US feed grain use down

   

 

Total feed grain use is projected at 339.9 million tonnes in 2008/09, down 2.3 million tonnes from last month's forecast and down 6.6 million from the previous year, according to the USDA.

 

US feed grain production in 2008 is forecasted at 323.5 million tonnes, down 5.1 million tonnes from a month ago and down 27.4 million tonnes from 2007.

 

US feed grain supplies for 2008/09 is forecasted at 370 million tonnes, down 5.1 million from last month and down 20.3 million from 2007/08.

 

Forecast beginning stocks are unchanged from last month but are up 7.6 million tonnes from the previous year.

 

The year-to year decline reflects a decrease in feed grain exports and lower feed and residual use. Feed and residual use in 2008/09 is expected to total 140.5 million tonnes, down 2.3 million tonnes from last month and down 20.5 million tonnes from 2007/08.

 

Food, seed, and industrial use, at 144.7 million tonnes, remain unchanged from last month and are up 28.7 million from last year.

 

When converted to a September-August marketing year, feed and residual use for the four feed grains plus wheat in 2008/09 is projected to total 145.1 million tonnes, down 2.3 million tonnes from last month and down 17.9 million from 2007/08.

 

Corn is estimated to account for 91 percent of the feed and residual use in 2008/09, down from 94.3 percent in 2007/08.

 

The projected index of grain-consuming animal units (GCAU) for 2008/09 was up 0.07 million units this month but down 1.51 million from 2007/08. The grain used per GCAU in 2008/09 is expected to be 1.55 tonnes, down from 1.58 tonnes last month and 1.72 tonnes in 2007/08.

 

The year-to-year reduction is partly offset by increased feeding of distiller grains.