March 1997
Image: U.S. Planting Seed Exports by Group
U.S. planting seed exports during the July-November period totaled 377,389 metric tons valued at $302.3 million, increases of 53 and 29 percent, respectively, over the same period last year. This is 17 percent above the previous record for the period set in 1992. Imports reached 52,636 tons valued at $105.1 million, also a new record for imports by value.
Grass seed exports increased 19 percent in volume to 17,994 tons and 23 percent in value to $24.0 million. Annual ryegrass seed led in both volume and value despite a 1-percent decline in volume. Imports of grass seed surged 30 percent in volume to 13,787 tons and 49 percent to $16.3 million. Red fescue seed increased 18 percent in volume and 49 percent in value, accounting for just over half the volume and just short of half the value of total grass seed imports.
Exports for species within the other forage seed group reached 9,942 tons valued at $23.9 million, increases of 44 and 69 percent, respectively. Alfalfa seed, both certified and uncertified, made important gains in both volume and value. Imports for the group as a whole and the major species were sharply lower. Import volume was off 42 percent while value was just behind, off 38 percent. Both alfalfa types recorded similar declines.
The pulse seed group continued its new export trend with shipments up 51 percent in volume to 22,580 tons and 44 percent in value to $17.6 million. Declines in pea seed and gram bean seed were more than matched by surges in all kidney bean seed and chickpea seed. Imports in pulse were mixed with volume down 18 percent while value increased 6 percent.
The vegetable seed groups reversed earlier trends reaching into last year by posting increases in both volume (14 percent to 17,145 tons) and value (1 percent to $83.9 million). Results for individual vegetable species were mixed. Vegetable seed imports continued to increase, reaching 3,230 tons (up 25 percent) and $36.0 million (up 15 percent).
Field crop seed exports continued to climb, fueled primarily by soybean seed and non-durum wheat seed. Total volume surged 60 percent to 307,566 tons valued at $127.9 million. Soybean seed, still benefitting by crushers in Mexico, reached 142,759 tons valued at $46.0 million, both increases nearing the 400 percent mark. Non-durum wheat seed exports are also climbing rapidly with volume up 90 percent to 111,827 tons and value up 189 percent to $22.9 million.
Three unexpected destinations account for this surge in wheat seed exports: Canada, 58,095 tons valued at $12.5 million compared to 21,300 tons valued at $4.5 million for all of 1995/96; Philippines, 20,448 tons valued at $3.3 million compared to 230 tons valued at $63,301 last year; and Japan, 29,585 tons valued at $5.7 million compared to 21 tons valued at $12,997 last year. Field crop seed imports were increased 9 percent to 11,242 tons and 66 percent to $9.1 million primarily as a result of surging field corn seed shipments which more than doubled in quantity and value.
Flower seed exports surged 69 percent in volume to 204 tons and 26 percent in value to $16.3 million. Import growth was much slower in volume, 38 percent to 189 tons but faster in value, 32 percent to $24.9 million.
Mexico continued as the best export market for planting seeds, still driven by soybeans mis-registered as seed, surging 198 percent to 174,299 tons and 80 percent valued at $96.1 million. After Mexico, the top ten markets included (with data listed in million dollars): Canada (28.3), Japan (28.3), Italy (25.1), Argentina (17.8), France (11.2), the Netherlands (7.7), Saudi Arabia (6.6), the United Kingdom (6.6) and Spain (6.6).
Canada led suppliers of planting seeds to the United States, shipping 38,207 tons valued at $26.9 million, a decrease of 8 percent in volume but an increase of 5 percent in value. After Canada, the top ten suppliers included (with data listed in million dollars): China (11.2), the Netherlands (10.7), Chile (9.0), Mexico (7.7), Japan (6.0), New Zealand (2.9), Australia (2.9), the United Kingdom (2.8) and Israel (2.7).
