) developing crop protection measures against diseases, insect pests and weeds; and (viii) improving or strengthening socio-economics and agricultural extension services."

The tef shoot fly (Atherigona hyalinipennis) is a major pest of the crop.

Other insect pests include:

Uncooked teff is 9% water, 73% carbohydrates, 13% protein, and 2% fat. Cooked teff is 75% water, 20% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and less than 1% fat (table). A 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving of cooked teff provides 420 kilojoules (101 kilocalories) of food energy, is a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, and manganese, and contains moderate amounts of thiamin, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and zinc (table). The fiber content in teff is also higher than in most other cereals.

While teff is gluten free, a method has been developed to process teff into a flour with a wider range of baking applications, such as for bread and pasta.

In 2003, a Dutch company, Health and Performance Food International (HPFI), paired with the Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity Conservation to introduce teff to European markets. The original agreement was for Ethiopia to provide HPFI with a dozen strains of teff to market globally, and the two entities would split the proceeds.

HPFI's CEO, Jan Roosjen, had taken out two patents on teff in 2003 and 2007, claiming that his way of milling and storing the flour was unique. HPFI went bankrupt in 2009, allowing Roosjen to continue to utilize those patents and the marketing rights for the grain while being freed from the original agreement with Ethiopia. Ethiopia only received 4,000 euros over five years of collaboration.

Roosjen ended up suing a Dutch bakery company, Bakers, for patent infringement because they were selling teff baked goods. The Dutch patent office declared that the patent was void, citing that the methods used to bake and mix flours were 'general professional knowledge. The deadline for Roosjen to appeal the decision expired in 2019, officially allowing Ethiopia access to Dutch teff markets.

However, Roosjen's company Ancientgrains BV still maintains patent rights in Belgium, Germany, Britain, Austria and Italy.

Teff is inherent to Ethiopia's national culture and identity, and the government of Ethiopia has expressed intent to hold Roosjen accountable to the fullest extent of international patent law, as well as to regain ownership over international markets of its most important food.

April 2016

WAYNE TRUTER, University of Pretoria, CHRIS DANNHAUSER, Grass SA, HENDRIK SMITH, Grain SA and GERRIE TRYTSMAN, ARC-Animal Production Institute

Integrated crop and pasture-based livestock production systems

This article is the 25th of a series of articles highlighting a specific crop species that can play an imperative role in conservation agriculture (CA)-based crop-pasture rotations.

Besides improving the physical, chemical, hydrological and biological properties of the soil, such species, including annual or perennial cover crops, can successfully be used as animal feed.

Livestock production systems are in many ways dependent on the utilisation of forage species, in this case as an annual cover crop, and can therefore become an integral component of CA-based crop pasture rotations. It is imperative to identify a plant species fulfilling the requirements of a dual purpose crop, i.e. for livestock fodder and/or soil restoration.

This article focuses on an annual summer grass cover crop with the potential to be used to improve soil conditions and to provide high quality fodder for ruminants and horses.

Eragrostis teff, teff or tef

Teff originates in Ethiopia and is an annual scantly tufted grass that can grow to 1 m tall. Teff is a very leafy plant and has a high yield of grain when in seed. This is a C4 plant and uses light efficiently in low moisture conditions.

It is also a shallow-rooted grass and has the ability to establish quickly in many different soil types. There are many different types of teff with three main types of seed colour. The white teff is slow maturing, grows in cooler conditions and is superior for grain production. Red and brown teff are faster maturing grasses and are superior for fodder. Because of its good nutritional qualities, teff is most commonly produced as a hay crop in South Africa.

Agro-ecological distribution

Teff requires an average rainfall of as low as 350 mm per annum, and the grain teff can grow with rainfall as high as 2 500 mm per annum. This species resists moderate droughts, hot weather, poor soil and low fertility.

Most cultivars require at least three good rain showers during the early growth and a total of 200 mm to 300 mm of water. Most teff in South Africa is grown in areas that receive between 400 mm to 900 mm rainfall. White teff has the ability to tolerate some frost; however it will not survive prolonged periods of extremely cold temperatures. On the other hand teff can also tolerate high temperatures of 35°C and higher.

With regards to soil types, teff is adapted to a variety of soil types and can be grown on sand to turf soils. It should be noted that even though teff grows on clayey soils, such as black turf soil, it does not tolerate waterlogged conditions. It is therefore essential that the soils in higher rainfall areas should be well-drained for optimal teff production. From a soil chemical perspective, soils with a pH lower than 5 will not significantly affect the growth of teff, thus making this species acid soil tolerant.

