Sorghum Production by Country 2025

Sorghum thrives as drought-tolerant grain with USA leading at 8.1 million tonnes in 2023, projected to reach 7.7 million tonnes by 2025. Global production totaled 57.3 million tonnes in 2023, down 0.6% from 2022, spanning 112 countries concentrated in semi-arid regions. Nigeria produces 6.4 million tonnes, Mexico contributes 4.8 million tonnes, and Brazil adds 4.5 million tonnes. This ancient African grain, domesticated 5,000+ years ago, ranks fifth among cereals globally, providing food security in drought-prone regions where corn and wheat fail. Sorghum serves 50% animal feed (USA), 40% human food (Africa, India), and 10% biofuel/industrial uses, with gluten-free properties driving Western health food markets.

🏆 USA's Feed Grain Dominance

USA leads with 8.1 million tonnes in 2023, showing high volatility (4.8-11.4 million) from weather and market dynamics. Production concentrates in Kansas, Texas, and South Dakota where sorghum rotates with wheat and corn. American sorghum serves primarily animal feed (80%), ethanol production (15%), and exports (5%). USA ships 3-5 million tonnes annually to China, Mexico, and Japan for livestock feed. However, Chinese anti-dumping duties (2016-2020) disrupted trade, forcing USA to seek alternative markets. Sorghum offers farmers drought insurance—when corn fails, sorghum survives. Mechanized production, hybrid varieties, and established markets make USA efficient producer despite lower yields (3-4 tonnes/hectare) than corn.

Sorghum Production by Country 2025

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#	Country	2025 (est.) (Tonne)
1	United States US	7,741,513
2	Nigeria NG	6,588,011
3	Mexico MX	4,710,867
4	India IN	4,114,673
5	Ethiopia ET	3,957,734
6	Sudan SD	3,807,500
7	Brazil BR	3,629,532
8	China CN	3,087,027
9	Argentina AR	2,333,910
10	Australia AU	2,285,346
11	Burkina Faso BF	1,818,916
12	Niger NE	1,694,657
13	Mali ML	1,492,953
14	Cameroon CM	1,200,000
15	Bolivia BO	918,089
16	Chad TD	907,887
17	Egypt EG	859,988
18	South Sudan SS	779,542
19	Tanzania TZ	760,710
20	Ghana GH	404,750
21	Senegal SN	401,944
22	France FR	291,733
23	Togo TG	283,640
24	Yemen YE	267,556
25	Uganda UG	259,640
26	Italy IT	229,048
27	Rwanda RW	186,262
28	Myanmar MM	171,828
29	Oman OM	166,239
30	Kenya KE	163,367
31	Mozambique MZ	148,451
32	Eritrea ER	140,000
33	Benin BJ	139,122
34	Russia RU	124,714
35	South Africa ZA	121,122
36	Saudi Arabia SA	120,624
37	Malawi MW	117,246
38	Hungary HU	113,284
39	Paraguay PY	111,768
40	El Salvador SV	100,765
41	Mauritania MR	90,582
42	Zimbabwe ZW	90,471
43	Somalia SO	83,400
44	Ivory Coast CI	73,034
45	Ukraine UA	67,910
46	Guinea GN	64,781
47	Sierra Leone SL	63,900
48	Uruguay UY	59,360
49	Guatemala GT	55,138
50	Botswana BW	50,622
51	Thailand TH	50,000
52	Pakistan PK	46,712
53	Nicaragua NI	43,687
54	Burundi BI	41,674
55	Israel IL	36,534
56	North Korea KP	36,450
57	Venezuela VE	34,474
58	Austria AT	33,972
59	Angola AO	32,555
60	Guinea-Bissau GW	24,090
61	Belize BZ	23,814
62	Spain ES	23,479
63	Romania RO	21,589
64	Moldova MD	20,540
65	Uzbekistan UZ	18,250
66	Central African Republic CF	18,078
67	Haiti HT	15,100
68	Honduras HN	15,000
69	Ecuador EC	13,980
70	Slovakia SK	12,950
71	Kazakhstan KZ	12,399
72	Zambia ZM	11,545
73	DR Congo CD	8,844
74	Serbia RS	8,248
75	Greece GR	7,608
76	Syria SY	7,582
77	Bulgaria BG	7,284
78	Lesotho LS	7,095
79	Colombia CO	5,171
80	Gambia GM	5,037
81	Morocco MA	5,007
82	Papua New Guinea PG	4,928
83	Namibia NA	4,606
84	Cuba CU	3,794
85	South Korea KR	2,859
86	Taiwan TW	2,629
87	Iraq IQ	2,280
88	Madagascar MG	1,379
89	Tunisia TN	1,229
90	Jordan JO	1,206
91	Algeria DZ	833
92	Panama PA	803
93	Philippines PH	613
94	Lebanon LB	352
95	Dominican Republic DO	275
96	Sri Lanka LK	202
97	Eswatini SZ	195
98	Slovenia SI	170
99	Palestine PS	161
100	Azerbaijan AZ	123
101	Peru PE	79
102	Tajikistan TJ	71
103	Bangladesh BD	67
104	Maldives MV	53
105	North Macedonia MK	36
106	Fiji FJ	23
107	Türkiye TR	19
108	Micronesia FM	17
109	Kyrgyzstan KG	3

