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U.S. Planting Seed Trade
October 1997

 

Image: Top U.S. Planting Seed Export Markets
Image: Top U.S. Planting Seed Export Markets
Image: Top U.S. Planting Seed Export Markets

General Trade Summary

U.S. planting seed exports during July-August 1997 totaled 113,447 metric tons valued at $100.1 million, increases of 3 and 10 percent, respectively, over the same period in 1996. Imports for the period totaled 18,694 tons (1 percent below a year ago) valued at $42.3 million (5 percent above last year).

Every major group registered increases in August except the pulse group and volume for the miscellaneous kinds group. This contrasts sharply with July when every major group except vegetables declined.

Mexico slipped from the position as top-ranked market for U.S. planting seeds, allowing Argentina to move into that position. Continued declines in exports to Mexico, led by sharply lower soybean seed numbers, coupled with surging exports to Argentina accounted for Argentina's taking over the top spot.

Japan returned to the number three spot in the rankings, despite reduced vegetable seed sales, by virtue of substantial wheat seed trade. Egypt and Morocco dropped in the rankings but continued in the top seven, also by virtue of wheat seed trade. None of the three countries are traditional wheat producers or importers of wheat seed.

Canada led suppliers of planting seeds to the United States during the July-August period, shipping 12,978 tons, valued at $8.8 million, increases of 5 and 11 percent, respectively. Mexico continued in the second spot China climbed one notch.

The following trade inquiry was recently submitted by a U.S. agricultural office for publication as a "Trade Lead." For more information about Trade Leads call 202-690-3416.

SEEDS FOR SOWING, CORN, FIELD [1209.91.00.00(1)]-Peru (PE). Quantity: 10 Kg. Quality: Hand maize that can be used for grits. Delivery: Immediate. Packaging: Sacks. Other: Three of Four Varieties. Quote: cif. Bank: Banco Credito, Office San Isidro, Contact: Mr. Macara. CONTACT: Jorge Pardo, Corporacion Backus, Pardo Y Aliaga 666, San Isidro, Lima, Lima 27 Peru Phone: (511) 421-8562 FAX: (511) 221-2644. [Ref Num:19971020-0048-Lima(PE1)].

 

U.S. Planting Seed Export Highlights
July-June Marketing Year 1997/98 Compared to 1995/96 and 1996/97
                       