U.S. PLANTING SEED EXPORT HIGHLIGHTS
July-June Marketing Year 1996/97 Compared to 1995/96
July-November 1995/96 1996/97 % Chang 1995/96 1996/97 % Change
Kilograms Dollars
ALL SEEDS 246,164,827 377,388,687 53.3%234,943,976 302,281,115 28.7%
By KInd
Grasses 15,106,711 17,994,428 19.1% 19,512,237 23,991,298 23.0%
Annual Ryegra 5,261,238 5,204,205 -1.1% 4,378,620 4,608,152 5.2%
Tall Fescue 2,104,065 3,172,266 50.8% 2,615,981 4,126,905 57.8%
Perennial Rye 2,122,075 2,522,570 18.9% 2,797,879 3,282,548 17.3%
Sorghum-sudan 866,920 2,201,561 154.0% 1,175,647 2,963,228 152.1%
Other Fescue 1,025,297 1,193,317 16.4% 1,296,367 1,939,857 49.6%
Kentucky Blue 927,709 937,495 1.1% 2,280,086 1,878,050 -17.6%
Bentgrass 305,361 430,827 41.1% 1,235,167 1,392,920 12.8%
Orchardgrass 489,665 700,790 43.1% 855,597 1,051,242 22.9%
Other Forages 6,890,610 9,942,175 44.3% 14,196,463 23,930,958 68.6%
Certified Alf 1,784,275 3,869,122 116.8% 6,126,859 13,114,836 114.1%
Uncertified A 933,126 1,663,113 78.2% 2,295,612 4,076,105 77.6%
Crimson Clove 634,093 972,080 53.3% 967,763 1,188,200 22.8%
Pulses 14,934,713 22,579,659 51.2% 12,165,676 17,592,524 44.6%
Pea 6,336,555 5,691,188 -10.2% 4,682,558 4,144,877 -11.5%
Other Kidney 808,560 3,451,509 326.9% 546,570 2,788,294 410.1%
Navy Bean 1,542,521 3,537,219 129.3% 1,074,675 2,323,693 116.2%
Gram Bean 1,992,431 1,589,222 -20.2% 1,970,772 1,622,198 -17.7%
Chickpea 484,062 1,872,634 286.9% 441,790 1,425,158 222.6%
Vegetables 15,011,689 17,145,431 14.2% 83,136,818 83,903,030 0.9%
Sweet Corn 2,556,762 5,321,788 108.1% 4,748,591 12,699,220 167.4%
Tomato 637,082 681,202 6.9% 12,212,548 10,636,408 -12.9%
Onion 880,922 613,436 -30.4% 8,930,765 6,738,387 -24.5%
Pepper 932,319 990,938 6.3% 5,010,748 5,081,629 1.4%
Mushroom Spaw 2,940,978 2,287,036 -22.2% 6,685,511 4,815,115 -28.0%
Watermelon 479,829 602,472 25.6% 3,573,008 4,752,636 33.0%
Squash 731,766 746,812 2.1% 4,379,563 4,691,273 7.1%
Cucumber 549,686 525,094 -4.5% 4,503,032 4,476,251 -0.6%
Cantaloupe 525,447 518,406 -1.3% 2,739,491 3,067,839 12.0%
Field Crops 191,824,710 307,566,207 60.3% 87,105,336 127,928,778 46.9%
Soybean 31,273,233 142,758,886 356.5% 9,350,380 45,682,105 388.6%
Field Corn 27,275,915 25,355,675 -7.0% 46,419,635 43,996,369 -5.2%
Other Wheat 58,904,975 111,826,759 89.8% 7,914,781 22,893,114 189.2%
Grain Sorghum 26,469,505 15,192,732 -42.6% 4,450,461 4,790,439 7.6%
Other Sunflow 8,129,890 4,358,766 -46.4% 3,636,021 4,690,519 29.0%
Oil-type Sunf 16,460,721 2,674,871 -83.7% 6,571,910 2,986,764 -54.6%
Cotton 2,973,412 1,492,070 -49.8% 2,538,915 1,462,500 -42.4%
Miscellaneous 2,396,394 2,160,787 -9.8% 18,827,446 24,934,527 32.4%
Flower 121,209 204,571 68.8% 12,967,625 16,273,142 25.5%
BY REGION
North America 81,348,493 239,959,188 195.0% 75,065,143 124,402,009 65.7%
European Unio 53,652,443 37,236,078 -30.6% 65,677,979 69,761,275 6.2%
Other Asia 72,601,638 47,975,120 -33.9% 30,898,880 34,024,247 10.1%
South America 7,866,904 16,993,991 116.0% 19,798,086 32,243,232 62.9%
Middle East 3,744,512 4,405,536 17.7% 14,298,386 14,136,456 -1.1%
South America
Mexico 58,476,068 174,299,743 198.1% 53,467,849 96,111,845 79.76%
Canada 22,872,425 65,659,445 187.1% 21,597,294 28,290,164 31.0%