🌍 African Food Security Crop

Nigeria produces 6.4 million tonnes serving as staple food—tuwo (thick porridge), pap, and beer. Ethiopia contributes 4.0 million tonnes, Sudan 3.1 million tonnes, and Burkina Faso 1.8 million tonnes. Niger produces 1.6 million tonnes, Mali 1.5 million tonnes, and Cameroon 1.2 million tonnes. African sorghum provides calories for 500+ million people in semi-arid Sahel and savanna regions where rainfall (400-800mm) suits sorghum better than maize. Smallholder farmers (0.5-2 hectares) dominate, using traditional varieties and manual cultivation. However, birds cause 10-30% losses, requiring labor-intensive guarding. Striga (parasitic weed) devastates fields. Processing into flour, beer, and porridge creates value. Improved varieties offer higher yields and bird resistance.

🌎 Americas and Global Production

Mexico produces 4.8 million tonnes for tortillas, animal feed, and traditional beverages. Brazil contributes 4.5 million tonnes with rapid growth, cultivating sorghum in Cerrado region rotation with soybeans. Argentina produces 1.6 million tonnes (highly volatile), Bolivia 886,000 tonnes. India contributes 3.8 million tonnes, primarily for human consumption as roti (flatbread) and animal feed. China produces 3.0 million tonnes but imports 3-5 million tonnes for livestock feed. Australia contributes 2.3 million tonnes, exporting to Asia. These producers balance food, feed, and export markets based on regional needs.

🌾 Drought Champion

Sorghum excels in hot, dry conditions—requiring 400-600mm rainfall versus 600-800mm for corn. Deep roots (2+ meters) access subsoil moisture. Waxy leaf coating reduces water loss. Plants tolerate 40°C+ temperatures and recover from drought stress. Growing season 90-130 days depending on variety. However, sorghum needs warm soil (18°C+) for germination and frost kills plants. Grain sorghum (food/feed) dominates production. Sweet sorghum (stalks for syrup/ethanol) and forage sorghum (silage) serve niche markets. Gluten-free grain suits celiac diets. Tannins in some varieties reduce digestibility but deter birds—breeding balances bird resistance with nutrition.

📊 Markets and Uses

Sorghum prices fluctuate $150-300/tonne, typically 70-90% of corn prices. USA exports 3-5 million tonnes annually, competing with corn for feed markets. China's imports (3-5 million tonnes) drive trade, though anti-dumping disputes create volatility. African markets remain local—minimal trade due to subsistence production. Gluten-free food market grows in West—sorghum flour, beer, and snacks command premiums. Ethanol production uses 1-2 million tonnes in USA. Breeding programs develop high-yielding, bird-resistant, and nutritionally-improved varieties. Climate change favors sorghum over less drought-tolerant grains. However, sorghum faces competition from corn in good rainfall years and limited processing infrastructure in Africa.

🔮 Climate-Smart Future

Global sorghum production projected to grow 2-3% annually through 2030, driven by climate change favoring drought-tolerant crops. African production expands as population grows and climate becomes more erratic. Improved varieties, mechanization, and processing infrastructure boost productivity. Gluten-free markets in developed countries create premium opportunities. Biofuel potential grows as cellulosic ethanol technology advances. However, sorghum must overcome bird damage, Striga infestation, and limited research investment compared to major grains. The crop's drought tolerance, heat resistance, and versatility position it as climate-smart solution for food security in warming world, though production must intensify while maintaining resilience that makes sorghum invaluable for semi-arid agriculture.

