The United Sorghum Checkoff Program, in coordination with the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and Texas Grain Sorghum Producers Board, recently hosted international grain buyers from eight countries at Export Sorghum, a one-day educational conference in Dallas, Texas. Conference attendees learned about sorghum markets, trade opportunities, contract negotiation, logistics and U.S. sorghum production.

"The sorghum checkoff is pleased to provide this one-of-a-kind event, as exports serve as the largest market for U.S. sorghum," sorghum checkoff executive director Florentino Lopez said. "Export Sorghum serves as our opportunity to share the value of U.S. sorghum in new ways with potential buyers and continue fostering existing relationships."

Following the conference, several teams were scheduled to tour parts of the U.S. to experience sorghum production and the value chain firsthand while developing relationships with U.S. sorghum farmers and suppliers.

"Bringing members of each part of the sorghum value chain together is key to our mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives,” USGC president and chief executive officer Ryan LeGrand said. “The council is pleased to be working with the United Sorghum Checkoff Program to develop relationships that promise to improve the flow of sorghum globally for U.S. farmers."

Export Sorghum is centered around creating networking opportunities while providing buyers with information to help them make sorghum the choice for their feed grain solutions.

"We are proud to be a sponsor for Export Sorghum, as it is essential for our farmers to have access to markets," said Jesse McCurry, executive director of Kansas Sorghum. "We appreciate all of our buyers from around the world and the increasing opportunities we have to help customers understand the exciting possibilities of sorghum."

The sorghum checkoff is dedicated to building strong relationships between buyers and sellers that drive U.S. sorghum sales around the world. Sorghum has been shown to be a reliable ingredient across several industries, including swine, poultry, beef, dairy and human food, which fulfills the sorghum checkoff's mission to reveal the potential and versatility of sorghum through increased shared value between farmers and end users worldwide.

"Export Sorghum is extremely beneficial for both our growers and the international buyers," Texas Sorghum executive director Wayne Cleveland said. "We want this to be an educational process, so across the gamut, we've provided those opportunities through the conference featuring sorghum experts and tours in Texas."