Note: As of May 2025, the Feed Grains Custom Query application and the associated CSV file were discontinued. For May through August 2025, users were advised to download and use the Feed Grains Yearbook and Outlook Tables for the latest data. In September 2025, two versions of the Feed Grains Yearbook will be published on the ERS website: “Feed Grains Yearbook Tables—Historical” and “Feed Grains Yearbook Tables—Recent.” Starting in January 2026, only the “Feed Grains Yearbook Tables—All Years” Excel and machine-readable CSV files will be posted.
Scope/Coverage of Data
This data product covers four major U.S. feed grains crops (corn, grain sorghum, barley, and oats), foreign coarse grains (feed grains plus rye, millet, and mixed grains), hay, animal unit indexes of grain and roughage, rail rate indexes, and grain shipments. The yearbooks include data published in the monthly Feed Outlook tables; the USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report; the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Production, Supply, and Distribution Database (PSD); and various USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) reports. However, the Feed Grains Yearbook Tables—Historical data set generally covers a longer time period (1866–present).
Methods
Data Items
Below are additional details about the items in the yearbooks, including which data are preliminary, and specific changes to data series over time.
U.S. Supply and Disappearance
- Corn, sorghum, barley, and oats supply and disappearance data are provided in tables 3–7. Supply data are disaggregated into subcategories reflecting stocks, production, and imports. Disappearance data are disaggregated into subcategories reflecting: food, alcohol, and industrial use (FAI), seed use, feed and residual use, total domestic use (the sum of FAI, seed use, and feed and residual use), and exports. The ending stocks variable reflects the difference between total disappearance and total supply.
- Historical-ending stocks include government-owned inventory, Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)-owned inventory, and/or privately owned inventory (i.e. the quantity under government loan, farmer-owned reserve, and inventory not in government programs).
- Information is provided in table 1 about area planted, area harvested for grain, production, and yield per harvested acre for corn, sorghum, barley, and oats.
- Breakdowns of corn’s food, seed, and industrial use (FSI) data are provided in table 31.
- The source of the data in Tables 3–7 is the USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB). Annual values for the 2 most recent years may be preliminary and/or projected.
- Hay (dry) data are provided in table 8. The source of the hay supply and disappearance data (production, area harvested, yield per harvested area, and stocks on farms) is the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Supply and disappearance per roughage-consuming animal unit (RCAU) data are calculated by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Supply per RCAU is defined as the total supply (excluding imports) divided by RCAU for all animals provided in the data product (table 30); disappearance per RCAU is defined as total use (excluding exports) divided by RCAU for all animals. Other hay is all hay excluding alfalfa hay.
World Supply and Disappearance
- Foreign coarse grains supply and disappearance data are provided in table 2. World coarse grains trade data by selected exporters and importers are presented in table 27. Coarse grains statistics include corn, barley, sorghum, oats, rye, millet, and mixed grains but exclude trade in barley malt, millet, and mixed grains.
- Supply categories include beginning stocks, production, imports, and total supply. Disappearance categories include FSI, feed use, total domestic use, exports, and total use. Ending stocks reflect the difference between total use and total supply.
- Foreign/other/world imports include unaccounted imports. Unaccounted imports are defined as world exports minus world imports. This variable reflects grain in transit, reporting discrepancies in some countries, and trade to countries outside the USDA database. Unaccounted imports are also added to foreign/other’s domestic use and total use.
- Trade data for foreign coarse grains (table 2) are aggregated, based on local marketing years. Trade data for world coarse grains trade (table 27) are adjusted to an October-September trade year and exclude intra-European Union trade.
- The source of the World Supply and Disappearance data is the PSD database. Annual values for the 2 most recent years may be preliminary and/or projected.
Price received by farmers
- The source of the current and historical monthly and annual data is NASS. Annual values for the 2 most recent years are USDA official estimates and/or projections from USDA's WASDE report.