Japan 16,698,264 43,610,293 161.2% 17,916,878 28,251,126 57.7%
Italy 9,965,095 11,009,973 10.5% 20,872,135 25,091,148 20.2%
Argentina 3,901,106 9,477,363 142.9% 7,280,566 17,804,565 144.5%
France 2,185,421 4,958,556 126.9% 5,503,525 11,204,598 103.6%
Netherlands 23,448,250 4,424,229 -81.1% 20,778,808 10,711,179 -48.5%
Saudi Arabia 1,510,224 2,258,650 49.6% 4,738,007 7,715,445 62.8%
United Kingdo 1,336,669 6,746,589 404.7% 4,588,661 6,631,937 44.5%
Spain 13,587,812 4,285,307 -68.5% 7,793,095 6,583,458 -15.5%
Australia 1,988,358 2,091,335 5.2% 3,738,974 5,708,887 52.7%
Germany 1,217,439 2,918,615 139.7% 2,538,548 5,213,610 105.4%
Chile 1,064,234 1,793,075 68.5% 3,330,911 4,894,518 46.9%
Philippines 268,225 20,792,312 7651.8% 2,055,101 4,239,726 106.3%
South Africa 360,931 1,830,456 407.1% 1,364,655 3,149,370 130.8%
Brazil 316,407 2,817,055 790.3% 2,410,073 3,124,317 29.6%
South Korea 1,476,426 2,374,231 60.8% 1,890,811 2,157,443 14.1%
United Arab E 175,495 133,757 -23.8% 3,252,798 1,987,288 -38.9%
Greece 1,276,411 1,653,547 29.5% 1,239,752 1,867,661 50.6%
Colombia 975,556 942,613 -3.4% 2,071,518 1,625,446 -21.5%
Venezuela 425,216 165,463 -61.1% 1,745,928 1,478,924 -15.3%
Pakistan 885,613 823,801 -7.0% 1,695,822 1,438,980 -15.1%
Hong Kong 537,831 786,024 46.1% 1,168,707 1,437,077 23.0%
New Zealand 726,843 920,133 26.6% 1,565,659 1,362,537 -13.0%
Indonesia 34,785 24,062 -30.8% 350,426 1,311,001 274.1%
Costa Rica 248,515 120,783 -51.4% 1,174,625 1,236,339 5.3%
Taiwan 436,045 490,116 12.4% 1,129,605 1,207,927 6.9%
Turkey 548,981 704,462 28.3% 2,264,853 1,154,386 -49.0%
Peru 277,742 476,357 71.5% 939,550 1,135,310 20.8%
Syria 168,603 485,800 188.1% 1,293,436 1,102,448 -14.8%
Denmark 211,915 317,024 49.6% 921,327 1,057,959 14.8%
Guatemala 227,817 291,614 28.0% 1,123,822 1,023,475 -8.9%
\1 Other Asia region includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, and
Taiwan.
Source: Compiled from U.S. Bureau of Census records.
Prepared by USDA/FAS/TCSD
February 1997
U.S. PLANTING SEED IMPORT HIGHLIGHTS
July-June Marketing Year 1996/97 Compared to 1995/96
July-November 1995/96 1996/97 Change 1995/96 1996/97 Change
Kilograms % Dollars %
ALL SEEDS 54,188,651 52,635,561 -2.9% 85,339,427 105,092,487 23.1%
BY KIND
Grasses 10,586,914 13,787,330 30.2% 10,919,347 16,292,419 49.2%
Red Fescue 6,359,244 7,473,599 17.5% 5,417,849 8,060,389 48.8%
Perennial Rye 237,659 2,192,528 822.6% 1,109,364 3,163,364 185.2%
Wheatgrass 407,591 931,810 128.6% 639,740 1,670,389 161.1%
Timothy 1,753,015 1,381,890 -21.2% 1,125,713 688,310 -38.9%
Bromegrass 589,838 283,704 -51.9% 937,703 441,968 -52.9%
Other Fescue 14,673 211,581 1342.0% 25,598 407,442 1491.7%
Other Forages 4,029,021 2,335,521 -42.0% 6,854,504 4,229,924 -38.3%
Uncertified A 1,390,718 700,529 -49.6% 2,775,346 1,672,796 -39.7%
White and Lad 387,768 308,313 -20.5% 1,107,533 704,879 -36.4%
Certified Alf 305,035 183,661 -39.8% 557,226 427,506 -23.3%
Pulses 26,193,956 21,545,447 -17.7% 10,338,993 10,943,107 5.8%
Gram Bean 3,376,634 3,936,003 16.6% 1,704,296 2,905,572 70.5%
Pea 4,984,285 8,332,295 67.2% 1,489,940 2,764,874 85.6%
Lentil 625,933 1,436,524 129.5% 356,770 645,821 81.0%
