Global commodity production, area and yield estimates <br> for Grains, Oilseeds and Cotton. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/ Thu, Dec 17 2009 13:09:52 Thu, Dec 17 2009 13:09:52 http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/images/2005_h1.png http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/ OGA - Office of Global Analysis 62 72 World production of durum has increased for the second consecutive year estimated at 31.9 million tons for 2009/10, up 2.3 million tons from 2008/09 and up 5.7 million tons from 2007/08. This figure, however, is still below the record output reached in 2004/05 at 33.3 million tons. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/12/global durum Dec 16, 2009 USDA's November forecast for Kenya's 2009/10 corn production is 1.8 million tons, down 0.3 million tons from last year's poor crop and below the 5-year average of 2.6 million tons. Rainfall during Kenya's 2009 "long rains" season from March-November was below average, with a large portion of the Kenya's grain basket in the northern Rift Valley province experiencing the worse drought in the past 9-years. Area is estimated at 1.6 million hectares, or near the 5-year average of 1.7 million hectares. The forecast yield is 1.13 tons per hectare, below last year's poor yield of 1.28 tons per hectare and below the 5-year average of 1.5. The current 2009/10 corn production forecast for Kenya will be adjusted early next year, after the harvest for the "short rains" season from October-February is completed in February, 2010. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/12/kenya Dec 01, 2009 The planted area for 2010/11 winter grains in Russia is likely to surpass last year's level despite persistent dryness throughout the sowing campaign. Although the drought reportedly hampered crop emergence and establishment and necessitated replanting in some fields, timely rainfall reversed the dryness and winter crops likely escaped irreversible damage in most areas. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/11/rs_02nov2009 Nov 17, 2009 Agricultural specialists from the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) traveled through several central and southeastern European countries during late August and early September to assess 2009 crop conditions. The main crops in this region include wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, and sunflowerseed. The trip included visits to the European Union countries of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania, as well as non-EU member Serbia. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/11/EuropeCropTravel Nov 03, 2009 Western Australia (WA) is the country's major wheat-producing state and is the country's top grain exporting state. In recent years WA has also experienced expansion in production of other field crops including rapeseed, barley, oats, and lupines. Obviously, first-hand knowledge of agricultural production operations and circumstances would greatly contribute toward improvements in our crop forecasting program. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/09/AustraliaCropTravel Oct 30, 2009 Conditions for a portion of Ukraine's 2010/11 winter grains have been alarmingly unfavorable due to persistent dryness. Weather data and satellite imagery indicate that both surface and subsurface moisture during August and September were the lowest in recent years. Although the situation has improved following rainfall in late September and early October, the earlier dryness hampered the emergence and establishment of winter crops in significant areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. Subsurface moisture reserves remain significantly below normal. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/10/ukr_21oct2009 Oct 21, 2009 Specialists from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service conducted crop-assessment travel in north-central Kazakhstan during the second half of July. The team observed evidence of excessive and persistent dryness in a large portion of the country's key wheat production zone. The USDA forecasts Kazakhstan wheat production for 2009/10 at 14.0 million tons, down 0.5 million from last month. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/08/kaz_05aug2009 Aug 12, 2009 Afghanistan suffered a severe drought last year which decimated its 2008/09 winter grain crop and caused an acute food and feed-grain shortage throughout much of the country. Wheat production is estimated by USDA to have fallen 55 percent from the previous year. This major shortfall in production of the nation's staple grain crop was also exacerbated by disruptions in regional grain trade (export bans) and increasing conflict in major transport corridors along the Pakistani border, resulting in record high domestic food grain prices and increasing food insecurity. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/06/Afghanistan Jun 10, 2009 USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) performed a mid-season crop assessment in Zimbabwe from February 23-27 and in South Africa from February 17-20, 2009. The purpose of the trip was to update current crop estimates for both countries and ground truth satellite imagery and various spatial crop models with actual ground conditions. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/06/zimbabwe Jun 02, 2009 Analysts from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, including the U.S. agricultural attache in Kyiv, conducted April crop-assessment travel in Ukraine in order to assess 2009/10 production prospects for grains and oilseeds and examine the likely impact of the current credit crisis. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/05/ukr_20may2009 May 20, 2009 Improved seasonal rainfall conditions and increased use of irrigation allowed Syria to increase wheat production compared to last year's severe drought. Total production, however, is expected to remain well below average. Normal to above normal rainfall in western and northern wheat growing areas helped improve overall grain production prospects this year. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/05/Syria May 12, 2009 Iraq is experiencing its second consecutive drought-reduced wheat harvest owing to well-below normal rainfall and significant irrigation supply shortages. Crop area is expected to be much below normal in major northern rainfed provinces after poor autumn rainfall caused many farmers to abort sowing operations. Crop yields are also expected to be significantly reduced in major southern irrigated provinces this year owing to critical shortages of irrigation water in the Tigris and Euphrates river systems during the wheat growing season. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/05/Iraq May 12, 2009 The widely dispersed winter grain production regions in Iran have generally experienced more favorable growing conditions in 2009/10 than during last year's extremely severe drought. Normal to above normal rainfall in the important rainfed wheat growing areas of northwest Iran has helped improve overall grain production prospects this year. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/05/Iran May 12, 2009 The 2009/10 winter crop was planted in October 2008. The weather was favorable and the crop went into dormancy in good condition. Sown area for 2009/10 increased slightly. Drought conditions developed over several months. At its peak in February, almost 11 million hectares of wheat in northern China were affected by drought The drought was fought with intensive irrigation efforts and rainmaking technology Moderate to heavy precipitation from mid February through March ended the drought. The wheat crop is currently in good condition. Harvest will start in May. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/04/ChinaDrought Apr 15, 2009 Extremely high palm oil production growth rates have been sustained over the past ten years in Indonesia. These historic growth rates are a result of strong global vegetable oil demand and significant political and economic reforms established by the government following the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990's. Chief among the reforms were the designation of large land tracts to the development of future palm plantations, decentralizing control over land-use licensing to provincial governments, and subsidizing credit and establishment costs for smallholder's interested in palm. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/03/Indonesia Mar 19, 2009 Russia's sown winter-grain area for 2009/10 reportedly reached 17.1 million hectares, the highest level in at least seven years. Winter damage was unusually low and current crop conditions are good, but subsurface moisture reserves remain below normal in parts of southern Russia. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/03/rs_16march2009/index.htm Mar 16, 2009 Ukraine has become a major exporter of grains during the past ten years. Following a bumper harvest in 2008, wheat exports for 2008/09 are estimated at nearly 10 million tons. Wheat is Ukraine's major winter grain, and although final yields will depend largely on spring weather, early prospects for 2009/10 winter crops are favorable. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/02/ukr_12feb2009 Feb 17, 2009 In September of 2008 FOB Gulf prices for wheat were down slightly from prices in 2007, while prices for soybeans and corn were much higher, indicating the incentives to plant wheat for the 2009/10 crop have diminished compared to a year ago. Additionally, many market watchers have been reporting high input prices and lower availability of credit. With continuing low stock levels and fairly high prices compared to previous years, there are still incentives for Northern Hemisphere farmers to produce wheat, although they are less compelling than a year ago. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/02/WorldPrice_Ratios Feb 02, 2009 The total 2009/10 winter wheat and barley crop in Northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) is well positioned to become a bumper or even record crop. The three-country region is normally a consistent, large import market for grain; however, if the region continues receiving favorably wet weather this spring, its imports could be dramatically reduced. http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2009/02/northwest_africa Feb 02, 2009