First drought, now too much rain drives farmers to sorghum, as the crop enjoys a resurgence in Nebraska.
Nebraska’s sorghum yields are the best in the nation, and the acres devoted to the crop have doubled in the state.
For marginal farm land, it’s hard to find a crop that uses less water than sorghum. This year though, it wasn’t the lack of rain, but too much, that resulted in twice as many acres planted in Nebraska.
Barb Kliment, executive director of the Nebraska Sorghum Board said, “We had some corn that didn’t get planted to corn, got switched to sorghum because the planting window is wider with sorghum. Then as a result of it, we actually had a surprisingly good growing season and my goodness harvest has gone amazingly well.”
And the latest figures show 106 bushels an acre average yield, best in the nation.
Sorghum Board Chair Duane Sugden said, “That looks good for our industry, because the last few years we’ve been lagging behind.”
Mexico and Japan are the traditional markets, buying the crop as livestock feed.
“Last couple of years, China came on in a big way,” Kliment said, saying there’s uncertainty about international markets.
There are also challenges for a crop that’s far behind corn and soybeans. Duane Sugden said that includes selling it.
He said, “There’s not a lot of places that take sorghum so you have to be careful about growing sorghum in certain places because you have to be able to get rid of it, can’t market it, that deters people.”
The Sorghum Board is trying to change that, building demand.
It helps the grain is gluten free.
Kliment said, “Certainly looking at restaurants, chains, food service industry, hospitals, school, and those things.”
And because it uses less water, it’s appealing for ethanol use.
Kliment said, “In fact, the University of Nebraska will be the lead entity in a $13.5 million research project looking at sorghum as an alternative for biofuels production.”
Corn is still king, but there’s plenty for the sorghum board to brag about.
Kliment said, “It’s been a banner year for sorghum.”
Source: Sorghum Enjoys Resurgence in Nebraska – KHGI-TV/KWNB-TV/KHGI-CD-Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings