Market Watch
How much seed can you sell with 15” of rain in 30 days? That’s what they are saying in Virginia. The same tune was sung over many other parts of the East and Midwest during this past month. Aside from a few pockets, the consensus seems to be that most wished that May had been a better month. But, we’ve all been through such times, and one month doesn’t make (or break) a market. Up north, the Canadians are looking at the devaluating dollar and wondering if their prices are too low. In bluegrass production country, talk is that the common crop may not look so hot, thus keeping common Kentucky bluegrass prices stable. In the Willamette Valley, annual ryegrass growers have had good movement this spring, thanks in part to increased exports. With a price lower than they are comfortable with, there is a bit of bullishness in their minds, so the jury is still out on what annual will do for new crop. Orchardgrass movement was so-so, but there doesn’t seem to be a concern about inventory and no real movement on price. Tall fescue seems to be at a stable point, with inventory holders hoping for a fantastic Fall to propel the price to higher number. Usage and harvest will govern this one. Perennial ryegrass continues to justifiably creep up toward a new crop price in the mid-sixties. Believe it or not, Oregon has had below average rainfall in May. It was a welcome relief after all the rain the prior months.
Crop Talk
Overall, crops look about average for this time of year. Pollination is happening in early fescues, ryegrasses and orchardgrasses. This weekend could be interesting. The forecast is for temperatures in the 90’s, perhaps four consecutive days. The wind has been blowing also. In the past, these factors have led to decreased crop yields.
Characteristics
The latest NTEP reports are now out on Kentucky Bluegrasses and Perennial Ryegrasses. Smith Seed has three entries in the ryegrass trials, including Nexus, Paradigm, and APR 1233 (now called Renaissance). All three are available this fall. This is the third year of the ryegrass trials, with one more year to go.
Speaking of NTEP, this year the NTEP Committee decided to do away with printed reports. If you want a copy of a report you will need to either download a .pdf file from their web site or request a CD. The nice thing about the CD is that it includes a number of historical reports as well as the most current ones. Contact Kevin Morris for more information at 301-504-5125 or kmorris@ntep.org. Additionally, we at Smith Seed Services would be glad to help you sort through the data and get you copies of the applicable information relating to our varieties and others that you might want to compare them with. Contact Jonathan Rupert at 888-550-2930 or jonathan@smithseed.com for this service.
Did you know?
There are approximately 96.1 Million cows in the U.S.? With nearly 285 million American’s that means we still outnumber the ruminant by almost 3:1. Phew! What state has the most cows? Why Texas, of course, boasting 14 million of the furry beasts (and there are only 21 million people in Texas). Better watch out, the cows might eventually be more in number than the people. Ah, I’ve got an idea – let’s barbeque more often!!