Market Overview
Sorghum Seeds Market was valued at USD 1166.75 Million in 2021. It is forecasted to reach USD YY million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.90% during the forecast period (2022-2029).
Sorghum seed is the staple and cereal grain crop grown in climates with long summers. It can easily grow in poor soils where cereals such as maize, rice and other cereals cannot grow. It is drought and heat-resistant that can grow in hot and arid regions. It provides good yields even in regions with water scarcity. It is grown for food, hay and fodder and used in making brooms and brushes. It is a rich source of unsaturated fats, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, fiber, and calcium.
Sorghum seed is available in color, shape, and size. It is beneficial for maintaining bone strength. It is useful for the prevention of anemia by increasing the circulation of blood in the human body. It is widely grown for producing edible oil, starch, dextrose, paste, and alcoholic beverages. It is also useful for the production of biofuels.

Market Dynamics
Increase in Farmer’s Growing Sorghum is Driving the Growth of the Market
The market is driven by the rising in demand for sorghum seeds with the increasing number of farmers growing the sorghum seeds. According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) Organization, the area planted with sorghum has increased by 66% over the past 50 years across the globe. A large number of farmers grow sorghum seeds in sorghum seeds as sorghum seeds can tolerate drought, soil toxicities, and temperature extremes effectively in comparison to the other forage seeds. Sorghum seeds can be grown in areas under moisture stress conditions. Sorghum seeds can easily adapt to dry and less fertile areas. Sorghum seeds provide higher yields to the farmers in comparison to the seeds of other forage crops.
Growing Funding & Investment is Expected to Boost the Market Growth over the Forecast Period
Several companies are raising funding and investment for the development of sorghum seeds. For instance, On 6th February 2020, Oklahoma State University received a 3.1 million USD research grant to help farmers improve sorghum data and save money. This credit facility would be used locally to support the farmers and research the rapidly expanding sorghum seed market. Moreover, several organizations, institutes and associations are providing grants for the sorghum seeds. For instance, on 13th July 2021, Christine Diepenbrock received The National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to enhance grain sorghum. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded 0.65 million USD to Christine Diepenbrock to enhance grain sorghum’s productivity and nutritional quality in both optimal and pre-flowering drought conditions.
Growing Initiatives by Several Organizations, Institutes & Associations for Promoting the Use of Sorghum Seed is Increasing the Market Growth
There are growing initiatives by several organizations, institutes and associations for promoting the use of sorghum seeds in various countries. For instance, in March 2017, NARS institutions, agricultural universities, Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Maharashtra State Seed Corporation (Mahabeej) and Maharashtra State Seed Certification Agency (MSSCA) and The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) had initiated the Sorghum Seed Consortium to promote the distribution of seeds of improved cultivars among thousands of farmers in Maharashtra, India. This Consortium has increased the production of the sorghum seed from 300 tons in 2013 to 3000 tons in 2016. This Consortium has resulted in the availability of the improved varieties of sorghum seeds in the Western Maharashtra and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra. Sorghum Seed Consortium has replaced the traditionally popular post-rainy sorghum cultivar i.e., M 35-1 (Maldandi) with improved varieties for enhancing crop productivity. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) had established the United Sorghum Checkoff Program for overseeing the formation of checkoff organizations under the authority of the Commodity, Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. The United Sorghum Checkoff Program would be useful for improving the profitability of sorghum growers through research, education and promotion. This program would maintain and expand existing sorghum markets and uses.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis
The global sorghum seed market has been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the demand for sorghum seeds has been reduced with the increasing number of people suffering from the COVID-19 across the globe. COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the production, and distribution of sorghum seeds worldwide. It has created the supply chain and market disruption for sorghum seeds. The exports of sorghum seeds have witnessed a decrease in various countries. Several public and private companies are witnessing a decrease in personnel available for production, transportation and documentation processes for sorghum seeds. Thus, there is a decrease in the production of sorghum seeds worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the access to the high-quality of sorghum seeds of modern varieties for agriculture in various countries.

Segment Analysis
Grain Sorghum Segment is Expected to Hold the Largest Share in the Sorghum Seed Market
The sorghum seed market is classified based on the product type as grain sorghum, sweet sorghum, forage sorghum, and biomass sorghum. The grain sorghum segment is anticipated to hold the largest share in the sorghum seed market as there are rising initiatives for growing the grain sorghum by the farmers due to its several advantages such as drought tolerance, wide adaption, short growing season, and versatile planting dates in comparison to the other types of sorghum seed such as sweet sorghum, forage sorghum, and biomass sorghum. It requires warm, moist soil well supplied with air and fine for rapid seed germination. Grain sorghum needs the right soil-air-water balance for limiting plant stress during drought periods. Grain sorghum is the best alternative to corn as the grain sorghum is similar to corn in composition and feeding value. It is rich in protein, sugar, starch, zinc, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and other nutrients. There is a growing demand for grain sorghum for baked goods as it provides nutritious and gluten-free benefits to consumers. Grain sorghum is a preferred substitute for wheat flour especially for patients with celiac disease as the grain sorghum is comprised of gluten-free starch.
By Application, Sorghum Planting Segment is Expected to Witness a High Growth Over the Forecast Period
The sorghum seed market is classified based on the application of sorghum planting and sorghum breeding. Sorghum planting is expected to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecasted period as there is growing usage of the sorghum seed for the sorghum planting as the sorghum is a low-maintenance crop. Sorghum planting is performed on shallow and heavy clay soils. Sorghum planting is well adapted to hot and dry climates. Sorghum planting provides better yields in comparison to the other staple crops. The sorghum breeding is expected to have positive market growth over the forecasted period as there is rising adoption of sorghum breeding for growing the sorghum seeds with high yield, good threshability, disease and insect resistance. Sorghum breeding is helpful to derive the diverse and broad genetic-based hybrid varieties of sorghum seeds. Sorghum breeding is useful for growing sorghum plants with a height of approximately 1.25 meters to 2 meters. Various breeding strategies such as pure line selection, pedigree method, and back cross-breeding are most commonly used for sorghum breeding.