- Prices received by farmers for corn, sorghum, barley, and oats do not include loans outstanding and government purchases.
- The annual value for corn, sorghum, barley, oats, and hay is based on monthly prices weighted by monthly marketings during a 12-month marketing year. This estimate is known as a marketing year average (MYA) price, season-average price (SAP), or average farm price.
- Data are presented in tables 1, 9, 10, and 11.
National loan rate
- The national loan rate data for corn, sorghum, barley, and oats are compiled by ERS. These loan rates are published in U.S. Farm Bills (which can be found online at Congress.gov).
- Data are presented in table 1.
Cash Prices
- Monthly values are simple averages of daily prices reported by AMS. Annual values are simple averages of monthly prices for the marketing year calculated by ERS.
- Data are presented in tables 12–14.
Animal Product/Feed Price Ratios
- Annual values are simple averages of monthly ratios for the marketing year.
- National average prices are used in the calculation. Effective January 1995, prices of commercial feeds are based on current U.S. prices received for corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay, and all wheat.
- The hog/corn ratio is the number of bushels of corn that are equal in value to 100 pounds of all hogs, live weight.
- The steer and heifer/corn ratio is the number of bushels of corn that are equal in value to 100 pounds of steers and heifers, live weight.
- The milk/feed ratio is the number of pounds of 16-percent protein mixed dairy feed that are equal in value to 1 pound of whole milk. The methodology utilizes major raw feed-component prices from the NASS Agricultural Prices report. The major feed components of corn and soybeans account for 83–91 percent of the total ingredients in the rations.
- The broiler/feed ratio is the number of pounds of broiler grower feed that are equal in value to 1 pound of broiler, live weight. The methodology utilizes major raw feed-component prices from the NASS Agricultural Prices report. The major feed components of corn and soybeans account for 83–91 percent of the total ingredients in the rations.
- The egg/feed ratio is the number of pounds of laying feed that are equal in value to 1 dozen market eggs. The methodology utilizes major raw feed-component prices from the NASS Agricultural Prices report. The major feed components of corn and soybeans account for 83–91 percent of the total ingredients in the rations.
- The turkey/feed ratio is the number of pounds of turkey grower feed that are equal in value to 1 pound of turkey, live weight. The methodology utilizes major raw feed-component prices from the NASS Agricultural Prices report. The major feed components of corn and soybeans account for 83–91 percent of the total ingredients in the rations.
- Data are presented in table 15.
Byproduct Feed Wholesale Prices
- Monthly values are simple averages of daily prices reported by AMS. Annual values are simple averages of monthly prices for the marketing year, calculated by ERS.
- Meat and bone meal values are calculated by aggregating ruminant and porcine prices (Kansas City, before December 1991; Central United States thereafter).
- The data reported for high protein soybean meal prices reflect prices in Decatur, Illinois, before January 1999 and Central Illinois thereafter.
- Data are presented in table 16.
Processed Corn Product Quoted Market Prices
- Monthly values are simple averages of biweekly prices reported by Milling and Baking News, except for corn starch, which is calculated using proprietary data. Annual values are simple averages of monthly prices for the marketing year calculated by ERS.
- Prices are reported for cornmeal (New York, bulk and Chicago, bulk), corn syrup, dextrose sugar, and cornstarch.
- The most recent monthly price reported is preliminary.
- Data are presented in table 17.
U.S. Exports and Imports
- Current and historical U.S. trade data by month and by geography are provided in tables 18–26 and 32–35. Data are from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade Statistics. A complete list of Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and Schedule B codes used in the tables are provided below.
- U.S. corn trade includes grain only. U.S. corn and corn products trade (exports and imports) includes grain (white, yellow, seed), dry-process products (cornmeal and grits), and wet-process products (cornstarch, sugar dextrose, glucose, and high-fructose corn syrup). Processed products are converted to grain equivalents.
- U.S. sorghum trade includes seed and unmilled sorghum.
