International Buyers Tour U.S. Sorghum Facilities
The Sorghum Checkoff, along with the U.S. Grains Council, hosted a group of sorghum buyers from Eastern Asia and the Philippines during the week of Aug. 29, 2010 to focus on the value of sorghum as a feed for poultry and swine production.
The group visited a few traditional country elevators in South Texas before traveling to a sorghum farm near Palacios, Texas, to learn firsthand how sorghum goes from the field to the end user.
“We are increasing interest in the sorghum industry by providing these buyers the opportunity to see how sorghum is grown and handled in the U.S.,” said Stewart Weaver, a sorghum producer from Edmondson, Ark. “Many of these buyers have not used much sorghum. The Sorghum Checkoff and the U.S. Grains Council are helping potential buyers to see the value sorghum offers here in the U.S. and to other countries who use U.S. sorghum.”
During their visit to South Texas the group toured the El Campo Farmers Cooperative to learn more about how sorghum is handled before it is shipped to international buyers.
“This group visited our main complex where they met with the grain merchandising team to help them understand that we can help them source grain not only from Texas, but other parts of the U.S.,” said Joe Kelley, manager of Farmer’s Cooperative of El Campo Agricultural Export Center. “We want these groups to know that we are very concerned with quality and providing them with the best value possible.”
After their tour in South Texas, the group traveled to Mexico where they visited commercial feed mills and poultry production facilities. The goal of these visits is to allow the group to see how the Mexican swine and poultry industries utilize sorghum as a high quality feed.
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer funded organization that is dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education. For more information about the USCP and other research projects please visit www.sorghumcheckoff.com.