July-August   1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 %Change 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 % Change
        Metric Tons   97/98-
96/97		 $1,000     97/98-
96/97
ALL SEEDS   83,453 110,074 113,447 3.1% 74,180 91,313 100,053 9.6%
BY KIND                  
  Grasses   6,096 8,136 8,281 1.8% 8,331 10,612 11,041 4.0%
    Annual Ryegrass   1,915 2,324 3,347 44.0% 1,353 1,760 2,360 34.1%
    Tall Fescue   582 1,027 1,100 7.1% 749 1,431 1,467 2.5%
    Kentucky Bluegrass 477 401 593 47.9% 1,268 993 1,452 46.2%
    Perennial Ryegrass 990 901 874 -3.0% 1,289 1,235 1,153 -6.6%
    Bentgrass   161 209 275 31.6% 648 716 1,129 57.7%
  Other Forages   3,376 3,666 3,780 3.1% 4,454 5,730 6,169 7.7%
    Certified Alfalfa 264 346 500 44.5% 833 1,167 1,610 38.0%
    Uncertified Alfalfa 213 356 143 -59.8% 390 912 369 -59.5%
    White & Ladino Clover 56 84 82 -2.4% 136 187 306 63.6%
    Crimson Clover   626 944 119 -87.4% 951 1,141 252 -77.9%
    Red Clover   15 45 48 6.7% 33 119 128 7.6%
  Pulses   2,431 6,116 3,110 -49.1% 2,239 4,556 2,459 -46.0%
    Small Red Bean   50 86 494 474.4% 77 64 427 567.2%
    Pea   983 668 479 -28.3% 797 443 394 -11.1%
    Gram Bean   107 164 461 181.1% 106 140 344 145.7%
    Other Kidney Bean 464 854 384 -55.0% 271 569 343 -39.7%
    Navy Bean   77 1,725 511 -70.4% 142 1,104 287 -74.0%
    Chickpea   119 915 209 -77.2% 91 569 150 -73.6%
    Lentil   105 193 308 59.6% 46 86 137 59.3%
  Vegetables   5,984 4,729 7,623 61.2% 30,115 28,439 36,274 27.6%
    Tomato   307 406 380 -6.4% 6,687 6,212 6,371 2.6%
    Sweet Corn   1,428 447 2,685 500.7% 1,370 1,474 5,460 270.4%
    Pepper   557 629 907 44.2% 2,851 3,195 4,741 48.4%
    Onion   330 211 219 3.8% 3,691 2,165 2,277 5.2%
    Cucumber   266 172 237 37.8% 2,096 1,396 1,949 39.6%
    Squash   282 301 342 13.6% 1,637 1,561 1,936 24.0%
    Watermelon   172 95 283 197.9% 1,152 711 1,850 160.2%
    Mushroom Spawn   1,146 936 834 -10.9% 2,278 2,073 1,724 -16.8%
    Cantaloupe   244 161 180 11.8% 1,213 843 1,063 26.1%
    Broccoli   18 83 202 143.4% 109 577 1,054 82.7%
  Field Crops   65,383 86,699 90,249 4.1% 23,095 35,370 36,596 3.5%
    Field Corn   5,214 10,958 4,556 -58.4% 5,927 10,179 18,172 78.5%
    Non-durum Wheat   1,088 6,898 80,562 1067.9% 428 1,613 13,820 756.8%
    Cotton   1,257 516 1,793 247.5% 793 491 2,303 369.0%
    Other Sunflower   6,985 626 760 21.4% 1,775 400 878 119.5%
    Soybean   22,944 58,219 1,452 -97.5% 5,897 19,399 787 -95.9%
    Grain Sorghum   6,603 6,032 957 -84.1% 1,413 1,730 511 -70.5%
    Oil Sunflower   15,565 711 140 -80.3% 4,449 884 108 -87.8%
  Miscellaneous Kinds   184 727 404 -44.4% 5,945 6,606 7,513 13.7%
    Flower   24 79 37 -53.2% 4,673 4,382 5,339 21.8%
    Tree and Shrub   8 14 30 114.3% 138 964 687 -28.7%
    Tobacco   --- --- --- NA 42 40 21 -47.5%