- U.S. barley trade includes grain only. U.S. barley and barley products trade include grain (barley for malting, other), malted barley and other barley products. Processed products are converted to grain equivalents. Malting barley includes grain for malting only. Other barley includes grain for purposes other than malting, such as feed and seed use.
- U.S. oats trade includes grain only. U.S. oats and oats products trade include grain, oatmeal (bulk and packaged), and other oats products. Processed products are converted to grain equivalent.
Rail Rates and Shipments
- Producer price index data are from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Rail car loadings data are from the Association of American Railroads. Monthly values are simple averages of weekly data. A week gets counted towards the previous month if most of its days were in the previous month, unless that week is the first week of the year.
- Data are presented in table 28.
Processed Feeds, Quantity Fed
- The quantity of processed feed is estimated using data for stocks, production, foreign trade, and nonfeed uses from official (e.g., USDA, WASDE reports) and private sources (e.g., Corn Refiners Association) where applicable.
- Soybean meal includes use in edible soy products and shipments to U.S. territories.
- Total grain protein feeds exclude brewers dried grains and distillers' dried grains.
- Miscellaneous byproduct feeds are allowances for hominy feed, oat millfeed, and screenings.
- Total other byproduct feeds exclude dried and molasses beet pulp and inedible molasses.
- Data are presented in table 29.
Index of Animal Units
- Animal units provide standardized estimates of the size of the U.S. livestock herd and poultry flock to provide an indicator of implied feed use. An animal unit is based on the dry-weight quantity of feed consumed by the average milk cow during the base period. A set of factors is developed for each type of livestock and poultry by relating feed consumption for each type of livestock to the feed consumed by the average milk cow. Detailed information is in a Special Article published in ERS’s May 2013 Feed Outlook report.
- Data are calculated by USDA’s ERS and presented in table 30.
Marketing Years
Annual and quarterly supply-use statistics are provided on a marketing-year basis. Marketing years span calendar years and are often written to include both calendar years. For example, the 1998/99 corn marketing year refers to the period beginning September 1, 1998, and ending August 31, 1999. Marketing years differ by commodity and are as follows:
- Corn begins September 1 and comprises four quarters (September-November, December-February, March-May, and June-August). Prior to 1986, the marketing year began October 1.
- Sorghum begins September 1 and comprises four quarters (September-November, December-February, March-May, and June-August). Prior to 1986, the marketing year began October 1.
- Barley begins June 1 and comprises four quarters (June-August, September-November, December-February, and March-May).
- Oats begins June 1 and comprises four quarters (June-August, September-November, December-February, and March-May).
- Feed grains (corn, sorghum, barley, and oats) in table 3 is a mixed marketing year. Commodities with different marketing-year months (e.g., corn and sorghum, September-August; barley and oats, June-May) are aggregated without adjustment.
- World/foreign coarse grains is an aggregation based on local (producing-country) marketing years without adjustments (table 2), except adjusted imports and exports, which are on an October-September year (table 27).
- Hay begins May 1. Hay stocks are reported May 1 and December 1. Prior to 1987, stocks on farms were reported on January 1.
Processed feeds, quantity fed data only (table 29):
- Energy feeds: corn and sorghum begin September 1. Barley, oats, and wheat are adjusted to a September-August marketing year. Total energy feeds begin September 1.
- Oilseed meals: soybean meal, cottonseed meal, rapeseed meal, and sunflower meal begin October 1. Linseed meal begins June 1. Peanut meal begins August 1. Total oilseed meals is mixed marketing year.
- Animal-protein feeds: meat and bone meal tankage, and fishmeal and solubles begin September 1. Milk products begin October 1. Total animal-protein feeds is mixed marketing year.
- Grain protein feeds: corn gluten feed and meal, and total grain-protein feeds begin September 1.
- Other byproduct feeds: wheat millfeeds, fats and oils, and miscellaneous byproduct feeds begin September 1. Rice millfeeds begins August 1. Total other byproduct feeds is mixed marketing year.
