Which U.S. sorghum counties are most exposed to drought right now?
The U.S. Drought Exposure Monitor tracks roughly 6 million planted sorghum acres against federal crop-insurance coverage and the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly severity map. Sorghum is the drought-tolerant grain crop of the western Plains, so the sorghum view is built around the same regions where drought risk is structurally highest — refreshed every Thursday.
Where U.S. sorghum is grown
Sorghum is the smallest of the five row crops covered by the Monitor, with roughly 6 million planted acres in a typical year. Kansas alone accounts for close to half of national production, with Texas a distant second. The rest of the crop is spread across Colorado, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Nebraska, and parts of the Mid-South. Almost the entire U.S. sorghum crop is grown west of the I-states, in geography where rainfall is limited and irrigation is too costly relative to crop value.
That geography is no accident. Sorghum is one of the most drought-tolerant grain crops grown in the United States — its agronomy assumes a dry year is a probable year. Producers in western Kansas, the Texas High Plains, and the eastern Colorado plains plant sorghum on ground where corn would not be economical. That makes sorghum's exposure profile structurally different from corn's: the same drought severity reading carries different meaning when it falls on a crop bred for dryland conditions.
How drought exposure works for sorghum
Federal crop-insurance participation for sorghum is moderate and varies by region. In western Kansas and the Texas High Plains, where sorghum is the primary or co-primary grain, MPCI coverage rates are generally strong but not at Corn Belt levels. In secondary sorghum states, coverage tends to be thinner — sorghum producers in those regions often grow it as part of a rotation rather than as a primary crop, and may rely on alternative coverage products.
Sorghum's drought tolerance is a real agronomic feature, but it is not unlimited. D3 or D4 severity in a county where sorghum is the primary crop still drives yield losses and triggers insurance indemnities. The Monitor scores sorghum on the same axes it uses for every other crop, so the exposure number is comparable across crops even when the underlying agronomy is not.
The exposure score uses the same three inputs the rest of the tool does: planted acres from USDA NASS, insured acres from USDA RMA's Summary of Business, and current drought severity from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Data sources for sorghum drought exposure
Every input that drives the sorghum exposure score is public, free, and refreshed on a known cadence:
| Source | What it provides | Refresh |
|---|---|---|
| USDA NASS | Planted sorghum acres by county, with three-tier waterfall for current-year coverage | Annual + intra-year revisions |
| USDA RMA Summary of Business | Federally insured sorghum acres by county and coverage type | Monthly mid-year + crop-year close |
| U.S. Drought Monitor | Current drought severity (D0–D4) by county | Weekly, Thursdays |
| NOAA CPC Seasonal Drought Outlook | 90-day forward outlook — development, persistence, improvement, removal | Monthly |
Frequently asked questions
Which U.S. states grow the most sorghum?
Kansas leads U.S. sorghum production by a wide margin, growing close to half of the national crop on its own. Texas is the second-largest producer, followed by Colorado, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The crop is concentrated in the western Plains, where rainfall is limited and corn is often not economical.
What is the typical federal crop insurance coverage rate for sorghum?
Coverage varies. In major sorghum states — western Kansas and the Texas High Plains in particular — federal crop-insurance participation is generally strong. In states where sorghum is a smaller secondary or rotation crop, coverage rates are typically lower than for corn or soybeans, and producers more often rely on alternative coverage products or self-insure.
Why is sorghum's drought-exposure profile different from corn's?
Sorghum is one of the most drought-tolerant grain crops grown in the United States. Producers in the western Plains plant it specifically on ground where corn would not be economical — meaning the typical sorghum county is structurally exposed to drought in a way the typical corn county is not. The Monitor still scores sorghum on the same axes, but the absolute exposure numbers should be read in that context.
Where is U.S. sorghum most at risk from drought this week?
It changes weekly. The Monitor reorders its sorghum watch list every Thursday after the U.S. Drought Monitor publishes. Historically western Kansas, the Texas High Plains, and the eastern Colorado plains draw the most exposure when summer drought develops. The current week's view is on the live tool.