U.S. Oat Output Sinking 14%

WASHINGTON - Jul 12/16 - SNS -- Farmers in the United States will grow 76.6 million bushels of oats this year, down 14% from 2015, according to the latest USDA crop production estimate.

Growers expect to harvest 1.17 million acres for grain or seed, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2016, but down 9% from last year. Based on conditions as of July 1, the average yield for the United States is forecast at 65.8 bushels per acre, down 4.4 bushels from 2015.

The 2016 oat crop developed ahead of the normal pace in all nine of the major producing States due to favorable planting and growing conditions. As of July 3, 92% of the oat acreage was headed, 3 percentage points ahead of last year's pace and 12 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. As of July 3, 67% of the crop was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 68% at the same time last year.

Oat Area Harvested, Yield, and Production - States and United States: 2015 and
Forecasted July 1, 2016
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                  :    Area harvested     :    Yield per acre     :      Production
       State      :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :   2015    :   2016    :   2015    :   2016    :   2015    :   2016
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :   -- 1,000 acres --       ---- bushels ---          1,000 bushels
                  :
California .......:      10          10       60.0        80.0          600         800
Idaho ............:      15          15       86.0        88.0        1,290       1,320
Illinois .........:      25          25       77.0        73.0        1,925       1,825
Iowa .............:      57          53       73.0        65.0        4,161       3,445
Kansas ...........:      40          30       65.0        61.0        2,600       1,830
Maine ............:      29          24       80.0        65.0        2,320       1,560
Michigan .........:      50          30       67.0        64.0        3,350       1,920
Minnesota ........:     160          95       78.0        69.0       12,480       6,555
Montana ..........:      22          29       53.0        50.0        1,166       1,450
Nebraska .........:      40          40       67.0        65.0        2,680       2,600
                  :
New York .........:      40          70       58.0        59.0        2,320       4,130
North Dakota .....:     140         160       74.0        54.0       10,360       8,640
Ohio .............:      40          55       63.0        65.0        2,520       3,575
Oregon ...........:      11          13       88.0        95.0          968       1,235
Pennsylvania .....:      65          60       55.0        60.0        3,575       3,600
South Dakota .....:     145         155       87.0        91.0       12,615      14,105
Texas ............:      55          55       48.0        43.0        2,640       2,365
Wisconsin ........:     195         130       72.0        66.0       14,040       8,580
                  :
Other States 1/ ..:     137         116       57.8        61.0        7,925       7,074
                  :
United States ....:   1,276       1,165       70.2        65.8       89,535      76,609
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1/ For 2015, Other States include: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana,
   Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and
   Wyoming. For 2016, Other States include: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia,
   Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington, and Wyoming.
   Individual State level estimates will be published in the "Small Grains 2016 Summary."