- Feed per grain-consuming animal units: total energy feeds begins September 1. All feeds is mixed marketing year.
Conversion Factors
Several units of measure are used in this database. Here are a few useful conversion factors:
- Corn, 1 bushel = 56 pounds
- Sorghum, 1 bushel = 56 pounds
- Barley, 1 bushel = 48 pounds
- Oats, U.S. domestic and U.S. exports, 1 bushel = 32 pounds
- Oats, U.S. imports, 1 bushel = 38 pounds
- 1 metric ton = 2,204.622 pounds
- 1 U.S. (short) ton = 2,000 pounds
- List of the complete conversion factors for calculating grain equivalents for grain and grain products for U.S. trade data (tables 18–21).
HTS codes (imports) and Schedule B codes (exports)
Current and historical U.S. trade data by month and by geography that are provided in tables 18–26, and 32–35 use selected HTS codes (imports) and Schedule B codes (exports):
- Corn (grain only) exports: 1005100000, 1005100010, 1005100090, 1005902000, 1005902020, 1005902030, 1005902035,1005902040, 1005902045, 1005902060, 1005902070, 1005904055, 1005904060, 1005904065
- Corn and products exports: 1005100000, 1005100010, 1005100090, 1005902000, 1005902020, 1005902030, 1005902035, 1005902040, 1005902045, 1005902060, 1005902070, 1005904055, 1005904060, 1005904065, 1102200000, 1103130020, 1103130060, 1104230000, 1108120000, 1702300000, 1702300020, 1702300040, 1702302000, 1702304000, 1702400000, 1702500000, 1702600050, 1702600060, 3505100040
- Sorghum (grain only) exports: 1007000020, 1007000040, 1007100000, 1007900000
- Barley (grain only) exports: 1003002000, 1003004000, 1003004010, 1003004090, 1003100000, 1003902000, 1003904000
- Barley and products exports: 1003002000, 1003004000, 1003004010, 1003004090, 1003100000, 1003902000, 1003904000, 1104110000, 1104210000, 1107100000, 1107200000, 1901901500, 1104191000, 1104291000
- Malting barley (grain only) exports: 1003002000, 1003902000
- Other barley (grain only) exports: 1003004000, 1003004010, 1003004090, 1003100000, 1003904000
- Oats (grain only) exports: 1004000000, 1004000010, 1004000080, 1004100000, 1004900000
- Oats and products exports: 1004000000, 1004000010, 1004000080, 1004100000, 1004900000, 1103120000, 1104120000, 1104220000, 1103191200
- Corn (grain only) imports: 1005100000, 1005100010, 1005100090, 1005902000, 1005902015, 1005902025, 1005904060
- Corn and products imports: 1005100000, 1005100010, 1005100090, 1005902000, 1005902015, 1005902025, 1005904060, 1102200000, 1103130020, 1103130060, 1104230000, 1108120000, 1108120010, 1108120090, 1702302000, 1702302020, 1702302040, 1702302200, 1702302400, 1702302800, 1702304000, 1702304040, 1702304080, 1702400010, 1702400020, 1702400030, 1702400040, 1702400050, 1702400060, 1702402200, 1702402400, 1702402800, 1702404000, 1702500000, 1702600010, 1702600020, 1702600030, 1702600040, 1702600050, 1702600055, 1702600060, 1702602200, 1702602400, 1702602800, 1702604020, 1702604090, 3505100040, 1702304045, 1702304065, 1702304075, 1702304085, 1702604030, 1702604050
- Sorghum (grain only) imports: 1007000020, 1007000040, 1007100000, 1007900000
- Barley (grain only) imports: 1003002000, 1003004000, 1003004010, 1003004090, 1003100000, 1003902000, 1003904000, 1003904020, 1003904030
- Barley and products imports: 1003002000, 1003004000, 1003004010, 1003004090, 1003100000, 1003902000, 1003904000, 1003904020, 1003904030, 1104110000, 1104210000, 1107100000, 1107200000, 1901901000, 1901902000, 1104191000, 1104291000
- Malting barley (grain only) imports: 1003002000, 1003902000
- Other barley (grain only) imports: 1003004000, 1003004010, 1003004090, 1003100000, 1003904000, 1003904020, 1003904030
- Oats (grain only) imports: 1004000000, 1004000010, 1004000020, 1004000080, 1004000090, 1004100000, 1004900000, 1004900010, 1004900090
- Oats and products imports: 1004000000, 1004000010, 1004000020, 1004000080, 1004000090, 1004100000, 1004900000, 1004900010, 1004900090, 1103120000, 1103191200, 1104120000, 1104220000
- Ethyl alcohol exports and imports: 2207106000, 2207106010, 2207106090, 2207200000, 2207200010, 2207200090
- Brewers' and distillers' dregs and waste exports and imports: 2303300000
AMS price series parameters
Current cash prices and byproduct feed wholesale prices are from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Market News Application Programming Interface (API). The following parameters can be used to download the price data from the API.
