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WAP 09-10
Production
September 2010
From late July through August, Pakistan received abundant to excessive monsoon rainfall across
the country including many of the major rice and cotton growing areas. The excessive
precipitation triggered severe overland and river flooding. The impact of the floodwater is most
severe in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (N.W.F.P), Baluchistan, Punjab, and the northern districts of
Sindh. These provinces have experienced significant loss of cropland and damage to agricultural
The USDA forecasts 2010/11 Pakistan rice production at 5.3 million tons, down 19 percent from
last month, and down 1.5 million or 22 percent from last year. Area is estimated at 2.4 million
hectares, 14 percent down from last month, and down 0.4 million or 14 percent from last year.
Yield is forecast at 3.31 tons per hectare, down 5 percent from last month and down 9 percent
from last year. USDA damage estimates, based primarily on satellite imagery, indicate rice
cropland losses of 400,000 hectares. The rice crop is at various development stages ranging from
the early vegetative to the reproductive stage. Satellite-derived vegetative indices indicate that
upland cropping areas will benefit from abundant soil moisture, where flooding did not occur.
Cotton production is forecast at 9.3 million 480-pound bales, down approximately 2 percent
from last month, and down 0.3 million or 3 percent from last year. Area is estimated at 3.0
million hectares, 2 percent down from last month, and the same as last year. Yield is forecast at
675 kilograms per hectare, down 0.4 percent from last month and down 3 percent from last year.
Analysis of satellite imagery suggests cotton cropland losses at around 200,000 hectares. The
crop is at various development stages ranging from early vegetative to advanced maturity, and
vegetative indices indicate that most upland cropping areas, away from the flooded areas,
benefited from abundant soil moisture profiles. (For more information, contact Dath Mita at
202-720-7339.)
China’s 2010/11 cotton crop is estimated at 32.5 million bales, down 0.5 million or 1.5 percent
from last month but up 1.6 percent from last year. The estimated area of 5.4 million hectares is
unchanged from last month but up about 3 percent from last year. Farmers expanded cotton area
planted in 2010 in response to rising cotton prices and increased demand for fabric and textiles.
The estimated yield of 1,310 kilograms per hectare is down 2 percent from last month and down
slightly from last year. Rainfall in August and early September was unusually heavy in several
key cotton growing provinces, particularly Shandong and Henan. The excess rain likely had a
negative impact on cotton yield and quality. Harvesting started in southern China in late August
and will get underway in September on the North China Plain and Northwest China areas. The
start of the harvest will be delayed by several days in parts of the North China Plain because cool
spring weather caused significant planting and development delays early in the season. (For
more information, contact Paulette Sandene at 202-690-0133.)
Wheat production in the European Union (EU) for 2010/11 is estimated at 135.1 million tons,
down 2.4 million or almost 2 percent below last month’s estimate. Harvested area is estimated at
25.5 million hectares, down 0.1 million from last month and down 0.2 million hectares from last
year. Yield is estimated at 5.29 tons per hectare (t/ha), compared to 5.36 t/ha last month and
5.37 t/ha last year. Extremely wet conditions hindered the harvest in eastern and central Europe.
During August, between 4 and 10 inches of rain fell across central Europe during the wheat
harvest, disrupting progress and lowering both yield and quality. Hungary’s wheat crop is
estimated at 3.5 million tons, down 0.5 million or 13 percent from last month and down 0.9
million or 20 percent from last year. Romania’s crop is estimated at 5.7 million tons, down 0.5
million or 8 percent from last month but up 8 percent from last year.
Estimates for the EU’s largest producers changed just marginally from last month. France’s
harvest is estimated at 37.7 million tons, up 0.15 million from last month. Dryness during 2010
reduced yield to 6.92 t/ha, compared to last year’s 7.45 and the five-year average of 6.91 t/ha.
Quality is expected to be higher than normal. Germany’s crop, estimated at 23.9 million tons is
down slightly (0.1 million) from last month, but down 1.3 million from last year. German
farmers have struggled with the harvest as frequent, heavy rainfall saturated soils during August.
Corn production in the European Union (EU) is estimated at 54.7 million tons, down 1.2 million
or 2 percent from last month and down 3 percent from last year. Estimated area is virtually
unchanged from last month at 8.1 million hectares, but down 3 percent from last year. Recent
local reports suggest that corn production in France, the EU’s largest producer at 13.5 million
tons, will be down 0.5 million tons from last month’s estimate. This change is primarily due to a
revised area figure of 1.5 million hectares, which is 3 percent below last month. Germany’s corn
crop is estimated at 3.7 million tons, down 0.4 million or 2 percent from last month. Spring
weather was cooler than average, causing a slow start for corn and other grains. As a result, a
portion of the corn originally intended for grain production will instead likely be cut for silage or
for raw material for biogas fermenters. (For more information, contact Bryan Purcell at 202-
690-0138.)
