Farm fields across Kansas are turning amber as sorghum crops come to full maturity. The state's farmers are expecting a bountiful harvest this year thanks to more rain than recent years.
But that's also coming at the same time the sorghum market is drying up thanks to U.S. tariffs on China. That means Kansas farmers are losing out.
Historically, Kansas is known as the wheat state. But in more recent years, it’s become the king of sorghum. The grain grows really well in Kansas. It’s also versatile like corn and can be used for livestock feed and biofuel production.
In Scott City, Amy France and her husband have been growing sorghum for decades. Even one of their children started farming nearby.
She said their crop was gorgeous this year.
“It was the best crop we’ve had in years,” France said. “We're expecting a 23% larger crop this year, which is absolutely a blessing.”
More rain than usual in semi-arid western Kansas has led to healthy sorghum and a higher yield of the grain.
For the first time since 2016, Kansas is mostly out of drought — 80% of the state is without any dry conditions.
Despite the crop doing well, farmers are finding it hard to sell.
President Donald Trump's trade war with China resulted in the sorghum price plummeting, leaving Kansas farmers unable to benefit from their productive crops.
In 2022, the price for grain was $12.30 per hundredweight, which would be a little over $6 per bushel. For an average Kansas farmer, that would be about $400 per acre.
But now the price is hovering around $3 per bushel, or about $200 per acre
Sorghum producers rely on the international market. The crop does not have a robust domestic market because most ethanol plants and feedyards prefer corn.
Over half of the state’s sorghum is exported, mostly to be used as animal feed or as an ingredient in a popular alcoholic drink in China.
Earlier this year, the U.S. imposed new tariffs on China. In retaliation, China enacted its own new tariffs on American imports. That’s led to buyers there purchasing little to no sorghum from U.S. farmers since April.
“China has been our number one export market,” France said. “With that being gone at the moment, it is difficult, leaving our producers without our single most critical outlet.”
Mark Welch, grain economist for Texas A&M University, said China can do without American sorghum for a while. The big sorghum consumer has recently made Brazil and Australia as its new sources for the grain.
“Now we've got all this grain sorghum piling up,” Welch said, “what are we going to do with it?”
The U.S. sorghum will eventually sell because the price is so low. Some will go to Mexico or Europe, and some U.S. feedyards will buy a little more sorghum at a discount price.
But Kansas farmers won’t see great returns on their investment.
Welch said that’s not a sustainable situation for the grain belt.
“We're just built for a competitive advantage in the global ag markets,” Welch said, “and to step away from that would be a seismic shift in the structure of American agriculture.”
Calen Moore covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can email him at cmoore@hppr.org.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.
