I have recently summarized some seed export statistics published in U.S. Planting Seed Trade by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FFV4-95, November 1995), which recorded exports of all seed during 1994-95. I have worked with these data to sort out exports of the cool-season species produced in Oregon, and have shown their volume and export destination in the tables below.
You will note that I used total pounds produced in Oregon during the 1993-94 crop year (this is the crop year to which the export statistics relate) to compute the percentage of each species that is exported. This assumes that Oregon produced all of the seed that went into export. This is a pretty good assumption for everything except tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, which have significant production outside of Oregon that could enter the export market.
Overall, about 64 million pounds of cool-season grass seed went to foreign markets during 1994-95. This amount represents 12 percent of Oregon's 543 million pounds produced in 1993-94, although--as stated above, this includes some seed exported from other states.
It's easy to see who our "good" customers are with just a casual glance. Although only eight percent (14 million pounds) of our perennial ryegrass is exported--Canada, Japan and Australia account for two-thirds of it. Whereas 49 percent (2.6 million pounds) of our bentgrass is exported--47 percent of which is sold in the European Union; Canada, Mexico and Japan combine to use another 45 percent.
One must also recognize that these data represent a "snapshot in time," i.e., a country could make a large purchase in the year reported for reasons related to shortages in their domestic production and not buy again for several years. Thus, it might be more useful to use a "running" average of, for example, three years of export data. (But, that would be a lot more work!)
¹ Presented to the Oregon Seed Council on January 28,
1997
1994-95 PERENNIAL RYEGRASS SEED EXPORTS
(lb) |
(%) |
|
|
| Canada | 3,945,233 |
28.1 |
|
| Mexico | 419,782 |
3.0 |
|
| Central America | 6,001 |
0.0 |
|
|
|
(%) |
|
| Argentina | 213,222 |
1.5 |
16.7 |
| Chile | 310,533 |
2.2 |
24.4 |
| Columbia | 496,674 |
3.5 |
39.0 |
| Ecuador | 240,048 |
1.7 |
18.8 |
| Uruguay | 13,199 |
0.1 |
1.0 |
| TOTAL S. AMER. | 1,273,677 |
9.1 |
100.0 |
|
|
(%) |
|
| Austria | 32,752 |
0.2 |
2.1 |
| Denmark | 44,440 |
0.3 |
2.9 |
| France | 279,691 |
2.0 |
18.3 |
| Germany | 44,043 |
0.3 |
2.9 |
| Italy | 200,275 |
1.4 |
13.1 |
| Netherlands | 533,299 |
3.8 |
35.0 |
| Portugal | 18,686 |
0.1 |
1.2 |
| Spain | 293,845 |
2.1 |
19.3 |
| United Kingdom | 78,821 |
0.6 |
5.2 |
| TOTAL EU | 1,525,852 |
10.9 |
100.0 |
| Switzerland | 195,949 |
1.4 |
|
| Israel | 82,699 |
0.6 |
|
| South Africa | 97,708 |
0.7 |
|
| China | 111,467 |
0.8 |
|
| Hong Kong | 35,942 |
0.3 |
|
| Japan | 2,767,564 |
19.7 |
|
| Korea | 401,588 |
2.9 |
|
| Taiwan | 49,892 |
0.4 |
|
| Australia | 2,690,939 |
19.2 |
|
| New Zealand | 433,211 |
3.1 |
|
| TOTAL | 14,037,504 |
100 |
|
1994 Oregon perennial ryegrass production: 182,023,000 lb
(8% was exported)
1994-95 TALL FESCUE SEED EXPORTS
(lb) |
