Just two years ago there were nine grain and oilseed commodities that were extremely tight on supplies due to stronger than expected global demand, imperfect global weather, and the Russia/Ukraine war.

What's happened

While U.S. ending stocks of corn, soybeans and wheat has been edging higher in the past year, one commodity that is still seeing tighter supplies in the United States is sorghum.

From a marketing perspective

In the 2023/24 marketing year, U.S. sorghum demand for export has been quietly inching higher. To compare, sorghum exports in 2022/23 were 109 million bushels, with exports in 2023/24 pegged at an astonishing 240 million bushels.  China has been the top destination for U.S. sorghum.

Strong export demand has kept ending stocks tight for sorghum.  In the 2021/22 growing season, sorghum ending stocks were 47 million bushels. In 2022/23, ending stocks were pegged at 24 million bushels. Now for the 2023/24 crop year pegged ending stocks are even lower at 22 million bushels.

Looking ahead to spring, and planting of grain in the United States, I can’t help but wonder if sorghum may gain additional planted acres. More planted acres are needed due to both strong demand and tight ending stocks.

In 2023/24 sorghum planted acres in the United States were 7.2 million. Sorghum is primarily grown in Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Colorado. Sorghum may gain additional acres this spring due to strong demand, but also to increasingly dry soil conditions in the Plains. Sorghum production traditionally fares well in drought conditions than corn.

Prepare yourself

Keep an eye on sorghum. The demand story has been a bright spot for American agriculture. Can it continue for the rest of 2024? With lower corn prices, drought conditions likely emerging in the Southern Plains and firm sorghum demand, I’m curious if we may see an increase in planted acres of sorghum in states like Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska or South Dakota – and a reduction of corn acres for those states.

Reach Naomi Blohm at 800-334-9779, on X (previously Twitter): @naomiblohm, and at [email protected].

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