WASDE: Larger Wheat Supplies, Lower Prices

May 15th, 2012

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Category: Grains

Weather affecting agriculture(AgWeb) – The 2012/13 outlook for U.S. wheat is for larger supplies and use, but lower prices. All wheat production is projected at 2,245 million bushels, up 12 percent from last year’s weather-reduced crop and the highest since 2008/09.
The all wheat yield, projected at 45.7 bushels per acre, is up 2.0 bushels from last year, but 0.6 bushels below the 2010/11 level. The survey-based forecast for 2012/13 winter wheat production is up 13 percent with a forecast record yield of 47.6 bushels per acre as a recovery in yields in the southern and central Plains boost Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat production sharply from the previous year.
Partly offsetting is lower forecast production for Soft Red Winter wheat and White Wheat compared with last year. Spring wheat production for 2012/13 is expected to rebound with a recovery in durum area and higher projected yields for other spring wheat, which are expected to offset the decline in other spring area. U.S. wheat supplies for 2012/13 are projected at 3,133 million bushels, up 5 percent from 2011/12.
Total U.S. wheat use for 2012/13 is projected up 8 percent year-to-year on higher expected domestic use and exports. Food use is projected at 945 million bushels, up 15 million from 2011/12 as flour extraction rates are expected to decline modestly from historical highs in recent years and consumption grows with population. Feed and residual use is projected at 230 million bushels, up 50 million from the 2011/12 projection as favorable wheat prices relative to corn and larger HRW supplies boost summer quarter wheat feed and residual disappearance. U.S. exports for 2012/13 are projected at 1,150 million bushels, up 125 million from this month’s 25-million-bushel higher projection for 2011/12.
Larger supplies, more competitive prices, and an early expected start to this year’s harvest open the door to higher demand for U.S. wheat during the coming months. U.S. ending stocks are projected to continue their decline from the recent high in 2009/10. At a projected 735 million bushels, 2012/13 ending stocks are expected down 33 million from 2011/12 and 241 million below 2009/10. The season-average farm price for all wheat is projected at $5.50 to $6.70 per bushel, down sharply from the record $7.25 per bushel projected for 2011/12.
Global wheat supplies for 2012/13 are projected 2 percent lower on the year as a 23.8-million-ton reduction in foreign production offsets the increase in U.S. output. At the projected 677.6 million tons, global production is down 17.1 million from 2011/12. Lower 2012/13 production for FSU-12, EU-27, Australia, Morocco, Argentina, Turkey, and Pakistan accounts for most of the reduction. Record production for India and China and larger crops in Canada, Afghanistan, Algeria, and Iran limit the decline.
Global wheat trade for 2012/13 is expected to be lower than in 2011/12 with world imports projected down 6.1 million tons to 135.3 million. Some of the largest reductions are for EU-27, South Korea, Mexico, Japan, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia where wheat feeding is also reduced. Exports are reduced for FSU-12, Argentina, EU-27, Australia, and Brazil, but raised for Canada. Global wheat feeding is lowered 13.9 million tons from 2011/12 with lower expected supplies of feed-quality wheat and record projected coarse grain supplies.
Global wheat consumption is projected down 7.9 million tons or 1 percent from 2011/12 as small increases in food use in most countries partly offset the decline in global wheat feeding. Global ending stocks for 2012/13 are projected at 188.1 million tons, down 8.9 million on the year. Stocks are expected to remain sharply higher than the recent low of 125.6 million tons in 2007/08.

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