Chicago, Illinois, USA
January 21, 2013
Chromatin Inc., a privately held provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, will host a meeting on February 5 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Modesto to introduce production opportunities for grain sorghum in California.
Grain sorghum is a resilient and versatile crop that has proven benefits for growers and in ethanol production. It is tolerant to heat and drought conditions, uses less water than other major crops, and can work well as a double crop alternative behind wheat or in rotation with cotton and vegetable crops.
The grower meeting will provide details on the Chromatin 2013 Grain Sorghum Program, including seed options, contract terms, agronomic and grower protocol information. Contracting opportunities will be available through Chromatin for grain sorghum planting in the spring of 2013. Harvested grain sorghum will be delivered to participating ethanol plants for biofuel production, including Pacific Ethanol in Stockton, Aemetis in Keyes, and Calgren in Pixley.
The meeting is open to any interested grower. Visit www.chromatininc.com/news/ or call 559-310-1112 for more details and to register for the meeting.
“We’re excited about the opportunities that grain sorghum presents for California growers and the state’s energy producers,” said Daphne Preuss, Chromatin’s CEO. “Grain sorghum is a flexible crop that can fit in many farming operations and has proven yields in California growing areas. It requires minimal changes to current practices and offers a new option for growers that uses less fertilizer and water than corn.”
Chromatin is a recognized leader in providing quality sorghum seed and sorghum feedstocks. The company has more than 40 years of experience delivering seed and Chromatin products are planted on more than 3 million acres globally each year.
In 2012, Chromatin announced its first crop of sorghum was grown and used for ethanol production by a California ethanol company, Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX). Using sorghum seed provided by Chromatin, L and R Mussi Farms of Stockton produced 40 acres of sorghum that were harvested and delivered to Pacific Ethanol's ethanol production plant in Stockton, California.
Ethanol plants in California have been seeking alternative crops for corn to reduce feedstock costs, improve carbon footprint, and to source feedstock from locally grown energy-efficient crops. While sorghum imported from other regions has been used in California ethanol plants in the past, Chromatin's program is the first instance of supplying locally grown, resulting in greater cost efficiency and an improved carbon footprint. In December 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved grain sorghum as an eligible feedstock under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to create Advanced Biofuel.
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