Sustainability, Water Focus of Sorghum Industry Meeting
- S&W Seed Co. CEO, Mark Herrmann, highlights the potential of sorghum as a stable crop with 25% less water requirement than corn, which could attract technology and investment in the industry.
- S&W Seed aims to be on an estimated 10% of U.S. sorghum acres in 2024 with its Double Team™ Sorghum product.
- None.
S&W Seed Co. facilitates meeting with sorghum industry representatives
"There are many enemies to food production – limited water, higher temperatures, insects, being able to control weeds . . . there are constantly things that are trying to attack every crop," said Mark Herrmann, S&W Seed Co. CEO. "However, sorghum is a uniquely equipped crop as you can produce grain with about 25 percent less water than corn. Today, through S&W's commitment and investment in sorghum research, there is an opportunity to bring technology to sorghum growers that make it a more stable crop, enabling growers to manage additional yield-robbing pressures."
Collaboration Key
"Collaboration among the groups gathered is key," Herrmann continued. "Industry and universities need to work with grower groups who understand the needs of growers. This will help industry bring technology to the field faster and more efficiently."
"Bringing new technology to our growers is no longer a pipe dream," Herrmann expanded. "We launched Double Team™ Sorghum in trials in 2021 and today we are on an estimated 6 percent of
Advocating for
"Demand for sorghum is strong and diversifying," said Tim Lust, NSP and USCP CEO. "
crop has been moving into these markets very quickly. This also includes our domestic ethanol program and other domestic markets like feed, consumer food and pet food."
Sorghum Industry Trends
Looking at trends in the sorghum industry, Lust noted that sorghum has always been labeled THE sustainable crop, and the tagline The Resource Conserving Crop™ was recently trademarked by USCP. However, the current trend in sustainability is to have data backing up the claims.
"The USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant is one way we're collecting this information at the market level, but this is not just a government-driven activity," Lust explained. "We know that S&W and others are also collecting that data from their growers. We know this is an activity that is being pushed by stockholders and major corporations around the world. We also believe that sorghum has a competitive advantage as collaboration at the public, private and university levels is the fastest way to get new technology into the farmers' fields."
Building Both Consumer AND Grower Demand
Collaboration within the sorghum industry will be necessary for demand to be built with both consumers and producers, explained Norma Ritz Johnson, USCP Executive Director. "Sorghum is a very versatile crop with many end uses and we are working to create demand and increase consumer awareness," she said. "However, creating and demonstrating the value to the producer to plant and grow a sorghum crop, and grow it successfully, is part of the equation. We look at the industry as a lot of different moving parts and it's a puzzle that has to have the pieces fit together well. We believe that companies like S&W and the technologies that are in development there as well as advances in production are key to this puzzle."
As part of the effort to increase demand, USCP has introduced a new website, www.sorghumsecret.com, that shows how sorghum is the food industry's best-kept secret while exploring nutrition, recipes and the sustainability of sorghum.
In addition to S&W, TTU, NSP and USCP, other organizations in attendance included Vision Bioenergy Oilseeds, ucrop.it, The Nature Conservancy and High Plains Journal. The meeting followed a successful week of customer meetings by S&W Seed Co. during its annual field tour at its
About S&W Seed Company
Founded in 1980, S&W Seed Company is a global multi-crop, middle-market agricultural company headquartered in
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "anticipates," "believe," "expected," "may," "future," "plans," "should" or "will." Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: expected increases in our sorghum acre share in 2024; the outcome of initiatives to increase sorghum demand and consumer awareness; anticipated increases in the demand for sorghum; the outcome of our sorghum research; and the likelihood and timing of the development of sorghum technological advances. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties related to: the effects of unexpected weather and geopolitical and macroeconomic events, such as global inflation, bank failures, supply chain disruptions, uncertain market conditions, the armed conflict in
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