In 2006, GIPSA initiated the farm gate assessments with sorghum, using a program that is designed to be statistically sound, contingent upon a uniform participation rate of elevators across the country. The program is designed to capture first-point-of-sale, or farm gate inspection data for grain sorghum across all major sorghum producing regions of the U.S. GIPSA personnel contacted local grain elevators (based on Farm Service Agency records) in sorghum producing States to ask for assistance in providing samples to an official agency (selected through a competitive bid process) for grading. Prior to or at the beginning of local sorghum harvests, GIPSA sent enough shipping materials to participating elevators to capture over 1,200 sorghum samples. GIPSA gratefully acknowledges those elevators who provide samples.
In 2006, a number of samples arrived without mailing tags, thus their serial numbers are unknown. Data for these samples are found on the "Unspecified" page. It is likely these samples were from Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota or Texas (based on when the samples arrived). All data are used for the overall analysis, found on the "Summary" page, which contains the mean, maximum, and minimum values for the entire sample set, along with the grade limits for grading factors, and the percentage of samples by grade.
Please note: Effective June 1, 2008 broken kernels and foreign material grade limits for sorghum were changed. Prior grade limits for foreign material were number one, 1.5%; number two, 2.5%; number three, 3.5%; and number four, 4.5%. Prior grade limits for total broken kernels and foreign material were number one, 4%; number two, 7%; number three, 10%; and number four, 13%. Current grade limits for foreign material are number one, 1%; number two, 2%; number three, 3%; and number four, 4%. Current grade limits for total broken kernels and foreign material are number one, 3%; number two, 6%; number three, 8%; and number four, 10%.
Data Summaries