S&W Seed Company has begun a new venture into commercial-scale production of hybrid grain sorghum and hybrid forage sorghum seed. The move towards sorghum is the result of consumer demand for gluten-free, non-GMO and whole grains that the grain provides.

S&W acquired the operations of SV Genetics (“SVG”) sorghum program in May 2016 with the goal of advancing deployment of the proprietary high-yielding, disease resistance germplasm worldwide. The company has royalty-based licensing agreements with 12 partners in 9 countries that are currently increasing production, and commencing commercial-scale production of hybrid grain sorghum and hybrid forage sorghum operations is the first step in the company embarking on its dual strategy to expand vertically as well.

Mark Grewal, chief executive officer of S&W Seed Company commented, “When we acquired the sorghum operations of SVG, we saw an opportunity to leverage our capabilities and infrastructure within alfalfa, including our production and distribution capabilities, for the benefit of a growing global crop. Today’s announcement is an important step in growing our sorghum operations as we look to become more vertically integrated, which we anticipate will help to capture a greater share of the gross profit dollar for sorghum, while providing many of our existing distributors with additional products they can sell. I look forward to continued advancement of this strategy in the coming years as we plan to increase global acreage dedicated to sorghum.”