U.S. Planting Seed Import Highlights

July-June Marketing Year 1997/98 Compared to 1995/96 and 1996/97

July-November 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 % Change 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 % Change

Metric Tons 97/98-96/97 $1,000 97/98-96/97

ALL SEEDS 54,189 52,636 50,058 -4.9% 85,339 105,092 114,459 8.9%

BY KIND

Grasses 10,587 13,787 13,860 0.5% 10,919 16,292 18,991 16.6%

Red Fescue 6,359 7,474 8,248 10.4% 5,418 8,060 8,465 5.0%

Wheatgrass 408 932 1,270 36.3% 640 1,670 4,553 172.6%

Perennial Ryegrass 238 2,193 718 -67.3% 1,109 3,163 1,289 -59.2%

Timothy 1,753 1,382 1,653 19.6% 1,126 688 846 23.0%

Bromegrass 590 284 356 25.4% 938 442 783 77.1%

Unhulled Bermudagrass 127 305 413 35.4% 40 102 732 617.6%

Tall Fescue 117 152 377 148.0% 107 244 427 75.0%

Annual Ryegrass 102 147 159 8.2% 71 160 169 5.6%

Wild Rye 0 0 73 NA 0 0 116 NA 

Other Forages 4,029 2,336 5,380 130.3% 6,855 4,230 9,725 129.9%

Uncertified Alfalfa 1,391 701 1,340 91.2% 2,775 1,673 3,517 110.2%

Certified Alfalfa 305 184 450 144.6% 557 428 1,065 148.8%

White & Ladino Clover 388 308 428 39.0% 1,108 705 1,060 50.4%

Sweet Clover 444 115 439 281.7% 278 78 549 603.8%

Birdsfoot Trefoil 86 14 103 635.7% 321 19 450 2268.4%

Red Clover 714 166 223 34.3% 835 253 446 76.3%

Alsike Clover 170 54 215 298.1% 155 55 365 563.6%

Pulses 26,194 21,545 19,673 -8.7% 10,339 10,943 9,336 -14.7%

Gram Bean 3,377 3,936 3,052 -22.5% 1,704 2,906 2,513 -13.5%

Pea 4,984 8,332 6,183 -25.8% 1,490 2,765 2,134 -22.8%

Lentil 626 1,437 2,890 101.1% 357 646 1,043 61.5%

Other Kidney Bean 333 488 243 -50.2% 183 421 342 -18.8%

Small Red Bean 583 599 368 -38.6% 309 353 251 -28.9%

Navy Bean 908 1,276 394 -69.1% 350 623 157 -74.8%

Broad Bean 403 671 510 -24.0% 111 201 147 -26.9%

Vegetables 2,576 3,230 3,906 20.9% 31,154 35,965 44,009 22.4%

Tomato 123 116 135 16.4% 11,375 10,946 11,346 3.7%

Pepper 46 41 158 285.4% 3,456 4,608 6,832 48.3%

Watermelon 57 172 59 -65.7% 2,277 3,384 3,680 8.7%

Cantaloupe 27 35 77 120.0% 1,920 2,335 3,358 43.8%

Pumpkin 543 1,005 1,251 24.5% 1,121 2,231 3,340 49.7%

Cucumber 11 14 26 85.7% 1,029 1,442 2,324 61.2%

Cauliflower 13 10 26 160.0% 775 674 1,681 149.4%

Other Melons 8 45 104 131.1% 853 959 1,620 68.9%

Squash 36 24 120 400.0% 862 833 1,443 73.2%

Broccoli 7 8 30 275.0% 705 329 1,198 264.1%

Onion 41 36 56 55.6% 1,520 1,394 1,197 -14.1%

Field Crops 10,316 11,243 5,761 -48.8% 5,460 9,054 2,819 -68.9%

Field Corn 2,631 6,061 1,922 -68.3% 3,752 7,666 1,619 -78.9%

