Several representatives from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) traveled to China last week to gain firsthand knowledge and see the country’s success with U.S. sorghum exports.
China has been the largest importer of U.S. sorghum since 2014 after efforts by the USGC and USCP began in 2011 to increase exports when market conditions were favorable, according to a news release. Continued efforts and maintained engagement with traders, end users and other stakeholders has helped this market keep its momentum.
Among the representatives that visited China was Dale Murden, former Texas Farm Bureau state director, chairman of USCP and current board member for Texas Sorghum. Murden, along with other USCP and USGC directors, toured port facilities, feed mills and duck farms. There, they gained insight into import and production processes and learned more about supply, demand and quality characteristics.
The group also visited the State Development and Investment Corporation in Beijing, a trading organization that imports both sorghum and dried distillers grains with soluble. It gave the U.S. representatives an inside look at the regulatory constraints facing continued exports of U.S. sorghum.
Although sorghum exports to China have slowed, it remains a vital market for USGC and USCP.