Management and utilisation

Since teff is a crop mainly grown for hay production, it is extremely important to ensure a firm, fine seedbed for the very small seeds sown. Consequently a level and uniform seedbed is required which will facilitate an easier hay harvesting process. When planting teff, it is essential to consolidate (roll) the seedbed before and after seeding. It is also important to make sure that the soil fertility levels are up to standard, especially the phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) levels being at least 15 mg/kg soil and 100 mg/kg soil, respectively.

Once the teff has germinated, the pasture can be fertilised twice during the growing season with two applications of 50 kg N/ha. If too much nitrogen is applied, this can result in the lodging of the species which results in difficult harvesting and significant loss of dry matter (DM) yield.

When planning on seeding teff, it is important to take note of whether it is being planted with other perennial sub-tropical grasses, such as Eragrostis curvula (weeping love grass/oulandsgras) – which is a common practice, or on its own, as this determines the seeding rate.

Teff is usually planted in early summer and can then provide at least two harvests. However, when planted mid-summer one harvest is usually obtained. The sowing rate for sandier soils is 7 kg/ha to 10 kg/ha and for clayey soils 10 kg/ha to 15 kg/ha and should be planted between mid-October and mid-January.

Teff is often used as a ‘nurse crop’ for many perennial pasture crops,  and is quite commonly used in a mixture with Rhodes grass and Smuts finger grass.

When teff is seeded with these other species, the ratio of teff to other species is important, as the teff can smother the other species if not managed correctly. It is therefore important to lower the seeding rates of teff to 5 kg/ha to 8 kg/ha depending on soil type (sandier versus clayey) and rainfall (low to high).

Soil conservation and health benefits

Teff is becoming more and more attractive as a temporary nonweedy ground cover in many parts of the world. Its function as a temporary ground cover due to its quick establishment and competiveness with other weeds has made this species an extremely important crop in the rehabilitation of degraded and disturbed soils.

As previously mentioned, teff is quick to establish and this becomes an extremely important characteristic of a pasture ley or cover crop which addresses the threat of erodible soils. Since teff has a shallow root system it therefore has the ability to stabilise the soil surface and not deplete the soil moisture and nutrient levels at deeper levels. As teff is currently being used as a ‘nurse crop’ it has the function of creating a micro-climate at the soil surface, thereby lowering the soil temperature which facilitates the germination of the more perennial species, but also preventing significant moisture loss through lowered evaporation at the soil surface.

Management challenges

The small size of teff seed poses problems during sowing and indirectly during weeding and threshing. At sowing the very small seed size makes it difficult to control population density and its distribution. The uneven plant stand after germination has an impact on nutrient use efficiency of the crop and crop yield.

Teff is not recommended for grazing purposes, since much plant material is lost due to trampling by grazing animals. It is also not suitable for silage and even less for foggage as reasoned in the latter statement.

Teff is therefore an extremely important hay crop and can provide high quality fodder. Harvesting of the crop is difficult because of lodging. Since teff lodges heavily it is not advisable to use higher rates of fertiliser to increase yield.

Teff rust (Uromyces eragrustidis Tracy) and head smudge (Helminthosporium miyakei Nisikado) have been reported as the most important diseases on teff (Stewart and Dagnachew, 1967 and Tareke, 1981).

Damping-off caused by Drechslera poae (Baudis) Shoemaker has been found to be severe and even damaging when higher rather than lower seed rates and early rather than late sowing dates were practised (Ketema 1997). Other insect pests have also been reported and include Welo bush-cricket (Decticoides brevipennis Ragge), central shootfly (Hylemya arambourgi) and the red teff worm (Mentaxya ignicollis Walker) (Ketema, 1997).

Animal production aspects

Teff is known as a very good quality hay crop. It is ready for hay making within 65 days to 75 days. For the best results it should be cut during the early to mid-flowering stage. It can produce between 2 tons DM/ha to 8 tons DM/ha, depending on all the climatic and management factors. Some producers have been successful in irrigating teff pastures and can produce up to 12 tons of DM per hectare. This grass is often used in the equine industry due to its high quality. With regards to the forage quality of teff, it is reported that it can have crude protein levels as high as 11% and as low as 6%. Teff has a crude fibre content of between 27% to 35% and a digestibility of 55% to 60%.

Conclusion

Considering the role of pasture ley and cover cropping systems in conservation agriculture, as an annual short-season crop and a plant that grows best during the hot summer months, teff can be used as an ‘emergency’ forage crop in the event of delayed planting, poor stands, or winter kill of another crop.

As a short season ley crop, teff can provide a good weed competitive ground cover to protect the soil from soil erosion especially in a dry season, which teff is tolerable of. With its shallow root system and low fertility demands, it is more preferable to have teff grow in a rested land than undesirable weed species that contributes future weed seed to the seed bank.

