Annual roll-out events present report findings to buyers around the world.

December 19, 2018

3 Min Read
USGC rolls out 2018-19 corn quality report
USGC

A warm and moist growing season resulted in near-record yields and good quality for the 2018 corn crop, according to the U.S. Grain Council’s (USGC) latest corn quality report, which was released globally this week.

The "2018/2019 Corn Harvest Quality Report" is the council’s eighth annual corn quality survey. The report revealed that the majority of 2018 corn crop conditions were rated as good or excellent during the growing season, leading to strong plant health, good kernel size and a projected crop of 371.52 million metric tons (14.626 billion bu.) -- the third-largest crop on record.

“The council is pleased to offer this report as not only a service to our partners but also as fulfillment of our mission to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives,” USGC chairman Jim Stitzlein said. “The council is committed to the furtherance of global food security and mutual economic benefit through trade, and we hope this report continues to provide readers accurate and timely insight into the quality of the 2018 U.S. corn crop.”

The report showed that 93.9% of U.S. corn samples tested rated at U.S. Grade No. 2 or better; this was largely the result of a warm, wet vegetative period and a moderate pollination and grain-filling period. The drier, moderate temperatures during the second half of the growing season promoted healthy plants, good test weights and low kernel damage.

The average test weight of 58.4 lb./bu. (75.1 kg per hectoliter) was higher than the five-year average and indicates good kernel filling and maturation. The average 100-kernel weight of 35.07 g was lower than 2017 but above the five-year average.

All but one sample, or 99.5% of samples, tested below the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's action level for aflatoxin (20 parts per billion), while 100% of the samples tested below the FDA advisory level for deoxynivalenol (DON), or vomitoxin, for chicken, cattle, hogs and other animals.

The "2018/2019 Corn Harvest Quality Report" provides timely information about the quality of the current U.S. corn crop at harvest as it enters international merchandising channels, USGC said. The information will be supplemented by a second report, the "2018/2019 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report," that is scheduled for early 2019 and measures corn quality at export terminals at the point of loading for international shipment.

“The council’s series of quality reports uses consistent and transparent methodology to allow for comparisons across time,” Stitzlein wrote in the USGC report's greeting. “This enables buyers to make well-informed decisions and have confidence in the capacity and reliability of the U.S. corn market.”

USGC also began its annual roll-out events to present its findings to buyers around the world, starting in Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines. Presentations, meetings and conferences will continue through the first quarter of 2019 and aim to arm participants with clear expectations regarding the quality of corn for this marketing year. During these events, crop quality information is accompanied by presentations on U.S. corn grading and handling, which helps provide a better understanding of how U.S. corn is moved and controlled through export channels.

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