Oregon Seed Producers Report Amazing Numbers!

10 Aug 2016

Posted in General by Curtis Williams

It’s always interesting to receive the FYE June 30 crop numbers from the Oregon Seed Crop Commissions. We examine the numbers to look for sales or other trends. Oregon growers pay small commissions to the state to promote Oregon grown grasses based on seed that is moved from grower to dealer. There are 3 main official commissions; Ryegrass, Tall Fescue and Fine Fescue.

The 2 main crops of Ryegrass and Tall Fescue have been tracking fairly stable the last five years. A few anomalies here and there, but generally stable, which is generally a good thing for orderly pricing and movement.

The real story is in the sheer numbers. Can you imagine 426 million pounds of ryegrass moving out of this valley every year? Add to that, 200 million pounds of Tall Fescue. That’s over one half a billion pounds each year just in these two crops! What an amazing industry!