(%) |
|
|
| Canada | 520,804 |
5.9 |
|
| Mexico | 153,120 |
1.7 |
|
| Central America | 8,565 |
0.1 |
|
|
|
(%) |
|
| Argentina | 313,082 |
3.6 |
71.7 |
| Chile | 99,119 |
1.1 |
22.7 |
| Ecuador | 20,000 |
0.2 |
4.6 |
| Uruguay | 4,358 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
| TOTAL S. AMER. | 436,559 |
5.0 |
100.0 |
|
|
(%) |
|
| Belgium | 44,092 |
0.5 |
2.5 |
| Finland | 22,921 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
| France | 96,290 |
1.1 |
5.5 |
| Greece | 207,598 |
2.4 |
11.8 |
| Italy | 270,731 |
3.1 |
15.4 |
| Netherlands | 650,842 |
7.4 |
37.0 |
| Portugal | 6,854 |
0.1 |
0.4 |
| Spain | 417,472 |
4.7 |
23.7 |
| United Kingdom | 43,962 |
0.5 |
2.5 |
| TOTAL EU | 1,760,763 |
20.0 |
100.0 |
| Switzerland | 2,200 |
0.0 |
|
| Israel | 100,953 |
1.1 |
|
| Jordan | 65,503 |
0.7 |
|
| South Africa | 106,255 |
1.2 |
|
| China | 91,328 |
1.0 |
|
| Japan | 3,017,456 |
34.3 |
|
| Korea | 822,953 |
9.3 |
|
| Taiwan | 64,160 |
0.7 |
|
| Australia | 1,235,171 |
14.0 |
|
| New Zealand | 416,539 |
4.7 |
|
| TOTAL | 8,802,331 |
100 |
|
1994 Oregon tall fescue production: 73,849,000 lb
(12% was exported)
1994-95 FINE FESCUE SEED EXPORTS
(lb) |
(%) |
|
||
| Canada | 1,709,923 |
21.9 |
|
|
| Mexico | 167,353 |
2.1 |
|
|
| Caribbean | 43,849 |
0.6 |
|
|
|
|
(%) |
||
| Argentina | 199,865 |
2.6 |
63.9 |
|
| Chile | 112,975 |
1.4 |
36.1 |
|
| TOTAL S. AMER. | 312,839 |
4.0 |
100.0 |
|
|
|
(%) |
||
| Austria | 93,969 |
1.2 |
2.9 |
|
| Belgium | 185,043 |
2.4 |
5.8 |
|
| France | 43,521 |
0.6 |
1.4 |
|
| Germany | 816,075 |
10.5 |
25.4 |
|
| Ireland | 191,373 |
2.5 |
6.0 |
|
| Italy | 220,597 |
2.8 |
6.9 |
|
| Netherlands | 761,244 |
9.8 |
23.7 |
|
| Spain | 39,866 |
0.5 |
1.2 |
|
| Sweden | 43,237 |
0.6 |
1.3 |
|
| United Kingdom | 817,807 |
10.5 |
25.5 |
|
| TOTAL EU | 3,212,731 |
41.2 |
100.0 |
|
| Norway | 40,210 |
0.5 |
|
|
| Israel | 66,138 |
0.8 |
|
|
| Saudi Arabia | 10,558 |
0.1 |
|
|
| Tunisia | 130,966 |
1.7 |
|
|
| China | 6,354 |
0.1 |
|
|
| Japan | 1,143,572 |
14.7 |
|
|
| Korea | 31,546 |
0.4 |
|
|
| Taiwan | 25,362 |
0.3 |
|
|
| Australia | 629,945 |
8.1 |
|
|
| New Zealand | 270,436 |
3.5 |
|
|
| TOTAL | 7,801,782 |
100 |
|
|
1994 Oregon fine fescue production: 22,057,000 lb
(35% was exported)
1994-95 KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS SEED EXPORTS
(lb) |
(%) |
|
|
| Canada | 4,766,502 |
63.1 |
|
| Mexico | 19,129 |
0.3 |
|
|
|
(%) |
|
| Argentina | 25,445 |
0.3 |
18.1 |
| Brazil | 1,876 |
0.0 |
1.3 |
| Chile | 108,058 |
1.4 |
77.0 |
| Columbia | 5,000 |
0.1 |
3.6 |
| TOTAL S. AMER. | 140,380 |
1.9 |
100.0 |
|
|
(%) |
|
| Austria | 87,329 |
1.2 |
5.9 |
| Belgium | 1,332 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
| France | 43,999 |
0.6 |
3.0 |
| Germany | 417,104 |
5.5 |
28.2 |
| Italy | 61,052 |
0.8 |
4.1 |
| Luxembourg | 43,999 |
0.6 |
3.0 |
| Netherlands | 807,737 |
10.7 |
54.6 |
| Sweden | 17,341 |
0.2 |
1.2 |
| TOTAL EU | 1,479,893 |
19.6 |
100.0 |
| Switzerland | 43,999 |
0.6 |
|
| China | 121,853 |
1.6 |
|
| Japan | 718,603 |
9.5 |
|
| Korea | 40,503 |
0.5 |
|
| Australia | 222,396 |
2.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTAL | 7,553,257 |
