In W29 in the oats landscape, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised its forecast for world cereal production in 2023/24 downwards by 3.4 million metric tons (mmt) to 2.31 billion metric tons (mt). Additionally, oats production is expected to decrease by 800 thousand mt to 22.50 mmt.
In Spain, a severe drought has resulted in the worst cereal harvest in a long time, with estimates showing a potential 45.2% year-on-year (YoY) drop in production for winter cereals (wheat, barley, oats, or rye). Furthermore, the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia (FCAC), Spain, forecasts a 38% YoY decrease in winter cereal harvest for 2023 in Catalonia, Spain, with oats, wheat, barley, rye, and triticale expected to total 509,100 mt compared to 830 thousand mt in 2022 and 1.53 mmt in 2021. In Germany, the area under cultivation for summer cereals decreased by 27% to a total of 29,200 ha, with the extent of oats cultivation decreasing by 14%.
In Ingushetia, Russia, spring fieldwork for the current sowing campaign has been completed as of W29. The total area sown with spring crops increased by 644 hectares (ha), reaching 42.1 thousand ha, with 5,145 ha allocated for oats. Lastly, in Brazil, sowing for the white oat crop in an estimated 365,081 ha has concluded. The crops are well-established and more advanced than the wheat crop, reducing the impact of rainfall on the soil and minimizing surface runoff. However, strong winds in some areas caused lodging in taller oat plants, making grain harvesting unfeasible. In these cases, the oats were used as animal fodder or a soil cover plant.
