Annual and quarterly supply-use statistics are on a marketing-year basis. Marketing years span calendar years and are often written to include both calendar years. For example, 1998/99 refers to the marketing year beginning September 1, 1998 and ending August 31, 1999. Marketing years differ by commodity and are as follows:
Corn begins September 1 and is comprised of 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 is comprised of 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 is comprised of four quarters (June-August, September-November, December-February, and March-May).
Oats begins June 1 and is comprised of four quarters (June-August, September-November, December-February, and March-May).
Foreign coarse grains are an aggregation on the basis of local (producing-country) marketing years, except adjusted imports, which are on an October/September year.
Hay begins May 1. Hay stocks are reported May 1 and December 1. Prior to 1987, stocks were reported on January 1.
Energy feeds, grain protein feeds, animal protein feed, wheat millfeeds, fats and oils, miscellaneous byproduct feeds, and grain-consuming animal units begin September 1.
Oilseed meals (soybean meal, cottonseed meal, rapeseed meal, and sunflower meal), rice millfeed, and milk products begin on October 1.