
Overview
This page provides information on:
The United States is the world's leading soybean producer and the second-leading exporter. Soybeans comprise about 90 percent of U.S. oilseed production, while other oilseeds—including peanuts, sunflowerseed, canola, and flax—make up the remainder.
Periodic, Scheduled Outputs
ERS provides a range of data products and reports on oil crops markets including domestic and international supply, demand, trade, and prices. Periodic, scheduled, outputs include:
- Oil Crops Outlook, a monthly publication that provides supply and use projections for U.S. and global oil crops markets based on the most current World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.
- WASDE at a Glance, a monthly interactive visualization that provides key data and highlights from USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates on field crops as well as livestock and dairy.
- Oil Crops Yearbook Tables, an annual data set that provides statistics on U.S. supply and use of Oilseed, oilmeal, and fats and oils. The data include oilseed acreage, yield, and production estimates and farm and wholesale price series.
- Feed Grains Database, a searchable database containing statistics on soybeans and other oil crops.
- Commodity Costs and Returns, a data product that provides annual estimates of production costs and returns for major field crops, including soybeans.
- USDA's Agricultural Baseline Projections, an annual report published in February that offers 10-year projections for the farm sector from USDA's annual long-term analysis. The associated Baseline Database covers projections for the four major feed grains (corn, sorghum, barley, and oats) in addition to the other major feed crops and livestock.
- U.S. Bioenergy Statistics, a dataset that includes U.S. ethanol and biodiesel production, consumption, and trade.
Recent ERS Reports Relating to Soybeans & Oil Crops
In addition to the periodic Outlook reports and data products, ERS publishes reports covering issues important to oil crops markets in the United States and around the world. Recent ERS reports relating to oil crops include:
- Brazil's Agricultural Competitiveness: Recent Growth and Future Impacts under Currency Depreciation and Changing Macroeconomic Conditions The effects of changing macroeconomic conditions on Brazil's agricultural production and trade are examined by simulating impacts of accelerated depreciation of its exchange rate and sustained economic growth.
- Evaluating U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Long-Term Forecasts for U.S. Harvested Area This report analyzes the accuracy of the historical baseline projections for U.S. corn, soybean, and wheat harvested area for the period from 1997 to 2017. The report finds that statistical modeling approaches have the potential to improve the performance of USDA’s baseline projections.
- Impacts on India's Farmers and Processors of Reducing Soybean Import Barriers This study examines the potential impacts on Indian farmers and processors of reducing barriers to soybean imports. Model-based simulations find that with imported soybeans, processors could more fully utilize their existing crush capacity, reduce their unit costs, and sharply expand their sales volumes and revenues—leading to substantial economic benefits.
- Interdependence of China, United States, and Brazil in Soybean Trade This report reviews factors driving China's imports of soybeans and production in Brazil and the United States, price dynamics, and market adjustments to China's retaliatory tariff on U.S. soybeans.