The National Sorghum Producers (NSP) and the Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Association (SSEA) have formed a collaborative agreement to expand efforts to develop and expand the sweet sorghum industry.

With SSEA’s organizational support, NSP will hold a lead role for developing and implementing a legislative advocacy program. The two organizations will share communication among the groups’ 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 (RFS) 2.”

NSP is actively working with the Environmental Protection Agency to certify sweet sorghum as an advanced biofuel feedstock in the petition process of the RFS 2.

"We are very pleased to work collaboratively with NSP and are firmly committed to contribute all that we can to the effort to gain advanced biofuel designation for sweet sorghum,” said Hal Debor, SSEA president.

"Elevating awareness of sweet sorghum's vast potential as a biofuel feedstock is a precondition to building a sweet sorghum ethanol industry," said Steve Vanechanos, chairman of EPEC Biofuels Holdings Inc., and chairman of SSEA's NSP Collaboration Committee.