US feed grains supply up for 2009-10

US feed grain supplies for 2009-10 are projected at 399.6 million tonnes, up 6.2 million from last month and up 25.9 million from last year.

The 2009 corn and sorghum crop are up month-to-month, but barley and oats production is unchanged. Beginning stocks are lowered slightly to 47 million tonnes, reflecting revision in 2008-09 corn and sorghum supply and use.

Total feed grain use is projected 3.7 million tonnes higher at 349.7 million this month. Domestic use of the four feed grains is raised 3.9 million tonnes this month to 294 million. This increase is the result of higher projections for feed and residual use offset slightly by lowered food, seed, and industrial use for corn.

Feed grain exports for 2009-10 are lowered slightly this month to 55.8 million tonnes, as barley exports are reduced. The increase in supply is partially offset by the increase in domestic use. This result in ending stocks being increased 2.4 million tonnes to 49.8 million. In 2008-09, ending stocks for the four feed grains totalled 47 million tonnes.

Feed and residual use for the four feed grains plus wheat converted to a September-August marketing year is up 3.51 million tonnes to 152.67 this month because of increases in projected feeding of corn and sorghum, but is partially offset by lower wheat feeding.

Grain-consuming animal units are forecast at 93.49 million, up from 91.71 million last month, due to increases in dairy, broiler, turkey, and hog production forecasts in 2010. Feed and residual use per animal unit is raised slightly to 1.651 tonnes, up from 1.626 tonnes last month.

Small supply and use changes were made for feed grains in 2008-09; production is lowered 200,000 tonnes to 325.7 million. Domestic use is lowered to 275.5 million with a 200,000-million-tonne reduction in feed and residual use to 142.5 million tonnes. Ending stocks are also lowered slightly to 47 million tonnes for 2008-09. These changes are mainly due to lower estimated corn production for 2008-09.