Geographical Analysis
North America Region Holds the Largest Market Share Global Sorghum Seed Market
North American region is dominating the global sorghum seed market accounting for the largest market share in 2021. There is growing usage of sorghum for feeding livestock, human consumption and other applications. There is increased usage of sorghum for ethanol production including the starch from grain, sugar from pressed juice and high biomass production. Advanced technologies are being used to produce sorghum seeds with good quality and better yield. The United States is expected to hold the largest share in this region owing to the higher demand for sorghum seeds. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the total sorghum production was 11.3 million tons in the United States in 2021-22. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 76% of the U.S. sorghum crop had been harvested in the two major sorghum-producing states in the United States in September 2022. According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) Organization, the United States is the leading exporter of sorghum.
The United States has exported a total of 7.18 million metric tons of sorghum to various countries in 2020-21. There are growing initiatives by the government for exploring the use of sorghum seed for biofuel production. For instance, The California Energy Commission had provided USD 3 million matching grants to Calgren Renewable Fuels, Aemetis, and Pacific Ethanol to develop sorghum as an ethanol source. This grant would help the ethanol producers to develop sorghum as an ethanol feedstock source as it requires less water to grow. This grant would be useful for conducting the university-led agronomic studies of sorghum for identifying the varieties of sorghum seeds to be grown best in California, and for purchasing specialized equipment.
Asia-Pacific Region is Expected to Grow at the Fastest CAGR During the Forecast Period
Asia-Pacific region is estimated to be the fastest-growing region in the global sorghum seed market owing to the increasing demand for sorghum seeds. These are the viable economic alternative to all the stable crops. There is increasing usage of sorghum as fodder for livestock such as poultry and cattle. There is growing usage of sorghum for the production of the brewers. It is widely used for developing couscous, sorghum flour, porridge and molasses. Countries such as India, Nigeria, Sudan, and Ethiopia are the major producers of sorghum seed. There is a presence of several market players developing improved sorghum seeds with good yields. Several organizations and institutes support the farmers growing the sorghum seeds. For instance, Indian national agricultural research systems (NARS) and ICRISAT are supporting the farmers to use the improved management practices for growing sorghum seeds.
Competitive Landscape:
The sorghum seed market studied is a fragmented market with the presence of a large number of market players. Advanta Seeds, Corteva Agriscience, Bayer CropScience SE, Groupe Limagrain, Nuseed, Alta Seeds, Allied Seed LLC, Seed Co Limited, Monsanto, Dupont Pioneer, Nufarm, Chromatin, Dyna-Gro Seed, and Sustainable Seed Company are the major players with the significant market share. The major players are adopting several growth strategies such as product launches, mergers, licensing, acquisitions, and collaborations, contributing to the growth of the Sorghum Seed market globally. For instance,
Mergers & Collaborations:
In July 2020, S&W Seed Company had collaborated with The Agricultural Alumni Seed Improvement Association, Inc for the joint development of the dhurrin-free sorghum for use in S&W’s grain, sweet, forage sorghum and other sorghum species. This collaboration would bring innovations to sorghum production for expanding the crop management options for optimizing the livestock grazing, harvest timing and forage quality.
In June 2020, S&W Seed Company a global agricultural company with a leading position in sorghum had entered into a collaboration with the ADAMA, one of the world’s leading crop protection companies to bring a new weed management system for sorghum growers in the market. This system would be marketed as DoubleTeam. This system would be comprised of the S&W’s non-GMO, herbicide-tolerant sorghum hybrids and ADAMA’s best-in-class herbicides. DoubleTeam would help in improving weed control and grower profitability in sorghum.
Product Launch & Approvals:
In October 2020, Alta Seeds had launched the EMPYR Premier Forages, a complete line of forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-Sudan hybrids. EMPYR forages are best in field and feed and combine the industry’s top forage characteristics into one convenient package, delivering more profit to growers and livestock producers.
On 1st March 2021, Corteva Agriscience launched its Inzen Trait in Pioneer brand grain sorghum. The new brand products allow for a postemergence application of Zest WDG herbicide to provide excellent control of yield-depleting annual grasses such as foxtail, barnyard grass and panicum.
On 9th March 2022, Corteva Agriscience opened a seed research station in south central Texas. The site primarily focuses on capturing field data and characterizing grain sorghum and corn hybrids.
Acquisition:
On 3rd December 2021, Crystal Crop Protection announced that it acquired 4 crops from Bayer India for the business of cotton, mustard, pearl millet, and grain sorghum hybrids. This acquisition expected crystal crop protection to be the leading company in these selected crops.