LUBBOCK, TX – U.S. sorghum production is forecast to fall 37 percent from last year as both harvested acreage and yield decline sharply across the Plains.
USDA estimates 2026 grain sorghum production at 273.7 million bushels, down 6 percent from the October forecast and well below the 436.8 million bushels harvested in 2025.
The national average yield is now projected at 52.4 bushels per acre, down 3.3 bushels from October and more than 20 bushels below last year’s 72.6-bushel yield.
Kansas, the largest producing state, saw its yield estimate reduced from 65 to 59 bushels per acre. Texas declined from 47 to 45 bushels, while Nebraska fell from 85 to 80.
Harvested acreage is also lower. USDA expects 5.225 million acres to be harvested for grain, compared with just over 6 million acres last year.
Farm-Level Takeaway: A dramatically smaller sorghum crop could tighten supplies and increase the importance of export demand and domestic feed use heading into 2027.