The USDA forecasts Russia wheat production for 2010/11 at 42.5 million tons, down 2.5 million
or 6 percent from last month and down 19.2 million or 31 percent from last year. Area is
estimated at 26.7 million hectares, unchanged from last month and down 2.0 million from last
year. Winter wheat accounts for slightly less than half of total wheat area but almost two-thirds
of production due to inherently higher yields than spring wheat. Yield is estimated at 1.59 tons
per hectare, down 6 percent from last month, down 26 percent from last year, and down 23
percent from the 5-year average.
Reports from the Ministry of Agriculture indicate that the wheat harvest in European Russia is
almost complete. Combining is complete in the Southern and North Caucasus Districts, which
together typically produce about half of Russia’s winter wheat. Yield data indicate lower output
than last year due in part to continuing drought in the northernmost part of the Southern District.
In the Central and Volga Districts – where the drought was most severe – yields are reportedly
down 40 and 54 percent from last year, respectively. Harvest in the Central District is complete,
but harvest in the Volga District, which produces both winter and spring wheat, will likely
continue until mid-September.
Harvest has just begun in the Ural and Siberian Districts, which produce most of the country’s
spring wheat. The persistent drought that reduced yields in western Russia extended throughout
the Ural District, and into western Siberia as well. Although conditions were relatively favorable
in a significant portion of Siberia’s wheat-production region, overall spring wheat yield in Russia
is almost certain to fall substantially from last year. (For more information, contact Mark
Lindeman at 202-690-0143.)
The USDA forecasts 2009/10 milled rice production in Indonesia at 37.1 million tons, down 1.7
million or 4 percent from last month and down 3 percent from 2008/09. Harvested area is
forecast at 12.1 million hectares, up 0.1 million or 1 percent from last month owing to diversion
of land from corn production on Java. Rice yields are estimated at 4.75 tons per hectare, down
5 percent from last month. Seasonal weather conditions have been highly variable in
Indonesia’s primary rice growing regions owing to the transition from El Niño to La Niña
weather systems during the 2009/10 rice growing season. Drought in October 2009 delayed the
first crop planting window by 4 to 6 weeks. This was followed by eight consecutive months of
above normal rainfall that caused a host of problems. Farmers have experienced difficulty in
drying harvested crops, and milling rates are suffering as a result. The wet weather has also led
to increasing amounts of pest and disease outbreaks, causing a net decline in national rice
yields. Above-normal rainfall from April through August, which are generally the dry-season
months, resulted in increased abandonment of corn on Java in certain areas. Much of this area
was subsequently replanted to rice. Some lands now have been sown with four to five
consecutive rice crops without a break.
The USDA forecasts 2010/11 milled rice production in Indonesia at 38.0 million tons, down 2.0
million or 5 percent from last month owing to the likelihood that increased disease and pest
pressure will prevent the country from achieving normal trend yield growth. (For more
information, contact Michael Shean at 202-720-7366.)
The USDA forecasts 2009/10 total palm oil production in Indonesia at 21.0 million tons, down
0.5 million or 2 percent from last month but up 2 percent from 2008/09. Seasonal rainfall totals
since January have been above normal for the major producing areas in both Sumatra and
Kalimantan. These two islands account for approximately 97 percent of total national
production. The abnormally wet growing conditions and cloudiness since January have caused
crop yields and oil extraction rates (OER) at crushing plants to decline relative to last year.
Heavy rains have also reportedly interfered with normal harvesting operations. Recent crop
travel by Foreign Agricultural Service staff through the major Indonesian palm oil production
regions revealed that both large commercial producers and small farmers expected that
production in calendar year 2010 would be lower than last year owing to persistent above
normal rainfall. Crushers are reporting lower-than-expected OER from fresh fruit bunches
(FFB) harvested between January and August, implying lower overall crop yields. National
meteorological forecasts for continued higher-than-normal rainfall through December have
convinced most producers that OER yields will remain below normal for at least the next few
months. During the past 10 years, Indonesia’s annual palm oil production growth rate was 18.5
percent. Current abnormal rainfall conditions are related to the La Niña weather pattern in
Southeast Asia.
