ABSTRACT
Sorghum is grown in the tropical, subtropical or temperate regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Across the globe, sorghum production during 2016 was 63 million tons. Sorghum is produced in more than 100 countries; however, only 14 countries have an annual production of more than a million tons. The top ten sorghum producers in the world are: United States (8.4 million ton), Nigeria (6.5 million ton), Mexico (6.0 million ton), India (4.5 million ton), Sudan (4.5 million ton), China (3.8 million ton), Ethiopia (3.7 million ton), Argentina (3.5 million ton), Australia (1.9 million ton) and Burkina Faso (1.8 million ton). Africa produces 40% of the global sorghum crop, with West Africa’s production being just over half of Africa’s. The rest of the crop is produced in about 37% in the Americas and 20% in Asia and Oceania. For the United States, average sorghum yields are above 4 Mg ha−1, which is higher than those of developing countries. India is a major sorghum producer, but its production is declining due to competition for resources (particularly irrigation to high-value crops) and other social/economic factors (Rao et al., 2006). Sorghum yields in China have improved compared to previous decades; however, it is still below 4 Mg ha−1. Sorghum production in Mexico has increased over the past years but appears to have stabilized, with average yields of 3.7 Mg ha−1. Sorghum yields in Argentina and Brazil were 4.5 and 2.4 Mg ha−1, respectively (FAO, 2014), while in Australia sorghum production was significantly higher than maize production (FAO, 2014).