BY REGION                  
  South America   3,448 9,187 9,103 -0.9% 2,094 7,912 21,099 166.7%
  North America   40,957 81,988 13,642 -83.4% 22,422 38,222 18,213 -52.3%
  Other Asia \1   5,737 7,081 27,170 283.7% 15,333 11,077 9,900 -10.6%
BY COUNTRY                  
  Argentina   1,476 4,392 6,074 38.3% 2,094 7,912 21,099 166.7%
  Mexico   33,940 74,965 5,967 -92.0% 22,422 38,222 18,213 -52.3%
  Japan   4,261 4,576 24,564 436.8% 4,566 6,813 8,220 20.7%
  Canada   7,017 7,023 7,674 9.3% 7,304 5,710 7,057 23.6%
  Egypt   125 335 32,516 9606.3% 680 721 6,989 869.3%
  Morocco   11 --- 20,602 NA 76 5 2,628 52460.0%
  Australia   641 949 820 -13.6% 1,600 2,255 2,547 12.9%
  Italy   1,964 2,592 2,460 -5.1% 2,356 2,678 2,351 -12.2%
  Paraguay   74 116 1,465 NA 171 179 2,227 NA
  Chile   601 1,415 681 -51.9% 1,817 3,822 2,134 -44.2%
  South Africa   131 773 959 24.1% 513 804 1,988 147.3%
  France   142 174 293 68.4% 934 1,176 1,896 61.2%
  United Kingdom   385 1,946 484 -75.1% 1,710 2,404 1,742 -27.5%
  South Korea   1,092 1,838 1,716 -6.6% 1,090 1,267 1,555 22.7%
  Spain   10,487 623 903 44.9% 3,843 1,293 1,521 17.6%
  Netherlands   15,754 534 332 -37.8% 5,591 1,254 1,338 6.7%
  United Arab Emirates 73 78 62 -20.5% 2,441 1,333 1,278 -4.1%
  Saudi Arabia   150 379 312 -17.7% 561 1,206 1,237 2.6%
  Brazil   121 2,265 326 -85.6% 1,013 1,329 1,087 -18.2%
  New Zealand   419 604 311 -48.5% 901 826 981 18.8%
  Nigeria   0 0 1,445 NA 0 0 920 NA
  Taiwan   122 161 314 95.0% 352 568 840 47.9%
  Guatemala   140 93 163 75.3% 637 279 729 161.3%
  Hong Kong   154 350 293 -16.3% 420 455 642 41.1%
  Philippines   32 259 58 -77.6% 462 441 639 44.9%
  Uruguay   132 366 189 -48.4% 271 291 582 100.0%
  Germany   143 501 135 -73.1% 488 1,455 557 -61.7%
  China   108 157 282 79.6% 466 334 557 66.8%
  Colombia   449 226 160 -29.2% 790 487 487 0.0%
  Thailand   348 129 84 -34.9% 800 295 477 61.7%
  Venezuela   220 56 51 -8.9% 1,019 338 424 25.4%
  Turkey   155 127 215 69.3% 373 177 412 132.8%
  Syria   16 9 110 1122.2% 99 59 349 491.5%
  Dominican Republic   105 --- 21 NA 808 41 279 580.5%
  Switzerland   120 39 68 74.4% 67 36 252 600.0%
  Peru   100 232 85 -63.4% 268 338 251 -25.7%
  Honduras   29 134 48 -64.2% 158 338 224 -33.7%
  Costa Rica   150 49 48 -2.0% 660 117 223 90.6%
  Pakistan   123 81 127 56.8% 561 41 221 439.0%
  Ecuador   63 42 62 47.6% 219 155 211 36.1%
  Israel   69 51 102 100.0% 85 85 206 142.4%
  Denmark   1 42 17 -59.5% 41 304 177 -41.8%
  Panama   208 150 105 -30.0% 361 149 165 10.7%
  India   42 37 27 -27.0% 294 156 158 1.3%
  Algeria   6 0 12 NA 29 0 151 NA
  Oman   4 17 18 5.9% 26 91 136 49.5%
  Vietnam   14 1 15 1400.0% 55 14 128 814.3%
  Guadeloupe   0 8 11 37.5% 0 27 126 366.7%
  Jamaica   11 24 12 -50.0% 82 116 119 2.6%
  Portugal   20 59 89 50.8% 13 92 102 10.9%
                       
