World Grain - January 2021 - 30

REGIONAL REVIEW NORTH AMERICA: GRAIN-RICH CONTINENT

The US and Canada are
among the world's biggest
grain exporters, with US sales
on the world market in 202021 put at 99.1 million tonnes,
while those of Canada are
forecast at 30.5 million.
US rice production is forecast at 7.2 million tonnes
in 2020-21, with its exports at 3.1 million and imports
at 1.1 million. Mexico will import 800,000 tonnes and
Canada 500,000 tonnes.
The region is also a major producer of soybeans, with
the US crop forecast at 113.5 million tonnes in 202021, second only to Brazil, while Canada's output is put
at 6.2 million. Canada also will produce 19.4 million
tonnes of rapeseed and the United States 1.5 million.
US exports of soybeans are forecast at 58 million
tonnes in 2020-21, making it second only to Brazil
as a supplier of the crop. Canada is the world's largest exporter of rapeseed, at 10.1 million tonnes. US
exports of rapeseed are put at 200,000 tonnes. The
United States will import 500,000 tonnes of the crop
and Mexico 900,000 tonnes.
6

SHARE OF GLOBAL
CORN PRODUCTION*

%
5

26
7

US wheat outlook
The USDA's Economic Research Service's November
Wheat Outlook report explains that " generally, buying
from South Korea, Japan, and China has been robust,
but US wheat export prices have remained above key
competitors in global markets since late September. "
" US wheat values continue to be supported by robust
futures prices in the domestic market that have lately
surged on prolonged dryness in the HRW wheat belt,
among other factors, " the USDA said.
Canada expecting big yields
In a Nov. 4 update, the USDA said that in terms of
quality and yield, preliminary data from the Canadian
Grain Commission and Statistics Canada suggest producers had excellent growing and harvest conditions.
" Yields are forecast by FAS/Ottawa to reach 3.4
tonnes per hectare, approaching record levels, " the
USDA said. " Growing conditions have been very good
in most growing regions and, thus far, more than 80%
of wheat and durum attained No. 1 or 2 quality grades.
Dryness began in September, allowing wheat and durum
WR PDWXUH HDUO\ DQG EH WDNHQ R൵ WKH ¿HOG EHIRUH IURVW
arrived. However, fall and winter precipitation will be
needed to replenish the soil and water reserves for the
next crop. "
Wheat and durum have weathered the pandemic

2020-21

15
5

Major ethanol producer
The United States is the world's largest user of grain
for fuel ethanol by far, with the IGC forecasting that a
total of 129.6 million tonnes of grain, including 128.3
million tonnes of maize and 1.1 million of sorghum,
will be used for that purpose in 2020-21.
Canada is expected to process 4.3 million tonnes of
grain into the fuel, 3.4 million of it maize. Even so,
the IGC noted that " fuel ethanol production in the
US has recovered more slowly than envisaged from
the COVID-19-related downturn, curbed by subdued
WUDQVSRUWDWLRQIXHOGHPDQGDQGSRRUSUR¿WPDUJLQVIRU
ethanol processing owing to high raw material costs. "

North America 36
South America 15
Sub-Saharan Africa 7
European Union 6
Former Soviet Union
South Asia 5
Other 5

2020-21

SHARE OF GLOBAL
CORN EXPORTS*
North America 40
South America 37
Former Soviet Union
Other 8
*Forecast

%
37
8

January 2021 / World Grain / World-Grain.com

Source: US Department of Agriculture

at a level forecast to be 200,000 tonnes in 2020-21.
Oats are also a big export crop for the United States
with 2020-21 exports forecast at 1.62 million tonnes,
much of which will go to Canada, set to import 1.76
million. Mexico also imports oats, with shipments put
at 130,000 tonnes in 2020-21.
The United States is, according to the IGC, the
world's largest importer of rye, taking in a projected
250,000 tonnes in 2020-21. Canada, in contrast, is second only to the European Union as a rye exporter, with
predicted shipments of 120,000 tonnes in 2020-21.

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World Grain - January 2021

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