USGC Team Promotes Sorghum, DDGS at Conference
SWITZERLAND - The US Grains Council built on its long-standing presence at the Global Grains Conference to promote US sorghum and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) to almost 900 grain traders and feed manufacturers.The conference, held in Geneva, Switzerland, 16-18 November 2010, offered the Council an opportunity to begin educating new markets about DDGS. It was also an opportunity to showcase US sorghum as a non-biotech grain for Europeans who have a low tolerance for biotech products.
Spain purchased more than 204,000 metric tons (8 million bushels) of sorghum so far this year, accounting for 26 per cent of US sorghum exports.
“There’s a value to having a presence at this meeting,” said Alvaro Cordero, USGC manager of international operations. “It’s an opportunity to guide our marketing based on the changes we see from year to year. This year, a lot of people approached us about sorghum.”
Duane Kristensen of Chief Ethanol Fuels Inc., a DDGS producer in the Council’s delegation, echoed Mr Cordero’s thoughts on the success of the Conference.
“It was very valuable,” Mr Kristensen said. “There is still a wide variety of views on genetic modification and products made with biotech corn, but our explanations about DDGS and what we have to offer attracted a lot of interest. I think this issue will be resolved in the long run.”
The Conference attracted marketers and major grain users especially from the European Union, the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to its sorghum and DDGS delegation, the Council invited customers from Algeria, Tunisia and Ireland to the meeting.