References

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Teff (Eragrostis tef) is an indigenous North African staple, but in other countries it is becoming known as the latest super grain. Ancient grains have recently been making a comeback globally. Forgotten grains such as quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), millet and teff are becoming an essential part of the human diet once again.

Teff has been hailed as the next big super grain by The Guardian and The New York Times, among other major publications, and is valued for its high nutritional value and gluten-free properties. It was also pointed out recently as a significant consumer trend for South Africans to take note of by consumer specialist, Nadia van der Colff, at a recent Standard Bank Agribusiness function held in Pretoria, Gauteng.

Author and professor of biotechnology at the University of South Wales in the United Kingdom, Denis J Murphy, notes in his 2007 book People, Plants, and Genes: The Story of Crops and Humanity that teff was one of the earliest domesticated plants. The grass is believed to have originated in Ethiopia and Eritrea between 4 000 and 1 000 BC. Even today, teff is a staple food in Ethiopia and was grown by an estimated 6,3 million farmers in 2012, covering more than 20% of the country and yielding almost four million tons in 2013.

Read more about food safety here.

In 1996, the United States (US) National Research Council (NRC) characterised teff as having the “potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable land care.” Teff production has spread to many western countries, especially for the grain’s nutritional value. Teff is grown in the US, mostly in the states of Idaho and Nevada, with more than 40 000ha being planted for human and animal consumption in 2010.

In Australia, teff produced for human consumption is a relatively new industry and the grass has been grown in experimental quantities since 2014. Even South Africa has joined this movement.

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Although teff is relatively unknown to local consumers, South African producers have been producing teff since 2009. It all started when Charles Wessels, marketing director of Teff Growers South Africa (TGSA), decided to produce teff as feed for his polo horses. In terms of human consumption, the sector has rapidly expanded and now produces teff for a lucrative export market.

TGSA is the company responsible for the production, milling and exportation of teff in South Africa. Local production has reached between 6 000 and 8 000 tons per annum, which is produced on a minimum of 12 000 to 16 000ha. TGSA is currently developing new cultivars to improve its yield on crops planted.

When compared to other locally produced grains, it does not result in a massive yield, but according to grain sourcing manager, Hannes Maartens, they are attempting to not produce more than the market demands every year. In contrast, the March 2017 crop estimate for sorghum, a local indigenous grain, is 153 480 tons and the estimate for white and yellow maize – South Africa’s biggest grain production crop – is estimated to reach 14,324 million tons this year.

The industry relies mostly on contracted farmers. Currently all these farmers are based in the central regions of the country, such as the Free State and surrounds, in particular in Bloemfontein. The dry climate in this region is very conducive to growing teff.

According to Lisa Long, marketing manager at TGSA, the long summer season and adequate rainfall in this area are beneficial. Teff prospers in high altitudes, and this contributes to the successful production of this grain in the province, with the Free State being above sea level.

According to TGSA, teff is a highly efficient crop. Just one pound (0,45kg) of teff is required to sow an entire acre (0,40ha) of land, sprouting in only 36 hours – the shortest time span of any grain – and yielding up to a ton of grain in as little as twelve weeks.

Both white and brown varieties are produced in South Africa. The grain is produced both under irrigation and on dryland. Crop protection is generally used, but according to Long they have also production started organic production as of 2017. This is due to a high demand for organic teff from international markets, especially Europe.

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Teff is harvested three months after being planted. Planting season is from October to December and harvesting takes place from January to March every year. With teff being such a quick and easy crop to produce, it serves as an ideal crop diversification. However, according to Long the industry already has an abundance of farmers contracted to produce teff.

Once harvesting is complete, the teff is processed using cleaning methods to produce a clean, edible grain. The grain is consumed by humans, while the grass is processed into hay bales and used as fodder for animal feed. A portion of the cleaned grain is milled using stone mills and modern machinery to make teff flour, which is a suitable alternative to wheat flour for gluten-free diets. Teff is not yet available to purchase on shop shelves and can mainly be sourced by contacting TGSA.

In South Africa, teff is still relatively unknown among consumers and not usually used for human consumption. Therefore, the majority of produce is exported and amounts to approximately 6 000 tons per year. When it comes to exporting, the question is always whether the market is sustainable. “For us, yes,” says Long. “We have long-standing global clients who buy only from us. We currently export industrial volumes globally.”

TGSA only mills the product into flour, but Maartens says there is potential for grain in popped or milled form for various products related to baking, cereals and sports nutrition. According to a December 2016 article by FoodNavigator, TGSA is also looking into exporting an annual 50 000 tons of forage from the crop as animal feed.

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