A higher demand for Australian sorghum in China has resulted in a boom in the production of the supergrain, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Friday.
The production of sorghum increased 70 percent across the 2014/15 financial year up to an estimated 2.2 million tonnes.
The higher demand for sorghum from Asia, along with above average growing conditions during the summer months of 2014/15 led to the increase, which is expected to continue next year as demand rises and as rainfall levels continue to fall.
Sorghum is known for its resistance to drought and its nutritious properties, meaning it is a hardy and profitable grain to grow, and, earlier this week, The Guardian Australian heralded it as the next "wonder food" alongside quinoa and brown rice.
Katie Hutt from the ABS said that sorghum production had increased simultaneously as wheat production had fallen, signifying a shift towards sorghum in farming circles.
"The total area of sorghum in Australia increased by 37 percent in 2014-15 to 730,000 hectares, up from 532,000 in 2013-14, resulting in record high areas of sorghum," Hutt said in a statement on Friday.
"ABS export data reflects the increase in production with a higher demand from China, which accounted for the majority of Australian sorghum exports in 2014-15."
"Wheat production was estimated to have fallen in Western Australia with frost and hail damage contributing to the decrease."
"Wheat production was also estimated to have fallen in New South Wales due to a dry finish across most of the state, adversely affecting yields."
Sorghum is a staple grain in parts of Africa, China and India, and is easy to produce in drought-prone areas.
