Agricultural News
Tim Lust with National Sorghum Producers Talks Opportunities for Producers to Plant Sorghum This Year
Thu, 13 Jun 2019 05:00:43 CDT
Earlier this week National Sorghum Producers, chief executive officer, Tim Lust, spoke with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director, Carson Horn about the opportunities producers have when it comes to planting grain sorghum in these final days of the 2019 window to plant spring crops this year. You can listen to their complete conversation by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of the page.
"There has been a lot of challenges, whether it's cotton being lost and insurance being adjusted out in the pan handle," Lust said. "Or the flooding areas in the eastern part of the state."
Lust says a lot of producers have asked in general if there is general seed supply available of hybrids with the right maturity. National Sorghum Producers are trying to proactively put out info to let growers know there is plenty of seed available.
"We continue to see a number of different end users add sorghum bids," he said. "Whether that is in elevators or direct end users. That is a testament to what the challenges to what the industry is worried about a short year this year for feed grains. Certainly, in north central Oklahoma that is always an option for growers when they try to decide between milo and beans."
The National Sorghum Producers are trying to make sure they get the word out about the opportunities that are available this year, he added. They are also there if producers need info, whether that is on the agronomy side or the marketing side.
Sorghum can be more cost effective than other crops. Sorghum input on the seed side in particular is where you can see the difference in inputs, Lust said. It can also be a great option as a rotational crop, since it can help the crops that come in after.
"From a disease standpoint, things like nematodes or other soil-born diseases," Lust said. "Sorghum is a great rotational crop to help break some of those cycles and it puts a lot of residue back into the ground."
Sorghum can also be good for the livestock side of things. This winter the stalks of the sorghum can be used as a grazing option for cattle. Lust says this is something else to consider when there is a shortage of other crops.
The demand for sorghum has went up recently even with the trade talks going on with China.
"We had some sales of sorghum in the last few weeks, even in China," Lust said. "This is certainly something very few other commodities can say. There is still concerns surrounding the China trade talk, but there is still demand."
The recent report from the USDA saying there would be a decrease in not only acres but also yield of corn has caused the markets to move toward sorghum. Lust said, that is a reality in terms that producers can get back to a price point where sorghum is competitive related to other crops.
Farmers are considering how they can be a part of the Market Facilitation Program payments and sorghum qualifies for that.
"Those payments won't be made on this year's production," he said. "However, they need to have a crop produced or at least planted this year. That is not the reason to do it, but it is a reason to do it this year to make sure something gets planted on all of those acres that you possibly can."
You can find more information about the agronomy or marketing side of sorghum by going to www.sorghumcheckoff.com or calling 806-749-3478.
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