Its proximity to the United States and ability to receive grain by truck, rail and vessel has helped Mexico be a top customer for U.S. sorghum for years. In the 2013/2014 marketing year, Mexico was the third largest market of U.S. sorghum and the United States, especially Texas, continues to be the best option to meet the country’s sorghum demand.

“Mexican buyers appreciate the quality and reliability of U.S. sorghum,” said Javier Chavez, U.S. Grains Council marketing specialist in Mexico. “And U.S. producers haven’t forgotten their southern market.”

Before the Council’s biennial Export Exchange 2014, a group of Mexican buyers escorted by the Council visited Texas to see what is being done to maintain high-quality, abundant and readily available supplies of U.S. sorghum.

The team traveled to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Research Service Station in Lubbock, Texas, where they learned about new developments in sorghum varieties.

“It was impressive to see how yields increased with these new genetics,” said Humberto Mayorga, president of ALPURA, one of the largest dairy producers in Mexico.

The team also toured a U.S. ethanol plant, a modern dairy, a seed processing plant and United Ag Coop, which serves producers along the Gulf Coast of Texas. The visit wrapped up with the team attending Export Exchange 2014 in Seattle, Washington.

The Council will continue to focus its efforts on keeping Mexican buyers aware of crop quality, availability and market conditions to encourage timely and convenient purchase of U.S. sorghum.

Click here to view photos from this team.