Mar 02, 2026
Grain Sorghum Production on the Increase in Brazil
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Grain sorghum is becoming increasingly popular with Brazilian producers. Brazil grew 1.632 million hectares of grain sorghum in 2024/25 (4.03 million acres) and that is expected to increase 11.3% in 2025/26 to 1.816 million hectares (4.48 million acres). According to Conab, the state with the greatest increase in sorghum acreage in 2025/26 are Maranhao (58%), Matto Grosso do Sul (16.4%), Tocantins (16), Mato Grosso (13.4%), and Para (12.9%), especially in the regions that had more delays in soybean planting, which results in shortening the ideal window for safrinha corn.
Grain sorghum has proven to be an excellent option for the second crop in regions of the Cerrado, but especially where the climate risk for corn is higher, places where producers live with longer periods of drought and poorly distributed rainfall. Sorghum becomes an alternative because it requires less amounts of water to complete its production cycle, has a longer planting window, and produces well in challenging conditions, which reduces the risk.
If the weather cooperates, Brazilian grain sorghum production in 2026 could be in the range of 7 to 7.5 million tons compared to 6.1 million in 2025.
The demand for grain sorghum is increasing due to ethanol production and animal rations. A sorghum-only ethanol facility is being installed in Luis Eduardo Magalhaes in western Bahia and will become operational this year. Other ethanol facilities are being installed that will utilize both corn and grain sorghum.
Brazil exported only about 50,000 tons of sorghum in 2025, but that is expected to increase in 2026 with the authorization to export grain sorghum to China. The Chinese market is the largest consumer market for sorghum consuming around 10 million tons of which 7 million are imported.
In 2025, grain sorghum prices in Brazil were 80 to 85% the price of corn, which was higher than the normal 75% due to the increased demand for the grain especially for ethanol production. Domestic sorghum prices are expected to remain strong, especially due to the rapid expansion of the ethanol sector.