USDA Changing Sorghum Grades

WASHINGTON - May 1/08 - SNS -- The USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is reminding interested parties that revisions to the United States Standards for Sorghum become effective on June 1, 2008.

The changes, which were promulgated in rulemaking on July 20, 2007, better describe the types of grain sorghum produced by American farmers and reduce the allowable levels of broken sorghum kernels and foreign material in the various quality grades of sorghum.

Specifically, the standards will be changed to: amend the definitions of the classes Sorghum, White sorghum, Tannin sorghum, and nongrain sorghum, adjust the grade limits for broken kernels and foreign material (BNFM), and the subfactor foreign material (FM), insert a total count limit for other material into the standards and revise the method for certifying test weight, and modify the inspection plan tolerances for BNFM and FM.

Nearly half the grain sorghum produced by American farmers is exported around the world for use as food and animal feed. In many parts of the world sorghum is used in food products and various food items; porridge, unleavened bread, cookies, cakes, couscous, and malted beverages are made from this versatile grain. Domestically, sorghum is used primarily as animal feed with a lesser amount moving into food marketing channels and, more recently, into ethanol production.