Two major organizations have announced that they will collaborate on key issues moving forward. The National Sorghum Producers (NSP) and the Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Association (SSEA) will begin working together to develop and expand the sweet sorghum industry. Sweet sorghum is currently a feedstock of interest for many researchers and companies in the quest to develop new feedstocks for biofuel development.

While SSEA will provide organizational support, NSP will focus on developing and implementing a legislative advocacy program. According to a press statement, the two organizations will share communication among their memberships and will explore future opportunities and synergies for joint conferences and other membership events.

“Sweet sorghum has become an important segment of our industry,” said Gerald Simonsen, NSP chairman. “We are excited about the opportunities our collaboration with SSEA will create for sorghum as we continue our push for the inclusion of sweet sorghum in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2).”

Currently, NSP is working with the EPA to certify sweet sorghum as an advanced biofuel feedstock under RFS2 and Hal Debor, SSEA president, said they are pleased to be working as a team to achieve an advanced biofuel designation.

Steve Vanechanos, chairman of EPEC Biofuels Holdings Inc. and chairman of SSEA’s NSP Collaboration Committee concluded, “Elevating awareness of sweet sorghum’s vast potential as a biofuel feedstock is a precondition to building a sweet sorghum ethanol industry. By collaborating with NSP, we will be substantially increasing the decibel level of sweet sorghum advocacy.”