Record U.S. Sorghum Sales to China Reported
LUBBOCK, TX (August 14, 2020)—U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service data issued yesterday shows U.S. sorghum purchases last week rang in the biggest week ever at almost 32 million bushels sold. That topped the previous record week at 23 million bushels, which took place in December 2014.
“U.S. sorghum farmers should be encouraged by these continued sales to China,” said National Sorghum Producers and Sorghum Checkoff CEO Tim Lust. “We are making improvements to our crop not only from a yield and technology standpoint, but also through quality measures, which are translating directly to international buyers and noticeably improved basis numbers across the country.”
According to reports from the USDA, sorghum sales for the current market year totaled 282,386 mt along with 527,500 mt for the coming 2020-2021 marketing year. All totaled, sorghum sales for the week were 809,886 mt or about 32 million bushels. This one week of sales reflects approximately 9 percent of the total U.S. sorghum production this year.
“These sales commitments are profound, and like in any other high demand situation, we expect to see basis increases enhance sorghum acres next year,” said Sorghum Checkoff Executive Director Florentino Lopez. “The U.S. Grains Council and Sorghum Checkoff remain fully engaged with Chinese buyers to help promote U.S. sorghum and provide technical information to leverage future sales while continuing to build future markets in Vietnam, Kenya, India and domestically, as well.”
Actual shipments to China were also at a seven-day period marketing-year high of 479,200 mt, according to USDA, and new crop sorghum sales are the highest they have been in five years.
###
NSP represents U.S. sorghum producers and serves as the voice of the sorghum industry coast to coast through legislative and regulatory representation and education. To learn more about NSP, visit www.sorghumgrowers.com.
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer-funded organization that is dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education. For more information about the USCP, please visit www.sorghumcheckoff.com.