The U.S. Grains Council reached four key Mexican markets – Monterrey, Torreón, Merida and Guadalajara – with information on sorghum quality and processing through a series of grain sorghum conferences in August.

In addition to providing information, the Council’s Mexico staff used the opportunity to diagnose possible constraints on sorghum use by surveying attendees on the questions they wanted answered.

“The surveys we collected are being reviewed by a marketing company that will analyze the responses for constraints,� says Julio Arturo Hernandez, USGC director in Mexico. “This will allow us to implement strategies that address these specific constraints.�

According to Hernandez, issues that surfaced at the conferences included questions about moisture and temperature for grain storage. Participants also asked about the size of the die, steam measurement and the amount of steam to use in the pelletizing process.

“The participants were eager to get as much information as possible on grain quality, grain storage and market trends,� Hernandez reports. “Attendance was highest in Guadalajara.�

Jalisco state leads Mexico in agricultural and livestock production and in grain consumption.