PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS FOR 1998/99

March 1999

WHEAT

	------ 1998/99 -------
Country	Current Estimate	Monthly Change	Monthly Change	Change from 1997/98	Comments
	MMT	MMT	(%)	(%)
World	586.6	+0.4	+0	-4	Production is estimated higher due to an increase in the total-foreign category.
United States	69.4	NC	NC	+3	Production is unchanged this month.
Total Foreign	517.2	+0.4	+0	-5	Production is estimated higher due to slight increases in the Czech Republic, European Union, and Nepal more than offsetting a decrease in Uruguay.
Czech Rep.	4.1	+0.2	+6	+13	Production is estimated higher due to official statistics increasing output.

COARSE GRAINS

	------ 1998/99 -------
Country	Current Estimate	Monthly Change	Monthly Change	Change from 1997/98	Comments
	MMT	MMT	(%)	(%)
World	878.7	-2.2	-0	-0	Production is estimated lower due to a decrease in the total-foreign category.
United States	271.6	NC	NC	+4	Production is unchanged this month.
Total Foreign	607.1	-2.2	-0	-2	Production is estimated lower as decreases in South Africa and Brazil more than offset an increase in India.
South Africa	7.5	-2.1	-22	-7	Production is estimated lower due to reductions in area and yield. Hot, dry weather in late-February and early-March stressed the corn crop.
Brazil	33.3	-1.0	-3	+5	Production is estimated lower due to decreases in area and yield. Lower-than-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures reduced corn yield potential, especially in Rio Grande do Sol.
Mexico	24.7	-0.7	-3	+7	Production is estimated lower due to a decrease in second-season corn area and yield.

Uruguay	0.5	-0.2	-26	-2	Production is estimated lower due mostly to a downward revision in barley output.
India	32.5	+1.6	+5	+4	Production is estimated higher due to official statistics increasing sorghum and corn yields.
EU-15	104.4	+0.2	+0	-5	Production is estimated higher due to upward revisions in Germany and Italy.

RICE (MILLED BASIS)

	------ 1998/99 -------
Country	Current Estimate	Monthly Change	Monthly Change	Change from 1997/98	Comments
	MMT	MMT	(%)	(%)
World	378.0	+0.3	+0	-2	Production is estimated higher due to an increase in the total-foreign category.
United States	6.1	NC	NC	+3	Production is unchanged this month.
Total Foreign	371.8	+0.3	+0	-2	Production is estimated higher due to an increase in Brazil.
Brazil	7.5	+0.3	+4	+28	Production is estimated higher due to excellent weather throughout the growing season. Yield is estimated at a record level.

OILSEEDS

	------ 1998/99 -------
Country	Current Estimate	Monthly Change	Monthly Change	Change from 1997/98	Comments
	MMT	MMT	(%)	(%)
World	294.2	+3.5	+1	+3	Production is estimated up due to an increase in the total-foreign category.
United States	84.6	NC	NC	+2	Production is unchanged this month.
Total Foreign	209.5	+3.5	+2	+3	Production is estimated higher as increases in China, Argentina, and Brazil more than offset decreases in Spain and Indonesia.
China	43.0	+2.0	+5	-1	Production is estimated up due to higher official estimates for peanuts, cottonseed, and soybeans.
Argentina	27.0	+1.2	+5	+4	Production is forecast higher due to an upward revision in area and continued favorable weather for soybeans.
Brazil	31.9	+0.5	+2	-1	Production is estimated higher because of continued favorable weather and higher soybean output for last year.
Spain	1.3	-0.2	-14	-18	Production is estimated lower based on official estimates reducing sunflowerseed yield.
Indonesia	2.3	-0.2	-8	-0	Production is estimated down due to a decrease in soybean area.

PALM OIL

	------ 1998/99 -------
Country	Current Estimate	Monthly Change	Monthly Change	Change from 1997/98	Comments
	MMT	MMT	(%)	(%)
World	17.9	+0.2	+1	+5	Production is estimated higher primarily because of an increase in Nigeria.
Nigeria	0.8	+0.2	+29	+17	Production is estimated up due to price incentives which have fostered investment in plantations and crushing facilities.

COTTON

	------ 1998/99 -------
Country	Current Estimate	Monthly Change	Monthly Change	Change from 1997/98	Comments
	MBALES	MBALES	(%)	(%)
World Total	85.3	+0.4	+1	-7	Production is estimated up based on higher production in the total-foreign category.
United States	13.8	NC	NC	-27	Production is unchanged this month.
Total Foreign	71.5	+0.4	+1	-2	Production is estimated higher due to increases in China and Brazil.
China	20.2	+0.4	+2	-4	Production is estimated higher based on official government data.
Brazil	1.9	+0.1	+6	+9	Production is estimated up due to an area shift to more productive land in the Central-West region and good weather increasing yield potential.

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