Did you know that about a third of U.S. sorghum production is used to make ethanol? It’s a significant market for sorghum and one that could benefit as policymakers try to navigate the “food over fuel” crop use debate.
According to the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, ethanol has for decades been one of the most reliable domestic markets for U.S. sorghum. John Duff, a Sorghum Checkoff consultant, says there are about a dozen ethanol plants in the U.S. that can be considered “sorghum ethanol producers.” These facilities process both corn and sorghum but consistently purchase enough sorghum each year to provide a reliable market for growers.
Sorghum is comparable to corn as far as the amount of ethanol per bushel, though this can vary widely depending on the variety. The distiller’s grains produced as a byproduct from sorghum ethanol are nearly identical in nutritional value. However, in the sorghum belt (runs from South Dakota to South Texas), sorghum often has an advantage over corn because the region is “grain deficient,” meaning there’s more livestock than available feed. Local sorghum is much preferred to hauling in Midwest corn when supplies run low.
Western Plains Energy has been running both corn and sorghum as feedstock at its Oakley, Kansas, ethanol plant for 21 years. Derek Peine, CEO, says the allure of sorghum is also directly linked to drought or low-moisture growing conditions. In arid regions like Kansas, corn isn’t always available or economical. “This year, when the dryland corn burnt up, the sorghum bounced back,” Peine said in a recent interview.
Bottom line, sorghum has advanced a great deal in the past decade and has become a very viable alternative offering much cheaper input costs and strong yields. Below are a few additional benefits and features:
Water-Sipping Crop – Nationally, 91% of sorghum acres are solely rain fed, and those sorghum acres that are irrigated are done so responsibly, given sorghum’s water-sipping attributes.
Soil Conservation – Sorghum stalks left standing in the field as crop residue are used to replace cover crops in arid areas. This practice adds nutrients back into the soil, breaks up soil compaction, helps retain moisture, and reduces the effects of wind erosion, improving soil health.
Biofuels – Sorghum also plays a significant role in domestic biofuel markets, which according to EPA resulted in reduced GHG emissions equivalent to removing 17 million cars from the road.
Carbon Sequestration – Sorghum reduces greenhouse gas emissions and sequesters carbon. With its dense and robust root structure, sorghum translocates carbon deeper into soils.
Minimum Tillage – Through breeding innovations, sorghum farmers have successfully adopted no-till or minimum-till practices on approximately 75% of sorghum acres – meaning carbon is sequestered for longer and deeper than in most cropping systems.
Wildlife Conservation – Sorghum offers valuable characteristics as it relates to wildlife conservation. Its stalks provide critical habitat and ideal winter cover for pheasants and quail.
If you tuned into our April 4 “Highly Volatile” podcast, you heard Conestoga Energy CEO Tom Willis talking about U.S. sorghum. Willis says Conestoga’s ethanol is currently produced using around 80% to 85% sorghum. That makes Conestoga the largest domestic user of U.S. sorghum, and the second largest in the world after China.
Right now, China is not buying a lot of U.S. sorghum as the trade war heats up. China uses sorghum to make an alcoholic liquor known as “baiju” that is wildly popular. However, China purchases have increasingly dried up this year, with exports in January and February dropping by nearly half compared to 2024. Since then, China has purchased a mere 244 metric tons. Willis believes this market will eventually come back.
Interestingly, Willis says there is strong potential for U.S. sorghum in the EU, where policymakers like it as a feedstock for biofuels. In the EU, ethanol and other biofuels have come under fire from critics over the use of “food for fuel.” However, EU ethanol producers have typically used wheat, a staple food crop. EU regulators consider sorghum a “secondary” crop, especially if planted behind wheat, according to Willis, so it doesn’t face the same pushback. (Sources: United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Ethanol Producer, High Plains Journal)
