2020 Year in Review

Sales Of U.S. Sorghum To China Welcomed By Farmers

The Council and USCP met virtually with major sorghum importers in China to provide an outlook on the sorghum crop, including projected yields and expected production for fall 2020.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) continued engagement with key sorghum customers in China throughout 2020 via webinars and one-on-one meetings, focusing on U.S. sorghum production, logistics, and supply and demand factors.

A sorghum outlook webinar in July attracted roughly 50 industry stakeholders from China and featured information sharing from USGC staff in China and the United States, along with U.S. sorghum industry representatives. Attendees had a lively discussion on the outlook for the new U.S. sorghum crop – including concerns about drought, pricing and other topics.

Large sales of U.S. sorghum to China are welcome news for U.S. farmers and agribusinesses, though the need remains for consistent market development work by the Council and sorghum industry partners to promote the coarse grain.

Council staff also met virtually with five companies in China in August of 2020 to discuss recent purchases of U.S. sorghum and provide insights into the forthcoming U.S. sorghum harvest.

China had exceeded the 2018/2019 total by July with a year-end export total with 2.84 million metric tons (112 million bushels) of U.S. sorghum purchased. Additionally, China had purchased 305,000 tons (12 million bushels) of new crop U.S. sorghum for the 2020/2021 marketing year in July of 2020.

The uptick in purchases directly followed the effective date for the Phase One trade deal inked between the United States and China in January.