--- denotes less than 500 kilograms.              
\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/COTSD
October 1997



U.S. Planting Seed Import Highlights
July-June Marketing Year 1997/98 Compared to 1995/96 and 1996/97
                   
July-August   1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 % Change 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 % Change
    Metric Tons     97/98-96/97 $1,000     97/98-96/97
ALL SEEDS   17,046 18,872 18,694 -0.9% 28,954 40,355 42,297 4.8%
BY KIND                  
Grasses   4,567 5,528 5,839 5.6% 4,068 5,574 6,112 9.7%
  Red Fescue 2,768 3,311 3,939 19.0% 2,330 3,595 3,928 9.3%
  Unhulled Bermudagrass 103 170 279 64.1% 34 51 486 852.9%
  Timothy 909 836 913 9.2% 529 340 401 17.9%
  Wheatgrass 1 134 109 -18.7% 5 220 295 34.1%
  Perennial Ryegrass 39 611 195 -68.1% 55 642 232 -63.9%
Other Forages   1,368 1,217 1,544 26.9% 2,209 2,072 2,783 34.3%
  Uncertified Alfalfa 379 333 436 30.9% 691 789 1,150 45.8%
  Sweet Clover 120 44 229 420.5% 57 26 257 888.5%
  Certified Alfalfa 46 25 90 260.0% 101 68 238 250.0%
  White & Ladino Clover 217 169 61 -63.9% 610 440 173 -60.7%
Pulses   7,348 8,112 7,083 -12.7% 3,036 4,068 3,592 -11.7%
  Gram Bean 1,343 2,038 1,589 -22.0% 681 1,530 1,340 -12.4%
  Pea 2,965 4,116 3,581 -13.0% 848 1,374 1,113 -19.0%
Vegetables   1,096 1,206 1,609 33.4% 9,244 13,024 18,029 38.4%
  Tomato 27 14 30 114.3% 2,320 2,119 3,019 42.5%
  Pepper 28 21 33 57.1% 1,012 2,021 2,979 47.4%
  Pumpkin 349 316 624 97.5% 695 781 1,615 106.8%
  Cucumber 3 13 13 0.0% 574 1,007 1,401 39.1%
  Cantaloupe 3 15 21 40.0% 141 1,132 1,272 12.4%
  Cauliflower 5 7 17 142.9% 124 493 1,054 113.8%
  Watermelon 15 38 15 -60.5% 563 1,018 1,007 -1.1%
Field Crops   2,564 2,662 1,975 -25.8% 668 2,829 985 -65.2%
  Field Corn 61 1,754 689 -60.7% 130 2,470 686 -72.2%
Miscellaneous Kinds   102 147 644 338.1% 9,730 12,787 10,795 -15.6%
  Flower 47 46 73 58.7% 9,114 11,342 9,129 -19.5%
  Tree and Shrub 24 28 18 -35.7% 97 483 719 48.9%
  Sugar Beet 2 5 505 10000.0% 34 142 347 144.4%
BY REGION                  
  North America 13,675 12,720 13,626 7.1% 8,141 10,917 14,048 28.7%
  European Union 432 331 727 119.6% 6,797 9,668 7,673 -20.6%
  Other Asia \1 984 957 1,195 24.9% 4,872 4,608 5,890 27.8%
BY COUNTRY                  
  Canada 13,409 12,312 12,978 5.4% 6,667 7,906 8,757 10.8%
  Mexico 266 409 648 58.4% 1,474 3,011 5,292 75.8%
  Chile 153 1,882 266 -85.9% 1,623 5,843 3,548 -39.3%
  Netherlands 198 131 134 2.3% 3,689 4,256 3,067 -27.9%
  Japan 9 17 151 788.2% 3068 2894 2793 -3.5%
  China 961 913 1,014 11.1% 1,373 1,474 2,527 71.4%
  Australia 372 674 1,069 58.6% 1,046 1,513 2,247 48.5%
  Israel 8 26 18 -30.8% 976 795 1,538 93.5%
  India 362 447 354 -20.8% 1,328 1,332 1,324 -0.6%
  Germany 11 49 15 -69.4% 1042 1171 1124 -4.0%
  France 47 6 98 1533.3% 331 608 1,070 76.0%
  New Zealand 705 752 454 -39.6% 1,438 1,217 1,034 -15.0%
  Guatemala 1 11 2 NA 1,233 1,010 1,026 1.6%
  Thailand 49 82 82 0.0% 373 1,142 976 -14.5%
  Denmark 34 52 3 -94.2% 834 859 784 -8.7%
  United Kingdom 1 10 4 -60.0% 299 1,840 716 -61.1%
  Costa Rica 4 4 7 75.0% 31 386 689 78.5%
  Italy 120 78 97 24.4% 558 749 614 -18.0%
  Vietnam --- 4 18 350.0% 7 336 401 19.3%
  South Africa 42 3 56 1766.7% 301 55 390 609.1%
  Taiwan 4 14 10 -28.6% 316 216 296 37.0%
  Burma 0 342 400 17.0% 0 222 236 6.3%
  Syria 0 0 27 NA 0 0 221 NA
  South Korea 2 0 3 NA 73 0 209 NA
  Indonesia --- --- --- NA 47 75 201 168.0%
  Spain --- 1 306 30500.0% 2 14 193 1278.6%
  Peru 59 399 42 -89.5% 110 547 176 -67.8%
  Argentina 115 50 156 212.0% 114 70 161 130.0%
  Kenya --- --- 33 NA 240 180 127 -29.4%
                   
1 Other Asia region includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, and Taiwan.
--- denotes less than 500 kilograms.
Source: Compiled from U.S. Bureau of Census records.
Prepared by USDA/FAS/COTSD
October 1997


Last modified: Saturday, March 16, 2013