-
Cash price
|
commodity |
grade |
class |
trade_loc |
report_title |
slug_id |
delivery_point |
pkg |
sale.Type |
freight |
trans_mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
Central |
Illinois Grain Bids |
3192 |
Mills and Processors |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
Gulf Coast Ports - LA |
Louisiana and Texas Export |
3147 |
Export Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
C.I.F. |
Barge |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
St. Louis MS River |
Missouri Daily Grain Bids |
2932 |
Terminals/Mills/Processors |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
Southwest |
Iowa Daily Cash Grain Bids |
2850 |
Terminal Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
Chicago |
Illinois Grain Bids |
3192 |
Mills and Processors |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
Kansas City |
Missouri Daily Grain Bids |
2932 |
Terminals/Mills/Processors |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
Toledo - On River |
Ohio Daily Grain Bids |
2851 |
Terminal Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
West |
Tennessee Daily Grain Bids |
3088 |
Terminal Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
Yellow |
|
Minneapolis Daily Grain Report |
3046 |
Terminal Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn |
US #2 |
White |
Kansas City |
Missouri Daily Grain Bids |
2932 |
Terminals/Mills/Processors |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Sorghum |
US #2 |
Yellow |
Central |
Kansas Daily Grain Bids |
2886 |
Terminal Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Barley |
US #2 |
Feed |
Golden Triangle |
Montana Daily Elevator Grain Bids |
2771 |
Country Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
White Oats |
US #1/2 |
|
|
Minneapolis Daily Grain Report |
3046 |
Terminal Elevators |
bulk |
Bid |
Delivered |
Truck |
-
Byproduct feed wholesale price
|
commodity |
variety |
protein |
trade.Loc |
report_title |
slug_id |
sale_type |
freight |
trans_mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alfalfa meal |
Dehydrated |
|
KC Region |
National Mill-Feeds and Miscellaneous Feedstuff Report |
3512 |
Ask |
Delivered |
Truck |
|
Corn gluten feed |
Pellets |
21% |
Central US |
National Grain and Oilseed Processor Feedstuff Report |
3511 |
Bid/Ask/Trade |
F.O.B. |
Rail |
|
Corn gluten meal |
|
60% |
Central US |
National Grain and Oilseed Processor Feedstuff Report |
3511 |
Bid/Ask/Trade |
F.O.B. |
Rail |
|
Cottonseed Meal |
|
41% |
Memphis, TN |
National Grain and Oilseed Processor Feedstuff Report |
3511 |
Ask |
F.O.B. |
Truck/Rail |
|
Corn Distillers |
Dried Grain |
10% |
Illinois |
National Grain and Oilseed Processor Feedstuff Report |
3511 |
Ask |
F.O.B. |
Truck |
|
Feathermeal |
|
80% |
Arkansas |
National Animal By-Product Feedstuff Report |
3510 |
Ask |
F.O.B. |
Truck |
|
Yellow Corn Hominy Feed |
|
|
Illinois |
National Grain and Oilseed Processor Feedstuff Report |
3511 |
Ask |
F.O.B. |
Rail |
|
Meat and Bone Meal |
Ruminant |
46-50% |
Central US |
National Animal By-Product Feedstuff Report |
3510 |
Trade |
F.O.B. |
Truck |
|
Meat and Bone Meal |
Porcine |
46-50% |
Central US |
National Animal By-Product Feedstuff Report |
3510 |
Trade |
F.O.B. |
Truck |
|
Soybean Meal |
|
46.5-48% |
Illinois |
National Grain and Oilseed Processor Feedstuff Report |
3511 |
Ask |
F.O.B. |
Rail |
|
Wheat Middlings |
|
|
KC Region |
National Mill-Feeds and Miscellaneous Feedstuff Report |
3512 |
Ask |
F.O.B. |
Truck |
Note: The historical/discontinued price series in this data product were previously collected by USDA, Economic Research Service.