Cotton 566 0 280 NA 118 0 269 NA 

Non-durum Wheat 3,344 3,672 1,304 -64.5% 497 819 248 -69.7%

Oat 275 427 1,350 216.2% 47 88 247 180.7%

Other Sunflower 437 38 263 592.1% 247 144 152 5.6%

Miscellaneous Kinds 487 494 1,479 199.4% 20,613 28,608 29,579 3.4%

Flower 137 189 233 23.3% 18,831 24,850 23,765 -4.4%

Tree and Shrub 158 128 89 -30.5% 615 1,960 3,069 56.6%

Sugar Beet 6 5 1,046 20820.0% 49 142 1,099 673.9%

BY REGION

North America 47,215 39,107 37,553 -4.0% 33,178 34,591 42,075 21.6%

European Union 1,214 1,294 2,294 77.3% 16,850 22,440 22,157 -1.3%

Other Asia \1 1,857 2,484 2,189 -11.9% 17,330 18,358 19,845 8.1%

BY COUNTRY

Canada 41,386 38,208 36,373 -4.8% 25,686 26,913 29,180 8.4%

Mexico 5,829 900 1,180 31.1% 7,492 7,678 12,895 67.9%

China 1,791 2,367 1,927 -18.6% 10,407 11,159 12,571 12.7%

Netherlands 596 383 411 7.3% 9,369 10,686 10,267 -3.9%

Japan 22 43 172 300.0% 5,919 6,046 5,774 -4.5%

Chile 167 3,078 472 -84.7% 1,944 8,971 5,041 -43.8%

Australia 630 1,415 2,177 53.9% 1,838 2,847 3,862 35.7%

India 1,093 1,289 1,593 23.6% 2,602 2,633 3,362 27.7%

New Zealand 1,126 1,785 1,467 -17.8% 2,312 2,861 3,013 5.3%

Germany 37 81 135 66.7% 1,951 2,646 2,993 13.1%

Israel 29 91 29 -68.1% 3,289 2,741 2,881 5.1%

Costa Rica 6 15 27 80.0% 82 1,812 2,793 54.1%

Guatemala 13 12 9 -25.0% 2,953 2,367 2,679 13.2%

France 78 94 221 135.1% 1,280 1,542 2,429 57.5%

Italy 233 160 894 458.8% 1,186 1,475 2,304 56.2%

Denmark 210 445 155 -65.2% 1,657 2,859 2,183 -23.6%

United Kingdom 39 107 79 -26.2% 1,233 2,837 1,664 -41.3%

Argentina 135 112 662 491.1% 130 189 1,466 675.7%

Thailand 145 337 215 -36.2% 555 1,667 1,335 -19.9%

Taiwan 17 25 23 -8.0% 734 666 1,055 58.4%

South Africa 57 31 167 438.7% 504 234 700 199.1%

Vietnam --- 4 20 400.0% 7 336 552 64.3%

Indonesia --- --- --- NA 93 299 442 47.8%

Burma 8 342 566 65.5% 11 222 328 47.7%

South Korea 4 5 4 -20.0% 174 395 285 -27.8%

Peru 276 680 63 -90.7% 418 953 270 -71.7%

Syria 0 0 27 NA 0 0 221 NA 

Nicaragua 0 0 144 NA 0 0 212 NA 

Spain --- 1 308 30700.0% 49 34 195 473.5%

Hong Kong 22 45 63 40.0% 95 93 160 72.0%

Kenya --- --- 48 NA 580 300 159 -47.0%

Hungary 3 218 36 -83.5% 19 370 152 -58.9%

Russia --- --- 70 NA 4 1 125 12400.0%

Egypt 23 68 57 NA 121 125 110 -12.0%

\1 Other Asia region includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, and Taiwan.

--- denotes less than 500 kilograms.

Source: Compiled from U.S. Bureau of Census records.

Prepared by USDA/FAS/COTSD

January 1998