Perennial Ryegrass production has dropped, while Tall Fescue is up.
Turfgrass Seed Variety Production Heading In Different Directions
Posted in General by Curtis Williams
The first quarter results are in from the Oregon Ryegrass and Tall Fescue Commissions! The Oregon Seed Commission numbers reflect the movement of product from the grower to the dealer between July 1st and Sept. 30th.
The results tell the story of two markets whose dynamics are going in very different directions. Tall Fescue usage continues to increase, and Perennial Ryegrass usage continues to decrease. We knew that a lot of Tall Fescue was being shipped in the first quarter, we just didn’t realize how much!
There are signals that there might be better times ahead for the Perennial Ryegrass market this coming Spring 2019. Perennial Ryegrass is by far the cheapest cool season commodity available. In addition we are also getting inquiries from Europe for Perennial Ryegrass to ship this coming Spring. Europe’s crop was adversely affected by a severe drought, and they will need to purchase seed for Spring 2019.
Below are the Oregon Commission results of the first quarter for the last 5 years:
Perennial Ryegrass movement has decreased by about 13 million pounds in the 1st quarter since 2014. Tall Fescue movement has increased by roughly 19.5 million pounds in the 1st quarter since 2014.
As always, consult with your seed representative for availability and pricing.