EU Grass and Legume Seed Data: Update to 2012

Overview of top 10 Grass/Legume Seed producing countries in Europe
Please note: 2012 = acres only, production data not posted yet (except for Germany)

- Data only taken from top 10 EU countries, converted to acres (area) and lbs. (production). - Data from European Seed Certification Agency Associations (ESCAA). - Although Italy is listed as the 2nd most in acres/production, the ESCAA Disclaimer on Italian data states: “Notification Hungary and Italy include imports in the certified seed quantities”. - Most notes, if not referring to 4 or 5 year averages, will be based on 2012 data.

EU 28 countries, July 2013

Overview Notes: EU 10

- 4 year average production of all certified grass/legume seed @ 520.8+ million lbs.
- 5 year average acres @ 624,000. 2012 = 623,000 acres.
- Poland does not publish production numbers.
- Area dedicated to grass and legume seed production varies greatly, going from a low of 583,000 acres to a high of 690,000 within the past 5 years,.
- All 10 countries reported producing white clover, tall fescue, red clover, Italian ryegrass, and orchard grass (cocksfoot) within the past 5 years

By crop, majority of:

• Alsike clover being grown in Sweden and Germany. Acres minimal. Italy ranks #3, but data indicates it may be imported.
• Birdsfoot trefoil production dominated by France, although average acres for all 10 countries only 200 (5 yr. average).
• Orchard grass production dominated by Denmark (7,200 ac.) and France (5,600 ac.).
• Common vetch production dominated by Spain, (30,000 ac.).
• Alfalfa seed production dominated by France (28,000 ac) and Spain (16,000). Italy ranks #1 but data indicates it may be imported.
• 5 countries show over 10,000 acres of perennial ryegrass production, led by Denmark (73,000 ac.), followed by Netherlands, Germany, Poland and the U.K.
• 4 countries average over 5,000 acres annually for red clover production (Czech Republic, France, Sweden, and Germany).
• Denmark (42,000 ac.) dominates red fescue production. Of the other 9 countries, only Poland averaged over 5,000 acres.
• Both Germany and Demark average over 2,500 acres of Sheep’s/Hard Fescue annually.

Denmark
- Continues to be the number one producing grass/legume seed country in the EU, has more than double the acres as the next closest country (France).

- Majority of production based on perennial ryegrass (64,000 ac.), creeping red fescue (38,000 ac.) and smooth stalked meadow grass (18,000 ac.). - Averaging 64 million lbs. of creeping red fescue annually. - 2012 creeping red fescue acres (42,250 ac.) below 5 year average at 37,500 acres. - Averaging almost 81 million lbs. of perennial ryegrass production annually. - White clover = main legume grown for seed (under 10,000 ac. annual average). - Timothy seed acres average less than 800 annually. - Alsike clover seed acres appear to be growing (not specified) as production increasing, but may still be less than 1000. - Tall fescue acres only 50% of 2008 acres, but has almost doubled in 2012 from 2011. - Total Danish acres up 14% in 2012, with perennial ryegrass acres up 34% from 2011 (up 22,000 ac.) making up almost all the acreage increase. - Annual production at 208 million lbs., supplying much of Europe’s grass and legume seed needs.

Grass Seed harvest in Denmark

France
- #2 grass and legume seed producing country in Europe.
- Majority of their production based on alfalfa seed production, with many other crops in the 3000 acres + range (orchard grass, common vetch, Italian ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, red clover, red fescue, and tall fescue).
- Creeping red fescue acres average less than 3,500 acres, with 2012 at 2,900.
- Total French acres up 15% in 2012, with Orchard grass, common vetch and red clover making up most of this 10,000 acre increase.
- Annual French production at 57.7 million lbs.

Germany

- # 3 in European production (ignore Italy as per the disclaimer). - Acres and production on the upswing. - Data includes 2012 production and 2013 acres - Acres still less than 50% of Denmark’s’ acreage. - Grass seed production dominated by Italian ryegrass (2012 = 33,000 ac.) and perennial ryegrass (2012 = 16,800 ac.). - Meadow fescue only other crop to average over 5,000 ac. annually - German acres in 2013 only up by 1,700 from 2012. - Annual German production @ 62 million lbs.

Italian Ryegrass at Flower

Netherlands
- Acres inconsistent, up and down every year, 5 yr. average at 35,000 acres.
- Annual Dutch production at 41 million lbs.
- 65% of total Dutch production dedicated to perennial ryegrass (23,000 ac.).
- Besides perennial ryegrass, only Italian ryegrass, red fescue, sheep’s/hard fescue and tall fescue average over 1,000 acres.
- 2012 overall acres increased 36%, with perennial ryegrass acres increasing 46% (up 8,500 ac.).
- Annual average Dutch production at 41.8 million lbs.

Spain

- Spanish seed production in 2012 focused on common vetch (33,500 ac.), alfalfa (10,200 ac.), and Italian ryegrass (7,200 ac.). - Total Spanish acres in 2012 were 54,500, with these 3 crops occupying 93% of Spain’s grass and legume seed acres. - Total Spanish acres in 2012 down 21,000, led by alfalfa down 13,000 from 2011. Common vetch acres down 6000 from 2011

Common Vetch

Czech Republic
- Data shows 38 grasses and legume seed species for the Czech Republic, but only two crops average more than 5000 acres (Italian ryegrass, 9,200 ac., and red clover, 12,800 ac.).
- 2012 acres up 14% (6,000 ac.), primarily due to increased acres of Italian ryegrass and red clover.
- Until 2012, Czech acreage had been falling annually since 2008 (65,300 acres), hitting a recent low in 2011 of 43,000 acres.

Sweden

- Swedish seed production centers around timothy (9,900 ac.), red clover (6,000 ac.), red fescue (4,400 ac.), and meadow fescue (3,600 ac.). - Total Swedish grass and legume seed acres averages 31,000. - Annual production at 15 million lbs - Swedish acres and production very consistent, with acres within 2,000 of their average, and production ranging from 14.6 to 16.8 million lbs. the past 4 years

Timothy plant for seed

Poland
- Total Polish acres at 31,000 in 2012, only 2,000 acres below their average.
- Production dominated by perennial ryegrass (10,900 ac. in 2012), Italian ryegrass (9,000 acres in 2012) and 4,300 acres of red fescue.
- The above 3 crops accounts for 77% of Poland’s acres.
- No production numbers available.

UK
- U.K. acres consistently around 13,800, although 2012 saw acres rise to 15,900.
- Acres dominated by perennial ryegrass (2012 = 74% of all grass/legume seed acres).
- Only other crop of note is hybrid ryegrass (1,600 ac.).
- Annual production averages 12.5 million lbs

Summary
- EU farmers do not appear to respond to commodity prices the way North American farmers do, as acreages of grass and legume seed have not decreased as they have in Canada and the USA
- With the positive prices for most North American commodities, including corn, soybeans, wheat, canola and field peas, many growers have switched from growing grass and legume seed crops to these more attractive cash crops.
- Oregon grass and legume seed acres are 50,000 less than their 10 year average (2012 =449,000 acres, compared to the 10 year average of 501,000 acres).
- Although Canada does not keep official acreage statistics for grass and legume seed production, acreages are estimated to have decrease by 50 to 60% of the 10 year average.
- Effects from the 2008 world economic crisis, which devastated the housing industry in the USA, still has lingering effects in the North American turf grass seed markets.

Prepared by David Wong, Market Specialist, Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development, Ag-Info Centre (310-3276)
E-mail: david.k.wong@gov.ab.ca