Sorghum Production by Country 2025

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#	Country	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2025 (est.)
1	United States	9,271,070	8,673,480	9,473,620	11,374,900	4,769,960	8,071,090	7,741,513
2	Nigeria	6,800,000	6,665,000	6,590,600	6,725,500	6,806,370	6,402,000	6,588,011
3	Mexico	4,531,097	4,352,947	4,703,701	4,370,064	4,762,962	4,815,931	4,710,867
4	India	4,803,380	3,475,090	4,772,110	4,812,070	4,150,570	3,814,176	4,114,673
5	Ethiopia	5,024,368	5,265,580	4,517,350	3,553,670	4,140,000	4,010,000	3,957,734
6	Sudan	5,435,000	3,714,000	3,008,674	3,528,000	5,248,000	3,055,000	3,807,500
7	Brazil	2,281,316	2,672,245	2,761,837	2,506,830	2,930,056	4,498,299	3,629,532
8	China	2,909,400	3,137,000	2,969,900	3,377,200	3,093,900	2,966,834	3,087,027
9	Argentina	1,563,445	1,601,435	1,829,914	3,319,341	2,883,301	1,610,102	2,333,910
10	Australia	1,257,219	1,160,479	397,485	1,638,962	2,648,069	2,326,266	2,285,346
11	Burkina Faso	1,929,834	1,871,791	1,839,571	1,643,722	2,013,869	1,772,022	1,818,916
12	Niger	2,100,190	1,896,638	2,132,295	1,207,237	2,100,697	1,646,000	1,694,657
13	Mali	1,469,688	1,511,110	1,822,694	1,239,656	1,603,394	1,528,008	1,492,953
14	Cameroon	1,237,161	1,278,628	1,060,642	1,200,000	1,200,000	1,200,000	1,200,000
15	Bolivia	1,023,314	949,039	1,018,885	1,481,332	595,337	886,443	918,089
16	Chad	987,558	972,516	970,242	895,778	966,571	877,520	907,887
17	Egypt	804,851	758,362	758,200	793,926	1,037,342	780,000	859,988
18	South Sudan	538,957	590,947	631,324	591,004	759,469	867,000	779,542
19	Tanzania	672,235	731,877	750,000	807,000	768,000	737,819	760,710
20	Ghana	316,236	345,000	356,000	324,000	401,499	439,000	404,750
21	Senegal	295,463	270,168	377,323	352,474	363,164	445,000	401,944
22	France	316,640	422,900	431,700	382,280	210,940	303,990	291,733
23	Togo	277,240	282,582	279,105	276,986	280,809	288,000	283,640
24	Yemen	155,722	230,766	474,676	522,779	210,000	200,000	267,556
25	Uganda	268,493	97,000	162,000	306,700	286,000	225,000	259,640
26	Italy	303,710	322,850	373,810	230,950	197,560	247,180	229,048
27	Rwanda	154,691	159,626	170,489	178,370	192,427	185,720	186,262
28	Myanmar	167,375	151,770	142,992	175,329	171,150	170,834	171,828
29	Oman	49,330	49,823	148,884	107,389	178,582	182,373	166,239
30	Kenya	189,000	288,000	315,000	138,901	120,420	198,921	163,367
31	Mozambique	148,130	158,192	142,002	146,633	164,491	139,554	148,451
32	Eritrea	140,000	140,000	140,000	140,000	140,000	140,000	140,000
33	Benin	319,175	160,000	148,236	133,093	124,236	150,465	139,122
34	Russia	49,128	98,702	53,047	115,406	127,125	126,990	124,714
35	South Africa	115,000	127,000	158,000	215,000	103,140	94,360	121,122
36	Saudi Arabia	144,038	116,601	117,445	119,350	120,000	121,509	120,624
37	Malawi	82,852	133,212	141,272	118,351	116,918	117,000	117,246
38	Hungary	43,470	126,290	108,730	95,020	47,550	160,030	113,284
39	Paraguay	107,879	107,930	107,955	107,932	110,667	113,962	111,768
40	El Salvador	109,290	107,816	107,757	94,023	106,533	100,000	100,765
41	Mauritania	87,000	68,000	93,000	51,000	124,607	86,000	90,582
42	Zimbabwe	75,324	66,280	143,055	128,907	78,861	82,063	90,471
43	Somalia	130,000	125,000	100,000	59,000	72,000	100,000	83,400
44	Ivory Coast	65,661	68,132	72,186	70,155	73,345	74,000	73,034
45	Ukraine	193,980	192,030	106,560	173,160	40,310	42,370	67,910
