W12 Oat Update: UK Oat Exports Surged in 2023/24 Despite Yearly Dip, Spring Crop Sowing Underway in Ukraine and Russia

Published Mar 30, 2024

In W12 in the oats landscape, spring crop sowing has commenced in Ukraine's 20 oblasts as of March 21, covering 214.5 thousand hectares (ha), with notable areas dedicated to wheat, barley, peas, and oats. In Russia's Stavropol Territory, sowing activities have also begun, covering 26.6% of the planned area, predominantly with early spring grains like barley, oats, and peas. Meanwhile, over 830 mt of oats were transported to India via Russia's Yuzhno–Uralskaya transport and logistics complex, facilitated by remote customs supervision from Chelyabinsk customs officers. Additionally, the UK oat exports for the 2023/24 season have reached 84.3 thousand mt, showing a YoY decrease but a significant increase compared to the five-year average, with expectations of tight ending stocks for the season.

Spring Crop Sowing Underway Across Ukrainian Oblasts

As of March 21, spring crop sowing commenced in 20 oblasts of Ukraine, covering 214.5 thousand hectares (ha), which is 3.8% of the forecasted area. Notably, 29 thousand ha of wheat (11.8%), 117.3 thousand ha of barley (14.3%), 53.1 thousand ha of peas (33.2%), and 10.6 thousand ha of oats (6.5%) were sown. Key regions contributing to sowing efforts include Odesa Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Poltava Oblast, Ternopil Oblast, and Vinnytsia Oblast, each with significant areas dedicated to various crops.

Spring Sowing of Oats Underway in Russia's Stavropol Territory

In Russia's Stavropol Territory, spring sowing activities have commenced, with 215.3 thousand ha, or 26.6% of the planned area, sown as of March 19. Early spring grains such as barley, oats, and peas cover 203.7 thousand ha, accounting for 70.4% of the planned area. Leading the spring sowing efforts are the Krasnogvardeysky, Petrovsky, and Ipatovsky urban districts, with significant contributions. Additionally, Grachyovsky, Trunovsky, and Kochubeyevsky municipal districts completed the sowing of early spring crops.

Russia Shipped Over 830 MT of Oats to India via Yuzhno-Uralsky Complex

A shipment exceeding 830 metric tons (mt), comprising three batches of oats, was transported to India via the Yuzhno–Uralskaya transport and logistics complex along the North-South transit route. Chelyabinsk customs officers remotely supervised the necessary customs procedures for the consignments. The Yuzhno–Uralskaya complex, occupying 180 ha, features a class A warehouse complex, a container terminal, and railway and utility infrastructure.

UK Oat Exports Saw Yearly Decrease but Outperformed Five-Year Average

The United Kingdom (UK) oat exports for the 2023/24 season have reached 84.3 thousand mt from Jul-23 to Jan-24, marking a 28% year-on-year (YoY) decrease but a significant 46% increase compared to the five-year average. The full-season estimate stands at 100 thousand mt, reflecting market conditions at the time of the forecast in Jan-24. With the current export pace and a smaller crop this season, expectations point towards the tightest ending stocks since 2012/13.