Sorghum crop boost in US as ethanol deal signed

US-based feedstock and crop breeding technology provider Chromatin has signed off an agreement to produce and deliver sorghum into the production of ethanol with Pacific Ethanol (PE).

The multi-year agreement covers up to 30,000 acres of feedstock to be grown and sent to PE for use in its renewables fuels projects.

‘We have taken initiatives to diversify our feedstock base and further reduce the carbon profile of our ethanol. This agreement represents one of these initiatives and will also help California farmers to produce sorghum for production of low carbon ethanol and high value animal feed,’ says PE CEO Neil Koehler.

It is believed Chromatin is working closely with California growers who are attracted to sorghum as a grain source because it is easy to grow, uses less fertilizer and water than corn and is tolerant to both heat and drought conditions.

‘The opportunity to provide crop producers in California with a new market for their products, by providing sorghum feedstocks that serve as an economical and energy efficient source of biofuel, is very welcome,’ adds Chromatin CEO Daphne Preuss.