Trade partner groups
In exports and imports data, some countries are grouped into partner groups (i.e., European Union-27, Former Soviet Union-12, Other Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa), following USDA, FAS’ Geographical Regions definition, except:
- United Kingdom is separate from the partner group Other Europe;
- A special partner group Caribbean Basin (CBERA) and Central America (CAFTA-DR) is used only for U.S. imports of ethyl alcohol data (table 33). Used Schedule C country codes (labeled UST codes in FAS’ Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) database) are 2484, 2779, 2360, 2720, 2080, 2482, 2777, 2486, 2489, 3120, 2450, 2410, 2420, 2485, 2483, 2487, 2488, and 2740 for countries in Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA). Codes continue as 2230, 2470, 2110, 2050, 2150, 2190 for additional countries in Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
Strengths and Limitations:
Strengths: The Feed Grains Yearbook is an important and comprehensive component of USDA's data products.
Limitations: While we attempt to include major feedstuffs, we acknowledge that the yearbook does not encompass all the publicly available feed grain market data.
Methodological Changes:
This section summarizes methodological changes to various time series in the Feed Grains data products that were made since May 2025.
May 2025:
- The method used to calculate the supply and disappearance per RCAU for “hay, all” has been adjusted such that it is consistent with the method used by ERS prior to May 2021. This update has been applied to all current and historical data, such that all values in the time series reflect the same methodological approach (table 8).
- The source of the data for white corn U.S. exports has been updated from USDA, AMS to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. This update has been applied to all current and historical data (table 26).
- The formula used to revise historical rail car loadings for grain data has been revised. Data entries from 2021 to the present reflect the updated methodology (table 28).
September 2025:
- Several AMS cash price series have been disaggregated from a single series into two series to reflect the current AMS data source. This update has been applied to all current and historical data.
- Corn, Number 2 yellow, Omaha, Nebraska has been disaggregated into Omaha, Nebraska and Southwest Iowa (table 12).
- Corn, Number 2 yellow, Memphis, Tennessee has been disaggregated into Memphis, Tennessee and West Tennessee (table 12).
- Sorghum, Number 2 yellow, Kansas City, Missouri has been disaggregated into Kansas City, Missouri and Central Kansas (table 13).
- The list of HTS codes and Schedule B codes has been updated for barley and products U.S. exports (table 19), oats and products U.S. exports (including conversion factors; (table 19), corn and products U.S. imports (table 20), and barley and products U.S. imports (table 21). The change in methodology has been applied to all current and historical data.
- The source data for calculating indexes of feed consuming animal units have been updated such that the data reflect the most recently collected NASS historical data. This update has been applied to all current and historical data (table 30).
Resources:
ERS:
Feed Grains Sector at a Glance
Other:
World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates Report
Production, Supply and Distribution (PSD) Database
Recommended Citation
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Feed Grains Database.