The U.S. sorghum industry is always looking for new uses for their product, as well as new export markets.
Attendees of the Kansas Ag Summit on August 20 learned of a use and destination they may have never considered: as a camel feed ingredient for the Saudi Arabian market.
Adam York, CEO of the Kansas Sorghum Producers Association and administrator for the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, took part in a panel discussion moderated by Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, in which export opportunities were discussed.
Adam YorkRoy Graber
Last fall, right ahead of the October sorghum harvest, buyers from about 50 companies participated, with those participants coming from 12 nations and 5 continents, York said.
Some of the participants came from countries that are already “mature” markets, such as China, Mexico and Spain.
However, they also had a participant from Saudi Arabia, whose inquiry took York by surprise.
“I specifically got a question of how does U.S. sorghum enhance camel feed,” York said. “I didn’t have an answer to that.”
However, York did suggest that if a Saudi purchase of sorghum were to be made and its use for camel feed would be successful, he could “be able to incorporate that into our marketing going forward.”
“So, I think there’s opportunities here,” York said.
York noted that about half of the nation’s sorghum is produced by Kansas farmers, so if sorghum exports to Saudi Arabia were to become a reality, it could be a great and unique opportunity.
That prospect even drew a suggestion from Beam, although it is uncertain just how serious his words – which drew laughter – were.
With the summit being held in Manhattan, the home of Kansas State University, commonly known as K-State, Beam gave numerous K-State officials in attendance some feed for thought.
“Maybe we’ll be seeing camels on feed for research at the university sometime soon,” Beam said.
