May 22, 2009

A delegation of 10 Mexican agri-businessmen is visiting Kansas as they are keen on importing US grain sorghum as feed, according to Julio Arturo Hernandez Flores, a director with the US Grains Council (USGC).

The trip served several purposes, but the delegation is mainly researching the primary areas of grain sorghum production thus the focus is on Kansas and Texas, the top two states in grain sorghum production, Flores said.

He said Mexican cattle and poultry producers are interested in buying sorghum as Mexico is not self-sufficient in the crop and the US is the sole supplier.

Flores said the region he represents in Mexico needs to import about two million to three million tonnes per year. In the delegation were two buyers who had helped oversee the purchase of more than 1.5 million tonnes.

Mexico is a growing market but the recession had wounded the livestock industry there, he said. But the trends for beef and poultry have improved in Mexico, thanks in part to the AH1N1 flu, whose previous incorrect name 'swine flu' had affected pork demand, he said.

The Mexican delegation also wants to know how the grain sorghum is stored, merchandised, transported and prepared to be shipped to their country, Flores said.

On Tuesday (May 19), the delegation of toured the De Bruce Grain elevator operation.

Shelee Padgett, member services director for the Lubbock, Texas-based National Sorghum Producers, said the delegation was going to visit a production operation in Saline County and also see other Kansas agri-business operations this week.