Navy Bean 908,140 1,276,055 40.5% 350,179 623,179 78.0%
Vegetables 2,575,866 3,229,899 25.4% 31,153,711 35,965,383 15.4%
Tomato 123,307 115,703 -6.2% 11,375,363 10,945,740 -3.8%
Pepper 46,168 40,757 -11.7% 3,455,680 4,608,432 33.4%
Watermelon 56,606 171,688 203.3% 2,277,125 3,383,794 48.6%
Cantaloupe 26,961 34,574 28.2% 1,919,966 2,335,390 21.6%
Pumpkin 543,007 1,004,793 85.0% 1,120,850 2,230,677 99.0%
Cucumber 10,854 14,323 32.0% 1,028,902 1,442,171 40.2%
Onion 41,235 36,129 -12.4% 1,519,774 1,394,468 -8.2%
Cabbage 5,312 13,352 151.4% 639,293 993,361 55.4%
Other Melons 7,982 45,359 468.3% 852,621 958,845 12.5%
Field Crops 10,316,314 11,242,992 9.0% 5,460,024 9,053,591 65.8%
Field Corn 2,630,854 6,060,588 130.4% 3,751,784 7,666,088 104.3%
Other Wheat 3,343,832 3,672,364 9.8% 496,882 819,086 64.8%
Other Sunflow 437,328 38,002 -91.3% 246,693 143,803 -41.7%
Barley 876,568 726,919 -17.1% 81,454 131,619 61.6%
Miscellaneous 486,580 494,372 1.6% 20,612,848 28,608,063 38.8%
Flower 136,893 189,077 38.1% 18,830,533 24,850,392 32.0%
Tree and Shru 157,926 128,272 -18.8% 615,399 1,960,223 218.5%
BY REGION
North America 47,214,913 39,107,452 -17.2% 33,177,580 34,590,573 4.3%
European Unio 1,214,220 1,293,673 6.5% 16,849,579 22,439,775 33.2%
Other Asia 1,857,183 2,484,158 33.8% 17,330,160 18,358,221 5.9%
South America 646,520 3,917,083 505.9% 2,609,795 10,183,347 290.2%
Oceania 1,755,805 3,199,763 82.2% 4,149,778 5,714,115 37.7%
BY COUNTRY
Canada 41,386,187 38,207,716 -7.7% 25,685,950 26,912,502 4.8%
China 1,791,362 2,366,935 32.1% 10,407,478 11,159,096 7.2%
Netherlands 595,833 382,550 -35.8% 9,368,537 10,685,607 14.1%
Chile 166,887 3,077,619 1744.1% 1,943,855 8,971,432 361.5%
Mexico 5,828,726 899,736 -84.6% 7,491,630 7,678,071 2.5%
Japan 22,264 43,243 94.2% 5,919,423 6,046,080 2.1%
New Zealand 1,126,260 1,784,951 58.5% 2,311,806 2,861,443 23.8%
Denmark 210,335 444,797 111.5% 1,656,653 2,858,812 72.6%
Australia 629,545 1,414,723 124.7% 1,837,972 2,847,026 54.9%
United Kingdo 39,414 106,909 171.2% 1,233,176 2,836,510 130.0%
Israel 28,922 91,348 215.8% 3,288,702 2,741,391 -16.6%
Germany 36,912 80,795 118.9% 1,950,511 2,645,701 35.6%
India 1,092,758 1,288,712 17.9% 2,601,824 2,632,942 1.2%
Guatemala 12,627 12,164 -3.7% 2,952,873 2,366,804 -19.8%
Costa Rica 6,005 15,116 151.7% 81,565 1,812,153 2121.7%
Thailand 144,940 337,106 132.6% 554,536 1,666,907 200.6%
France 77,523 93,914 21.1% 1,279,778 1,542,336 20.5%
Italy 232,984 159,679 -31.5% 1,186,195 1,474,588 24.3%
Peru 276,008 680,448 146.5% 418,067 953,008 128.0%
Taiwan 16,936 24,758 46.2% 734,365 665,683 -9.4%
South Korea 4,256 4,670 9.7% 174,132 394,757 126.7%
Hungary 2,625 217,939 8202.4% 18,560 369,890 1892.9%
Vietnam 350 3,957 1030.6% 7,000 336,285 4704.1%
Kenya 362 283 -21.8% 580,316 300,000 -48.3%
1. Other Asia region includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, and Taiwan. Source: Compiled from U.S. Bureau of Census records. Prepared by USDA/FAS/TCSD February 1997
For more information you may contact Loyd Coonrod, Cotton, Oilseeds, Tobacco and Seeds Division, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA at (202) 720-9491.
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