China's sorghum imports rose threefold to 922,200 tonnes in March from a year earlier, with almost all coming from the United States, according to customs data cited by an official think-tank on Thursday. Total imports in the first quarter of the year rose 453 percent on year to 2.27 million tonnes, the China National Grain and Oils Information Centre (CNGOIC) said, citing customs data.
Imports in the second quarter of the year are likely to rise to 3 million tonnes, said CNGOIC. US farmers are expected to increase sorghum acreage by 10.7 percent this year due to soaring demand from China. Chinese feed mills have increased imports of sorghum and also distillers' grains (DDGS) for cheap alternatives to expensive domestic corn.