Sorghum Harvest Fell 24%
WASHINGTON - Jan 12/18 - SNS -- Sorghum grain production in 2017 was estimated at 364 million bushels, down 24% from the 2016 total, according to the USDA's final crop estimates.
Planted area for 2017 was estimated at 5.63 million acres, down 16% from the previous year. Area harvested for grain, at 5.05 million acres, was down 18% from 2016. Grain yield was estimated at 72.1 bushels per acre, down 5.8 bushels from 2016. Record high yields were estimated in Colorado, Georgia, and Missouri.
In Colorado, drought conditions slowed the development of the crop early in the growing season but late season moisture aided crop development. During the last week of September, widespread cool and rainy weather brought beneficial moisture to several areas of the State. Sorghum was rated in mostly fair to excellent condition in Missouri throughout the growing season and was 95% harvested by the end of November.
Silage production was estimated at 3.77 million tons, down 10% from 2016. Area harvested for silage was estimated at 284,000 acres, down 5% from the previous year. Silage yield averaged 13.3 tons per acre, down 0.7 ton per acre from 2016.
Sorghum Area Planted for All Purposes and Harvested for Grain, Yield, and Production -
States and United States: 2015-2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Area planted for all purposes : Area harvested for grain
State :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2015 : 2016 : 2017 : 2015 : 2016 : 2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 acres
:
Arizona 1/ .......: 24 (NA) (NA) 4 (NA) (NA)
Arkansas .........: 450 47 9 440 44 7
Colorado .........: 440 450 410 400 415 360
Georgia ..........: 50 20 20 34 10 10
Illinois .........: 38 18 17 34 16 15
Kansas ...........: 3,400 3,100 2,600 3,200 2,950 2,450
Louisiana ........: 77 52 15 74 46 13
Mississippi ......: 120 13 5 115 11 4
Missouri .........: 155 65 30 140 54 23
Nebraska .........: 270 200 180 240 175 135
:
New Mexico .......: 125 110 85 90 85 48
North Carolina 2/ : (NA) 45 20 (NA) 37 15
Oklahoma .........: 440 400 315 410 370 295
South Dakota .....: 270 270 270 220 200 170
Texas ............: 2,600 1,900 1,650 2,450 1,750 1,500
:
United States ....: 8,459 6,690 5,626 7,851 6,163 5,045
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: Yield per acre : Production
State :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2015 : 2016 : 2017 : 2015 : 2016 : 2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ---------- bushels --------- -------- 1,000 bushels --------
:
Arizona 1/ .......: 92.0 (NA) (NA) 368 (NA) (NA)
Arkansas .........: 98.0 73.0 76.0 43,120 3,212 532
Colorado .........: 55.0 50.0 57.0 22,000 20,750 20,520
Georgia ..........: 48.0 54.0 54.0 1,632 540 540
Illinois .........: 94.0 93.0 83.0 3,196 1,488 1,245
Kansas ...........: 88.0 91.0 82.0 281,600 268,450 200,900
Louisiana ........: 85.0 102.0 91.0 6,290 4,692 1,183
Mississippi ......: 79.0 89.0 72.0 9,085 979 288
Missouri .........: 94.0 95.0 108.0 13,160 5,130 2,484
Nebraska .........: 96.0 102.0 89.0 23,040 17,850 12,015
:
New Mexico .......: 47.0 41.0 35.0 4,230 3,485 1,680
North Carolina 2/ : (NA) 55.0 50.0 (NA) 2,035 750
Oklahoma .........: 52.0 55.0 53.0 21,320 20,350 15,635
South Dakota .....: 83.0 79.0 68.0 18,260 15,800 11,560
Texas ............: 61.0 66.0 63.0 149,450 115,500 94,500
:
United States ....: 76.0 77.9 72.1 596,751 480,261 363,832
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NA) Not available.
1/ Estimates discontinued in 2016.
2/ Estimates began in 2016.
Sorghum for Silage Area Harvested, Yield, and Production - States and United States: 2015-2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Area harvested : Yield per acre : Production
State :-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2015 : 2016 : 2017 : 2015 : 2016 : 2017 : 2015 : 2016 : 2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: -------- 1,000 acres ------- -------- tons -------- ------- 1,000 tons ------
:
Arizona 1/ .......: 20 (NA) (NA) 22.0 (NA) (NA) 440 (NA) (NA)
Arkansas .........: 2 1 1 9.0 18.0 16.0 18 18 16
Colorado .........: 10 10 25 14.0 9.0 15.0 140 90 375
Georgia ..........: 12 8 8 12.0 10.0 13.0 144 80 104
Illinois .........: 2 1 1 15.0 17.0 12.0 30 17 12
Kansas ...........: 105 95 85 15.0 15.5 13.0 1,575 1,473 1,105
Louisiana ........: 1 1 1 11.0 13.0 12.0 11 13 12
Mississippi ......: 2 1 1 8.0 10.0 8.0 16 10 8
Missouri .........: 10 9 5 19.0 17.0 19.0 190 153 95
Nebraska .........: 10 10 22 12.5 14.0 10.0 125 140 220
:
New Mexico .......: 29 18 17 12.0 13.0 11.0 348 234 187
North Carolina 2/ : (NA) 4 4 (NA) 10.0 10.0 (NA) 40 40
Oklahoma .........: 15 15 12 12.0 10.0 18.0 180 150 216
South Dakota .....: 18 40 37 13.5 13.0 11.0 243 520 407
Texas ............: 70 85 65 14.5 14.5 15.0 1,015 1,233 975
:
United States ....: 306 298 284 14.6 14.0 13.3 4,475 4,171 3,772
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(NA) Not available.
1/ Estimates discontinued in 2016.
2/ Estimates began in 2016.
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