New Developments Bring Export Interest Back to Sorghum

LUBBOCK, TX – Interest in sorghum is high once again, as the Phase One trade agreement between the United States and China is in full-force. China is emerging as a major buyer of the fifth most popular row-crop in the U.S., after having spent the better part of two years on the sideline. As China increases its purchases of U.S. sorghum, another country is opening its door as well. With USDA and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) approving a new pest risk management, U.S. farmers have a brand new market. Vietnamese buyers are looking to use sorghum for high-value uses like pet food and liquor, as well as in the aquaculture, poultry, and swine industries. With the demand from China and Southeast Asia, domestic prices have risen and prompting some growers to switch from cotton and corn to sorghum.