National Sorghum Producers (NSP) was founded by producers who wanted to make an impact on the industry. The organization has done exactly that ever since, working tirelessly to create legislative and regulatory change for a more profitable, diverse and competitive sorghum industry.
In September 2022, USDA announced award recipients for projects totaling $2.8 billion through its new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. NSP was awarded $65 million over five years to quantify the climate impact of incorporating sorghum and other tools into rotations over while also serving as a trajectory for the sorghum industry’s continuous environmental improvement.
The value of sorghum exports in 2022 was $3.65 billion, which was a 10% increase from 2021. The United States was the top exporter of sorghum in 2022, accounting for $2.24 billion of the total – the second highest export value ever.
In September 2023, the sorghum crop insurance price election for reinsurance year 2022 was set at 100.2 percent of the price of corn, compared to 99.6 percent for 2023. NSP worked closely with RMA after a 2008 Farm Bill directive to change this formula to be more reflective of sorghum pricing, and since implementation, the change has added more than $89 million in value to sorghum farmers through increased crop insurance coverage.
In September 2023, RMA announced improvements to insurance options for irrigated sorghum silage, and a key barrier to insuring irrigated double crop sorghum was removed in certain areas, as well.
In 2023, NSP added two new subsidiaries dedicated to supporting farmers and their supply chain partners in the area of sustainability.
NSP worked with the EPA this year to highlight the intrinsic benefits and lower risks of sorghum production, leading to reduced regulatory requirements under the agency’s herbicide and insecticide strategies in compliance with the Endangered Species Act’s pesticide regulations.
NRCS announced additional language concerning the definition of a “resource-conserving crop” and a “resource-conserving crop rotation” under CSP “…to be more inclusive of all crops that could be resource conserving and fit within the purpose for which the definition was crafted,” giving sorghum a strong foothold in this program.
At the close of 2021, the sorghum crop insurance price election for reinsurance year 2022 was set at 99.6 percent of the price of corn, compared to 96 percent for 2021. NSP worked closely with RMA after a 2008 Farm Bill directive to change this formula to be more reflective of sorghum pricing, and since implementation, the change added $89 million in value to sorghum farmers through increased crop insurance coverage.
Sorghum exports saw record sales and shipments in 2021 with 283 million bushels sold totaling $2 billion to all destinations – the second highest export value ever.
Sorghum Producers received $0.86 per bushel in the first tranche of trade payments totaling roughly $313,000,000. With an additional $300,000,000 paid in 2020, the total support to sorghum farmers tops $600,000,000.
The $3.95 reference price secured in the farm safety net brought approximately $312,000,000 to sorghum producers in 2020.
Through collaborative work between NSP, TGSPA and bipartisan legislators, a $14.5 million infrastructure grant to the Port of Brownsville was awarded to increase the facility’s grain handling capacity leading to five shipments of 33,000 metric tons of sorghum to China at the end of 2020.
Sorghum producers received more than $127 million in the first and second rounds of payments allocated through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
NSP helped to assure sorghum farmers interests were considered when drafting the Phase 1 U.S.-China Trade Agreement. From the signing of the agreement to the end of FY 2020, China purchased 294.8 million bushels of U.S. sorghum worth more than $1.5 billion.
USDA implemented the second round of the Market Facilitation Program to account for lost profits due to regulatory tariffs on U.S. exports with an additional $300 million going to the sorghum industry in 2019.
The Environmental Protection Agency approved the production of advanced biofuels using sorghum oil extracted at ethanol plants. After three years of NSP working with stakeholders, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced favorable policy changes worth $30 million per year for sorghum farmers.
USDA implemented the Market Facilitation Program to account for lost profits due to regulatory tariffs on U.S. exports, with $300 million going to the sorghum industry in 2018.
Reference price for sorghum was raised to $3.95 per bushel in the Farm Bill, earning an additional $275.6 million for sorghum farmers.
NSP worked to obtain multiple-state Section 18 approvals for the use of Transform to treat sugarcane aphids.
Sorghum ethanol named as an advanced biofuel.
The 2008 changes in the Farm Bill for crop insurance price election went into effect leading to $67.9 million in indemnities for sorghum farmers.
9005 program was added in the Farm Bill to assist sorghum ethanol plants, which brought $53.2 million to the sorghum industry.
NSP started the United Sorghum Checkoff Program.
NSP released the first edition of the Sorghum Grower magazine in February.
NSP restructured the Board of Directors to be a national board comprised of 9-11 appointed members, rather than representatives from every sorghum-producing state.
Sustainable Crop Insurance Services was started.
NGSPA changed their name to National Sorghum Producers association (NSP).
Charles Stenholm and Larry Combest worked closely with NGSPA through the Farm Bill to equalize loan rates, which meant $197.2 million to the sorghum industry.
NGSPA moved to Lubbock from Abernathy.
Tim Lust appointed fourth Executive Director.
First Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America (SICNA).
First large-scale shipment of food-grade sorghum to Botswana.
Dan Shaw with World Perspectives was hired as the first lobbyist for sorghum.
Jack Eberspacher started on NGSPA Board and concentrated in three primary areas: policy, science and utilization.
Corporate Partner Program began.
First Sorghum Leadership Class (now Syngenta’s Leadership Training).
NGSPA began to work closely with industry experts, including Bruce Maunder, on greenbug resistant varieties of sorghum.
First cooperator contract: Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act.
NGSPA, in conjunction with Corn Growers, formed the first Grains Council in Amarillo.
Bill Nelson was hired as Executive Director.
First legislative victory occurred when grain sorghum was included in the nation’s farm program.
National Grain Sorghum Producers Association (NGSP) formed by: Reagan Peeler, J.C. Gilbreath, Bill Lane, J.L. Jackson, and Bob Francy.