Production and Exports
Sorghum (or milo) represents the third-largest cereal grain in the United States. Comparative advantages include drought tolerance; resistance to mycotoxins and fungi; and survivability in relatively harsher climatic conditions. Production is primarily focused in a stretch of land beginning in southern Nebraska and ending at the southern tip of Texas.
Chief importers in 2022/2023 (Sept. 1- Aug. 31) were China, the largest market for U.S. sorghum with 2.1 million metric tons (83 million bushels) in purchases; Mexico 198,000 metric tons (8 million bushels); and Sudan 118,000 metric tons (5 million bushels).
Thanks to continued purchasing by 20 countries, U.S. sorghum exports totaled 2.7 million metric tons.
Sorghum Harvest Quality Report
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has published its 2023/2024 Sorghum Quality Report and for the fifth year in a row, U.S. sorghum was, on average, graded above the necessary requirements for U.S. No. 1 certification.
To generate the report’s findings, data was drawn from 104 samples collected from 15 participating elevators and one participating farmer in the central and southern regions of the U.S., which represents nearly 100 percent of all U.S. sorghum exports, between July 24, 2023, and Mar. 15, 2024.
The samples were analyzed by the Amarillo Grain Exchange and the Cereal Quality Lab at Texas A&M University, where scientists calculated averages and standard deviations for each quality factor tested and reported results for the U.S. aggregate.
Total sorghum damage came in at 0.0 percent in the aggregate. Kernel diameter and hardness, indicators of maturity and resiliency, were similar to last year.