The USDA forecasts 2010/11 palm oil production at 23.0 million tons, down 1.5 million or 6
percent from last month. This crop is forecast on an October to September marketing year, with
October 2010 being the first month of the new production season. (For more information,
Michael Shean at 202-720-7366.)
Printed copies are available from the National Technical Information Service. Download
an order form at http://www.ntis.gov/products/specialty/usda/fas_a-g.asp, or call NTIS at
1-800-363-2068.
The FAS/OGA International Production Assessment Branch prepared this report. The next issue
of World Agricultural Production will be released after 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, October 8, 2010.
Conversion Table
Cotton = MT * 4.592917
Rice = MT * 22.04622
GENERAL INFORMATION
Director Derrick Williams III 202-690-0131 derrick.williams@fas.usda.gov
Deputy Director Tom St. Clair 202-720-2974 tom.stclair@fas.usda.gov
Deputy Director/SIA Manager Curt Reynolds, PhD 202-690-0134 curt.reynoldsc@fas.usda.gov
USDA Remote Sensing Advisor Glenn Bethel 202-720-1280 glenn.bethel@fas.usda.gov
Sr. Agricultural Economist Paul Provance 202-720-0873 paul.provance@fas.usda.gov
Program Analyst Mary Jackson 202-720-0886 mary.jackson@fas.usda.gov
7
Foreign Agricultural Service/USDA
Office of Global Analysis September 2010
Table 01 World Crop Production Summary
Million Metric Tons
World Total North North North EU-27 Former Former Asia Asia Asia Asia Asia South South Selected Selected Selected All
- Foreign America America America - Soviet Soviet (WAP) (WAP) (WAP) (WAP) (WAP) America America Other Other Other Others
Commodity
none none United Canada Mexico none Russia Ukraine China India Indo- Paki- Thai- Argen- Brazil Aus- South Turkey none
- - States - - - - - - - nesia stan land tina - tralia Africa - -
Wheat
2008/09 683.3 615.2 68.0 28.6 4.0 151.1 63.7 25.9 112.5 78.6 nr 21.0 nr 10.1 5.9 21.4 2.1 16.8 73.6
2009/10 prel. 680.4 620.1 60.3 26.5 4.3 138.3 61.7 20.9 115.0 80.7 nr 24.0 nr 9.6 4.9 22.5 1.9 18.5 91.3
2010/11 proj.
Aug 645.7 584.1 61.6 20.5 4.4 137.5 45.0 17.0 114.5 80.7 nr 22.6 nr 12.0 5.0 23.0 1.6 17.0 83.3
Sep 643.0 581.4 61.6 22.5 4.4 135.1 42.5 17.0 114.5 80.7 nr 22.6 nr 12.0 5.0 23.0 1.6 17.0 83.5
Coarse Grains
2008/09 1,109.7 783.8 325.9 27.2 32.3 161.5 40.7 26.2 172.7 39.6 8.7 3.6 4.6 19.1 53.6 12.3 13.1 10.4 158.3
2009/10 prel. 1,106.6 757.4 349.2 22.4 27.8 153.1 31.8 24.1 161.4 34.2 7.0 3.6 4.2 28.0 58.6 11.6 14.5 11.1 164.2
2010/11 proj.
Aug 1,107.9 753.2 354.7 22.1 32.0 143.2 20.9 21.8 173.0 40.3 8.4 3.6 4.0 27.1 53.7 11.0 13.0 10.5 168.7
Sep 1,097.7 748.4 349.3 22.3 32.5 139.6 19.7 21.8 173.0 40.3 8.4 3.6 4.0 27.1 53.7 11.0 13.0 10.5 167.8
Rice, Milled
2008/09 448.2 441.8 6.4 nr 0.2 1.6 0.5 0.1 134.3 99.2 38.3 6.9 19.9 0.9 8.6 0.0 nr 0.4 131.0
2009/10 prel. 441.2 434.2 6.9 nr 0.2 2.0 0.6 0.1 137.0 89.1 37.1 6.8 20.3 0.9 7.6 0.1 nr 0.4 132.0
2010/11 proj.
