Ask Cody Sassmann why he continues to plant grain sorghum and the answer is simple--it costs less to produce and pays more. The rationale seems to be swaying Missouri farmers to follow suit as the number of acres planted to sorghum this year is expected to be up by 135%.

While other crops were either down or remained unchanged from 2014, this year Missouri farmers are expected to see increased acres of grain sorghum, according to the USDA 2015 Prospective Planting Report. The number of grain sorghum or milo acres is headed to 200,000, up from 84,000 in 2014. That is still a far cry from 2010, when Missouri farmers planted only 6,700 acres of grain sorghum.

SOWING SORGHUM: The cost of production and strong markets has farmers across the country looking at growing sorghum this year. Missouri ranks 10th in grain sorghum states well behind top producing states, still, that does not deter growers from planting the crop this year, and many start this month.

It is a trend happening across the country. The USDA estimates grain sorghum planted acres will reach 7.9 million this year, up 11% from the previous season.

Demand spurs growth

"A surge in demand sent a message to growers signaling a need for increased acreage," according to Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff executive director.

He points to other states like Illinois, Arkansas and Oklahoma that also increased acres. The two largest sorghum-producing states, Kansas and Texas that still represent 75% of the total U.S. grain sorghum production, are also increasing acreage. Texas growers plan to increase their grain sorghum acres by 20%.

Lower cost of production

Producing grain sorghum is cheaper than growing corn. With seed costs for sorghum at just over one-tenth the cost of corn, fertilizer around half the price and chemicals at one-third the cost, this grain crop is causing many farmers to take a second look.

"I can make more money with less input costs per acre," Sassmann says.

Cody Sassmann

The third generation farmer says has been growing grain sorghum in the hills and valleys of Gasconade County ever since he started farming land just outside of Owensville. "On a 10-year average it is more profitable on the majority of ground I farm." He plants one-third of his acres to milo and two-thirds to soybeans.

Market supports planting

A cattle producer, Sassmann feeds roughly one-third of his production to his 250 head of beef cows. The rest he ships to St. Louis. And his buyers are ready and waiting.

"Most of my milo will head overseas to China," he says. Much of the sorghum shipped there is used as hog feed or to make baijiu, a grain alcohol, according to the U.S. Grains Council.

Countries were paying for high prices for grain sorghum. In April, grain sorghum prices were trending 70 cents per bushel higher than corn. According to the University of Missouri, at those prices, farmers could net more than $100 per acre with grain sorghum.

Check back tomorrow to see the management practices Sassmann uses to increase yields.