The Collaborative Sorghum Marketing Transformation Program, otherwise known as C-Smart, launched its first-ever venture capital platform aimed at benefiting sorghum producers.
The platform will connect private funding to startups and already established companies focusing on innovation with sorghum. It will also create a network of private investors looking for return opportunities in the agriculture industry.
Consultants with the group explain what they are looking for.
“After 30 years in the making, the sorghum industry now has three over-the-top grass-control technologies. But there’s equal and even just as, if not more, exciting breakthroughs coming on the marketing side for sorghum. Whether that’s new food products or new processing technology in the ethanol space that create opportunities for high-value protein feed, for example. There’s just so many opportunities on the marketing side these days, and the ability to capture capital and interest and investment back into the industry to drive those things is going to be exceedingly important. It’s a good time to be in agriculture right now. Nothing sorghum farmers are staying at the forefront of that, and cSmart is looking forward to creating opportunities for them,” said John Duff.
Some examples of investment include the support of a container facility for special sorghum exports as well as investment and marketing efforts for an all-female run sorghum food startup.