Aug 459.2 451.5 7.7 nr 0.2 2.0 0.6 0.1 137.5 99.0 40.0 6.5 20.6 1.0 8.4 0.2 nr 0.5 134.9
Sep 454.6 446.6 8.0 nr 0.2 2.0 0.7 0.1 136.0 99.0 38.0 5.3 20.4 1.0 8.4 0.2 nr 0.5 134.9
Total Grains
2008/09 2,241.2 1,840.9 400.3 55.8 36.4 314.2 104.9 52.2 419.5 217.4 47.0 31.5 24.4 30.1 68.1 33.7 15.2 27.6 362.9
2009/10 prel. 2,228.2 1,811.7 416.4 48.9 32.3 293.4 94.1 45.1 413.4 204.0 44.1 34.5 24.4 38.5 71.2 34.2 16.4 29.9 387.4
2010/11 proj.
Aug 2,212.8 1,788.8 424.0 42.6 36.5 282.7 66.5 38.9 425.0 220.0 48.4 32.7 24.6 40.1 67.1 34.2 14.6 27.9 386.9
Sep 2,195.3 1,776.4 418.9 44.8 37.0 276.8 62.9 38.9 423.5 220.0 46.4 31.5 24.4 40.1 67.1 34.2 14.6 27.9 386.2
Oilseeds
2008/09 396.4 307.2 89.2 16.1 0.7 27.3 8.8 10.7 58.1 33.4 9.1 4.8 0.7 35.5 60.3 2.4 1.5 1.6 36.1
2009/10 prel. 440.4 341.5 98.9 15.4 0.6 29.7 8.0 9.5 57.3 31.4 9.3 5.2 0.6 57.9 71.5 2.6 1.2 1.5 39.7
2010/11 proj.
Aug 439.7 336.4 103.3 14.2 0.6 28.4 8.4 9.1 56.8 34.6 10.2 5.1 0.6 54.5 68.0 3.2 1.4 1.7 39.6
Sep 440.6 335.8 104.8 15.1 0.6 28.3 8.2 8.9 56.2 34.6 9.8 5.0 0.6 54.5 68.0 3.4 1.4 1.7 39.5
Cotton
2008/09 107.1 94.3 12.8 nr 0.6 1.2 nr nr 36.7 22.6 0.0 8.7 0.0 0.6 5.5 1.5 0.0 1.9 14.9
2009/10 prel. 101.1 89.0 12.2 nr 0.4 1.0 nr nr 32.0 23.2 0.0 9.6 0.0 0.8 5.4 1.6 0.0 1.8 13.1
2010/11 proj.
Aug 116.9 98.3 18.5 nr 0.6 1.4 nr nr 33.0 26.0 0.0 9.5 0.0 0.9 7.0 2.3 0.0 2.3 15.2
Sep 117.0 98.1 18.8 nr 0.6 1.4 nr nr 32.5 26.0 0.0 9.3 0.0 0.9 7.0 3.0 0.0 2.3 15.0
World Total and Total Foreign: (Major Oilseeds plus copra and palm kernel)
Major Oilseeds: (soybeans, sunflowerseeds, peanuts(inshell), cottonseed and rapeseed)
Oilseed, Copra
Philippines 2.52 2.52 2.60 2.60 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.03
Indonesia 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.60 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
India 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vietnam 0.24 0.24 0.24 0.24 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Mexico 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Papua New Guinea 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Thailand 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sri Lanka 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Mozambique 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Cote d'Ivoire 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
World 5.88 5.88 5.96 5.96 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.01
Oil, Palm
Indonesia 20.50 21.00 24.50 23.00 -1.50 -0.06 2.00 0.10
Malaysia 17.26 18.00 18.60 18.60 0.00 0.00 0.60 0.03
Thailand 1.54 1.35 1.50 1.50 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.12
Nigeria 0.85 0.85 0.85 0.85 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Colombia 0.78 0.77 0.81 0.82 0.01 0.01 0.05 0.06
Papua New Guinea 0.40 0.44 0.44 0.44 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Ecuador 0.42 0.43 0.47 0.46 -0.01 -0.02 0.03 0.07
Cote d'Ivoire 0.29 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Honduras 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Costa Rica 0.21 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
World 43.86 45.00 49.34 47.84 -1.50 -0.03 2.84 0.06
The table below presents a 29-year record of the differences between the September
projection and the final estimate. Using world wheat production as an example,
changes between the September projection and the final estimate have averaged
9.5 million tons (1.7 percent) and ranged from -30.7 to 13.1 million tons. The
September projection has been below the final 18 times and above the final 11 times.
1/ The final estimate for 1981/82-2008/09 is defined as the first November estimate following the marketing
year.
2/ May not total 28 if projection was the same as the final.
3/ Includes corn, sorghum, barley, oats, rye, millet, and mixed grain.