Sorghum industry leaders are marking a milestone in the industry as July 1, 2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, the leading producer-funded organization championing the sorghum industry in the United States. Since its founding, the Sorghum Checkoff has dedicated its efforts to advancing sorghum profitability through innovative research, promotion and education.
“We’ve made significant strides in the past 15 years, and we’re deeply committed to continuing to advance the crop for U.S. sorghum producers and end-users across the world,” Sorghum Checkoff CEO Tim Lust said. “Our 13-member board of sorghum producers located across the U.S. has invested over $46 million into research aimed at optimizing sorghum as a robust, profitable crop for several value-added end-use markets. These strategic projects and collaborations in research, education and market development have been pivotal to the sorghum industry’s success and are anticipated to stimulate further growth.”
A recent return on investment study revealed the significant positive impact of expenditures towards promoting sorghum exports on the total export of sorghum. Between 2008 and 2021, an approximate investment of $44.5 million yielded an impressive return of $376.7 million, reflecting a robust return on investment ratio of 7 to 1. This study also highlighted the Sorghum Checkoff’s investments in crop improvement activities, resulting in a noteworthy increase in sorghum production from 133.3 million to 166.8 million bushels during the same period.
United Sorghum Checkoff Program news release
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