This article has been reprinted from the Feb. 18 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
In 2019, first quarter grain (corn, wheat, and soybeans) inspected for export from all U.S. ports reached 29.5 million metric tons (mmt).
This indicates a 6 percent decrease from last year and a 5 percent drop from the 5-year average, according to USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) (see table).
Although first quarter inspections were down from last year for corn and soybeans, wheat inspections were up.
Total grain inspections decreased primarily because of slower than normal demand for corn and soybeans, especially from Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Inspections of grain in the Gulf were slightly below last year.
Pacific Northwest (PNW) grain inspections decreased as well during the first quarter.
Gulf Inspections: First quarter grain inspections at U.S. Gulf ports reached 16.5 mmt, down 1 percent from last year and 10 percent below the 5-year average (see table).
U.S. Gulf corn and soybean inspections in the first quarter were down 5 percent and 2 percent, respectively, from last year.
However, total U.S. Gulf wheat inspections increased 18 percent from last year, due to increased shipments to Africa and Latin America.
Barge movements of grain through the locking sections of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas Rivers were down slightly from last year during the first quarter.
River conditions in the first quarters of 2019 and 2018 were adversely impacted by high water conditions. U.S. Gulf rail deliveries to port were down 13 percent from the previous year.
PNW Inspections: First quarter grain inspections in the PNW reached 9 mmt, down 16 percent from last year and 3 percent below the 5-year average (see table).
First quarter rail deliveries of grain to PNW ports were down 14 percent, compared to last year (see GTR Table 3).
Corn inspections in the PNW dropped 38 percent from last year, to 2.8 mmt. PNW soybean inspections decreased 3 percent from last year, but wheat inspections increased 15 percent as shipments to Asia rose.
Atlantic and Great Lakes Inspections: First quarter Atlantic and Great Lakes grain inspections decreased 29 percent from last year, to .447 mmt.
Inspections of grain in the Atlantic and Great Lakes were 46 percent below the 5-year average.
Inspections of corn, soybeans, and wheat inspections dropped significantly in the Atlantic and Great Lakes, due primarily to lower grain shipments to Asia.
Interior Inspections: First quarter Interior grain inspections reached 3.5 mmt, unchanged from last year and 17 percent above the 5-year average.
Soybean inspections in the Interior reached a record 1.5 mmt, increasing 6 percent from last year.
Shipments of soybeans from the Interior were destined primarily to Asia.
Inspections of corn and wheat in the Interior decreased slightly from last year.
Corn and Soybean Inspections: First quarter corn inspections reached 11.4 mmt, down 16 percent from last year and 5 percent below the 5- year average (see figure).
U.S. Gulf corn inspections decreased 5 percent from last year.
First quarter corn inspections in the PNW, however, dropped 38 percent from last year, due mainly to lower shipments to Korea.
Total soybean inspections were 12.2 mmt, down 3 percent from last year and 12 percent below the 5-year average (see figure).
First quarter soybean inspections were down slightly from last year in the U.S. Gulf and PNW, reaching 7.1 and 3.3 mmt, respectively.
Inspections of soybeans in the PNW and U.S. Gulf were well below the 5-year averages.
Wheat Inspections: Total first quarter wheat inspections totaled 5.9 mmt, up 14 percent from last year and 10 percent above the 5-year average (see figure).
U.S. wheat inspections increased as demand from Africa rebounded.
Market Outlook: According to the USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report in April, the 2018/19 forecast for U.S. corn exports is 2 percent below last year, and down 3 percent from the previous month.
Wheat exports are slightly below the past month but are projected to increase 2 percent from last year.
The April projection for 2018/19 soybean exports is down 12 percent from last year but is unchanged from March.
Cumulative marketing year-todate export sales (shipped) of corn are well above the same time last year.
Cumulative wheat sales are down slightly from last year, but soybeans are down 29 percent (see GTR Table 12).