46	Guinea	60,570	62,215	63,110	64,012	64,928	65,000	64,781
47	Sierra Leone	49,000	50,000	52,000	80,000	58,000	61,000	63,900
48	Uruguay	76,000	145,000	98,800	110,200	84,400	24,000	59,360
49	Guatemala	54,742	45,000	53,960	45,146	57,469	57,737	55,138
50	Botswana	48,621	35,961	87,775	47,566	77,277	35,852	50,622
51	Thailand	36,784	37,953	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
52	Pakistan	148,729	120,531	95,968	63,942	48,671	38,645	46,712
53	Nicaragua	60,156	57,145	57,058	56,376	63,713	26,596	43,687
54	Burundi	28,472	8,851	22,172	41,533	41,763	41,677	41,674
55	Israel	0	10,500	39,900	40,000	39,325	33,472	36,534
56	North Korea	36,179	37,007	36,175	36,454	36,545	36,391	36,450
57	Venezuela	44,381	39,083	55,163	53,742	31,662	28,453	34,474
58	Austria	27,430	29,740	40,320	36,930	26,170	37,470	33,972
59	Angola	39,788	32,257	34,991	34,447	35,551	30,000	32,555
60	Guinea-Bissau	21,000	21,900	20,680	22,838	26,742	23,000	24,090
61	Belize	8,200	13,165	14,726	12,879	20,699	30,057	23,814
62	Spain	26,180	25,730	21,560	16,490	14,970	31,380	23,479
63	Romania	76,310	60,010	35,700	33,750	14,830	20,780	21,589
64	Moldova	4,616	48,908	12,539	29,310	13,928	20,999	20,540
65	Uzbekistan	21,100	14,700	19,000	22,072	16,812	17,584	18,250
66	Central African Republic	30,000	31,314	16,885	17,391	17,913	18,451	18,078
67	Haiti	16,694	9,184	9,692	18,000	15,000	14,000	15,100
68	Honduras	25,000	21,000	20,000	15,000	15,000	15,000	15,000
69	Ecuador	13,855	14,239	13,852	13,982	14,025	13,953	13,980
70	Slovakia	1,730	3,430	6,350	9,870	8,420	16,900	12,950
71	Kazakhstan	2,305	6,612	4,160	4,524	18,575	11,844	12,399
72	Zambia	13,130	6,684	20,011	18,372	14,843	6,836	11,545
73	DR Congo	7,063	8,105	8,183	8,666	8,834	8,921	8,844
74	Serbia	8,159	8,239	8,283	8,197	8,236	8,275	8,248
75	Greece	7,640	7,440	7,390	6,920	8,130	7,570	7,608
76	Syria	1,001	2,589	893	741	10,288	8,695	7,582
77	Bulgaria	37,010	23,220	11,340	5,340	6,020	8,820	7,284
78	Lesotho	40,335	8,412	4,111	6,735	4,013	9,088	7,095
79	Colombia	4,130	6,929	5,814	4,924	4,270	5,810	5,171
80	Gambia	15,072	6,296	6,210	4,850	5,223	5,000	5,037
81	Morocco	3,317	3,413	4,162	9,200	5,337	3,132	5,007
82	Papua New Guinea	4,899	4,984	4,901	4,928	4,938	4,922	4,928
83	Namibia	4,036	1,000	7,106	8,216	6,147	2,237	4,606
84	Cuba	5,595	4,292	1,920	1,305	4,341	4,461	3,794
85	South Korea	2,835	2,874	2,898	2,829	2,852	2,875	2,859
86	Taiwan	2,329	2,268	2,017	2,146	4,000	2,000	2,629
87	Iraq	2,668	2,227	3,641	1,593	2,511	2,416	2,280
88	Madagascar	1,343	1,358	1,372	1,389	1,373	1,378	1,379
89	Tunisia	1,240	1,240	1,215	1,227	1,228	1,230	1,229
90	Jordan	3,694	279	1,828	457	1,262	1,471	1,206
91	Algeria	3,622	927	256	386	951	940	833
92	Panama	404	3,656	3,648	815	864	762	803
93	Philippines	564	579	561	598	589	633	613
94	Lebanon	430	310	320	380	416	302	352
95	Dominican Republic	985	699	356	322	224	287	275
96	Sri Lanka	169	136	335	321	80	227	202
97	Eswatini	1,000	1,000	1,000	91	146	265	195
98	Slovenia	380	510	230	530	80	80	170
99	Palestine	255	220	270	127	137	190	161
100	Azerbaijan	198	261	447	193	151	79	123
101	Peru	209	92	137	120	69	69	79
102	Tajikistan	114	21	61	70	74	69	71
103	Bangladesh	87	87	77	63	80	60	67
104	Maldives	51	51	53	53	53	53	53
105	North Macedonia	35	36	36	36	36	36	36
106	Fiji	24	23	23	23	23	23	23
107	Türkiye	3	4	5	25	17	18	19
108	Micronesia	17	18	17	17	17	17	17
109	Kyrgyzstan	52	28	26	6	2	2	3