100 |
|
1994 Oregon Kentucky bluegrass production: 12,670,000 lb
(60% was exported)
1994-95 ORCHARDGRASS SEED EXPORTS
(lb) |
(%) |
|
|
| Canada | 955,884 |
23.9 |
|
| Mexico | 517,830 |
12.9 |
|
|
|
(%) |
|
| Chile | 30,536 |
0.8 |
13.4 |
| Columbia | 66,883 |
1.7 |
29.2 |
| Ecuador | 131,306 |
3.3 |
57.4 |
| TOTAL S. AMER. | 228,725 |
5.7 |
100.0 |
|
|
(%) |
|
| Austria | 43,669 |
1.1 |
4.1 |
| Belgium | 87,042 |
2.2 |
8.2 |
| Germany | 102,435 |
2.6 |
9.7 |
| Ireland | 50,219 |
1.3 |
4.8 |
| Italy | 132,834 |
3.3 |
12.6 |
| Netherlands | 261,717 |
6.5 |
24.8 |
| Spain | 21,834 |
0.5 |
2.1 |
| Sweden | 54,839 |
1.4 |
5.2 |
| United Kingdom | 301,702 |
7.5 |
28.6 |
| TOTAL EU | 1,056,290 |
26.4 |
100 |
| South Africa | 1,713 |
0.0 |
|
| Middle East | 23,175 |
0.6 |
|
| Hong Kong | 1,124 |
0.0 |
|
| Japan | 998,563 |
25.0 |
|
| Korea | 43,927 |
1.1 |
|
| Australia | 173,892 |
4.3 |
|
| TOTAL | 4,001,122 |
100 |
|
1994 Oregon orchardgrass production: 15,992,000 lb
(25% was exported)
1994-95 BENTGRASS SEED EXPORTS
(lb) |
(%) |
|
|
| Canada | 340,705 |
13.0 |
|
| Mexico | 489,924 |
18.8 |
|
| Caribbean | 116,427 |
4.5 |
|
|
|
(%) |
|
| Argentina | 2,377 |
0.1 |
6.3 |
| Chile | 15,029 |
0.6 |
40.1 |
| Columbia | 20,031 |
0.8 |
53.5 |
| TOTAL S. AMER. | 37,436 |
1.4 |
100.0 |
|
|
(%) |
|
| Austria | 54,586 |
2.1 |
4.4 |
| Belgium | 1,058 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
| France | 46,116 |
1.8 |
3.8 |
| Germany | 179,825 |
6.9 |
14.6 |
| Greece | 39,996 |
1.5 |
3.3 |
| Ireland | 21,834 |
0.8 |
1.8 |
| Italy | 298,168 |
11.4 |
24.3 |
| Netherlands | 80,298 |
3.1 |
6.5 |
| Portugal | 1,980 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
| Spain | 127,137 |
4.9 |
10.4 |
| Sweden | 675 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
| United Kingdom | 376,698 |
14.4 |
30.7 |
| TOTAL EU | 1,228,370 |
47.0 |
100.0 |
| Switzerland | 575 |
0.0 |
|
| Tunisia | 1,669 |
0.1 |
|
| South Africa | 4,923 |
0.2 |
|
| Brunei | 1,001 |
0.0 |
|
| China | 2,178 |
0.1 |
|
| Hong Kong | 6,199 |
0.2 |
|
| Japan | 341,757 |
13.1 |
|
| Korea | 600 |
0.0 |
|
| Taiwan | 5,397 |
0.2 |
|
| Australia | 34,586 |
1.3 |
|
| TOTAL | 2,611,748 |
100 |
|
1994 Oregon bentgrass production: 5,278,000 lb
(49% was exported)
1994-95 ANNUAL RYEGRASS SEED EXPORTS
(lb) |
(%) |
|
|
| Canada | 1,853,414 |
9.6 |
|
| Mexico | 5,000,516 |
25.8 |
|
|
|
(%) |
|
| Argentina | 295,990 |
1.5 |
23.1 |
| Brazil | 7,723 |
0.0 |
0.6 |
| Columbia | 706,266 |
3.6 |
55.1 |
| Ecuador | 272,061 |
1.4 |
21.2 |
| TOTAL S. AMER. | 1,282,039 |
6.6 |
100.0 |
|
|
(%) |
|
| France | 43,999 |
0.2 |
14.6 |
| Netherlands | 256,426 |
1.3 |
85.4 |
| TOTAL EU | 300,425 |
1.6 |
100.0 |
| Switzerland | 47,588 |
0.2 |
|
| Bahrain | 35,216 |
0.2 |
|
| Saudi Arabia | 2,575,808 |
13.3 |
|
| South Africa | 50,968 |
0.3 |
|
| China | 5,300 |
0.0 |
|
| Hong Kong | 85,682 |
0.4 |
|
| Japan | 4,772,355 |
24.6 |
|
| Korea | 985,220 |
5.1 |
|
| Taiwan | 28,929 |
0.1 |
|
| Australia | 2,346,007 |
12.1 |
|
| TOTAL | 19,369,468 |
100 |
|
1994 Oregon annual ryegrass production:
231,825,000 lb
(8% was exported)
Developed by William C. Young III and Sara Griffith.
Last updated: April 10, 1997