UNITED STATES (12 October)
The spring wheat crops were mostly gathered by the middle of September under favourable dry conditions. However, after spring wheat yields were recorded somewhat lower than anticipated earlier, the estimate of the country’s aggregate output of wheat in 2005 has been lowered slightly from previous expectations to 57.1 million tonnes in the October USDA Crop Production Report, about 3 percent down from 2004. As of 11 October, it was reported that almost 70 percent of next year's winter wheat crop had been planted, which was on par with last year’s planting pace and the 5-year average. Plants are emerging well under generally favourable conditions.
Regarding coarse grains, prospects were not altered significantly by the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina. Damage to crops was mainly limited to the northern Mississippi Delta where sugarcane, cotton and soybean are the major cultivations. Further to the north in the eastern Corn Belt and Ohio Valley, crops benefited from the additional moisture that arrived in these areas. Of far more impact on the major maize crop this year was prevailing hot and dry weather in the central and southern Corn Belt for most of June, July and early August, which significantly reduced yield potential in these areas. As of early October, the maize harvest was reported to be about 36 percent complete, about the average for the time of year, but only 55 percent of the total crop was rated as good/excellent, compared with 75 percent at the same time last year. The latest official forecast foresees a total maize output of about 276 million tonnes. This would be 8 percent down from last year’s record crop but would still be the second largest crop on record as, despite the likelihood of below average yields, a very large area has been sown this year. The country’s aggregate coarse grain output is forecast at 292 million tonnes.