January 2012

”So far, so good,” sums up how 2012 grass seed crops look in the Willamette Valley. Fall moisture, a key factor in seed yield, appears to be sufficient. And, other than dealing with some slugs and field mice, farmers have had pretty smooth sailing thus far.

There were nominal acreage changes this fall for the fine fescue, orchardgrass, and clover crops. Turf-type tall fescue, KY-31, turf-type perennial ryegrass, and annual ryegrass crop acres are all slightly up from 2011 levels. The annual ryegrass acre increases are mostly proprietary varieties for European companies. Turnips and radish acres are up. Wheat acres are down.

Both domestic and export markets were healthy last fall. On the export side, shipping activity continues at a steady pace. While much of the shipping activity is based on existing sales, the expectation is that the export business will continue to remain steady in 2012.

Domestically, there seems to be a pretty upbeat attitude toward spring. Carryover at the distributor levels does not appear burdensome, and with steady to higher prices projected for spring, such inventory and bookings are favorable. Interest in off-quality seed and field-run mixes is active, but with little success, as such material is nearly nonexistent this year.

Historically, it has not been uncommon to have numerous forward bookings for the next year’s crop. But a few years ago, that trend came to a quick halt. Over the past twelve months or so , we have seen a comeback of forward booking. We may see more this spring, as it appears there will not be much surplus of most Oregon Seed crops.