LUBBOCK, TEXAS, US — The United States exported a record amount of sorghum 33.9 million bushels last week, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).  

The previous record for weekly sorghum sales was 32 million bushels in August 2020.

“US sorghum exports continue to signal very strong demand for our crop, and new purchases at this level only reaffirm that,” said Tim Lust, chief executive officer of National Sorghum Producers (NSP). “The size of shipments reported this last week is equivalent to the size of approximately 10 to 12 Panamax vessels.”

The NSP said new US sorghum purchases for this point in the marketing year has reached 40 million bushels, yet another record and a 264% increase from the previous record in 2014.

“This is the strongest new crop demand we have ever seen at this time in the season,” Lust said. “Availability is so scarce that the sorghum crop being planted now is being marketed at the same time, and farmers have not even started planting in Kansas yet. This sends a strong demand signal to US sorghum producers from our international customers, and we look forward to getting the 2021 crop in the ground.”