Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR)

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service

INSTRUCTION SHEET for ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FATS AND OILS
Who Should Report – A form is needed from all firms in the United States operating facilities which
produce or consume major edible and inedible fats and oils. Call the toll free help line,
1-888-424-7828, if you need additional forms or have questions. Materials processed on a toll basis
must be reported by the operation preforming the toll work.
If You Have a Facility that is No Longer Active or is now Operated by Another Firm – Write “No Longer
Active” and the date the facility became inactive below the address area. If the facility is now operated
by another firm, and if known, list the name and address of who is now operating the facility.
Reporting Unit – The reporting unit is designated on the mailing label of the form. For example,
“Company ABC – All Locations” listed on the label would report on that single form for all locations.
Soybean crushing facilities must be reported at the minimum of a state level. Another example is a
reporting unit listed as “Company X – IL Soy Crush.” Company X would report for all of their soybean
crushing facilities in Illinois.
How to Enter Your Responses – Enter your figures in the unit(s) requested, i.e., tons or 1,000 pounds.
Tons are defined as short tons or 2,000 lbs. Keep numbers within the boxes. Please note that some
figures should be rounded to thousands. For example, if you produced 660,020 pounds of crude
soybean oil, report 660.
Balance Sheet – The form is structured as a balance sheet. Production minus removed should equal
onsite ending stocks. Carryover stocks will be known from the previous month’s report as onsite ending
stocks. Inshipments of crude or outshipments to offsite storage are not asked but should be included in
“crude oil processed in refining,” only if refined onsite. In some cases, the report may not balance if fats
and oils are purchased from another refiner (See Example 2).
Reference Period – Data are collected monthly and reference the previous month. If a firm keeps
records on a fiscal month basis, please report for the previous fiscal month which most closely follows
the month for which data are being collected.
How to Handle Stocks in Transit – Include shipments in transit to this Reporting Unit on the last day of
the month. Exclude outgoing shipments once they have left the Reporting Unit. For example, crude oil
stocks that have left the crusher to an offsite stocks location and are in transit on the last day of the
month must be reported in the record representing the offsite destination facility.
Oil Weights – If once refined oils are combined with other oils, the weight of the oils should be
separated and reported in the respective items. For example, if once refined soybean oil is actually
70/30 with 70% being soybean oil and 30% of it being cottonseed oil, the weights must be distributed
even though by general specification it is considered soybean oil.
Corn Oil - Crude corn oil produced from corn germ at non-alcohol producing facilities should be
reported on the Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils Survey. Crude corn oil refined, regardless of the
source of production, must be reported. Firms producing crude oil at ethanol or alcohol facilities should
not report the crude corn oil production on the Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils Survey. Corn
distillers oil (CDO) produced at dry mills should be reported on the Dry Mill Producers Survey. Crude
corn oil produced at wet mills producing alcohol should be reported on the Wet Mill Producers Survey.

General Definitions
Production – Report the quantities of the specified primary fats and oils produced during the month.
Include conventional, organic, non-GMO, high-oleic, low-linolenic beans. Do not include fats or oils
purchased.
Crude oil production – Oil generated by crushing oilseeds, grains, and nuts. Soybean crude oil produced
must be reported at degummed weight.
Crude oil processed in refining – Crude (degummed weight) oil run through the first refining process.
Crude oil purchased or moved within the company to the refining location and refined during the month
specified must be reported in “crude oil processed in refining” and should not be included in crude oil
produced. Soybean crude oil processed in refining must include degummed, blown, boiled, heat
treated, and acid refined oil.
Once refined production – Once refined production is defined as the first step in refining crude oil for
end-use or possible further refining. This includes deodorizing and bleaching of crude oil. It is not
necessary for a facility to actually manufacture a final product to engage in once refined oil production.
Once refined production should only include oil refined for the first time at the facility. Once refined oils
received from another facility or purchased should not be included as “production.” “Once refined
production” must not be greater than “crude oil processed in refining”.
Sold or removed for edible use in processing – Sold or removed for edible use in processing is a
measure of consumption. Report the quantities fats and oils sold or removed for the manufacturing of
edible end-use products or further processing. The actual end-use may not be known in which case,
outputs meeting edible specifications should be reported in the “for edible use in processing.” The sum
of “sold or removed for edible use in processing” plus “sold or removed for inedible use in processing”
may be greater than “once refined production” if the first refining step was not completed by the
Reporting Unit referenced on the survey label.
Sold or removed for inedible use in processing – Sold or removed for inedible use in processing is a
measure of consumption. Report the quantities fats and oils sold or removed for the manufacturing of
inedible end-use products or further processing. The actual end-use may not be known in which case,
outputs that do not meet edible specifications should be reported in the “for inedible use in processing.”
The sum of “sold or removed for edible use in processing” plus “sold or removed for inedible use in
processing” may be greater than “once refined production” if the first refining step was not completed
by the Reporting Unit referenced on the survey label.
Onsite stocks – Report the quantities of the specified crude or once refined fats and oils stored at this
location on the last day of the month. Include stocks stored at this location regardless of ownership
including government agencies such as the Commodity Credit Corporation. Exclude outgoing shipments
once they have left the facility.
Offsite stocks – Report the quantities of the specified crude or once refined fats and oils stored in a
public or private warehouse which is not part of the production or refining facility. Include stocks in
transit to the private or public warehouse on the last day of the month. Do not include stocks held at an
end-use facilities such as a food preparation sites, biodiesel plants, or feed blending sites.

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Special Instructions for Vegetable Oil Refiners and Continuous Processors - Refer to Example 1 on the
next page.
Soybeans – crush - In the example, 10,000,000 bushels of soybeans were crushed which converts to
300,000 tons of beans crushed (Item 1a). The beans produced 110,000 K lbs. of crude oil (Item 1b) of
which 10,700 K lbs. were held onsite on May 31, 2015 (Item 1c.) In this example, there were no
carryover onsite stocks of oils from April 2015.
Soybean oil refining – crude – Of the 110,000 K lbs. of crude oil (Item 1b) produced from the crush,
95,000 K lbs. were refined (Item 3a). Of the remaining, 2,000 K lbs. were shipped/removed for inedible
use (Item 3b) elsewhere (possibly a biodiesel refinery). 13,000 K lbs. of crude remained onsite at the
refinery (Item 3c).
In this example, no carryover stocks or inshipments of crude were shown. For a crusher/refiner in which
crushing and refining facilities are at the same site, onsite stocks of crude should be recorded in Item 1c.
Also since crude was processed in refining (Item 3a), a positive response is expected in soybean oil –
once refined production (Item 4a).
Soybean oil refining – once refined – 92,150 K lbs. of refined oil was produced (Item 4a), this is less the
refining waste. The total amount of once refined oil removed with the intended use in edible processing
(Item 4b) is 79,000 K lbs. while 19,000 K lbs. was removed for with the intended use in inedible
processing (Item 4c). 13,000 K lbs. of once refined oil was stored onsite (Item 4d).
NOTE: Beginning stocks (previous month’s response to Item 4d) + once refined production (Item 4a) –
removed for edible use in processing (Item 4b) – removed for inedible use in processing (4c) will equal
(Item 4d) onsite stocks of once refined oil at the processing. In the example, 16,000 K lbs. were carried
over from the previous month and accounted for as beginning stocks (16,000 + 92,150 – 79,000 – 19,000
= 10,150). There are many scenarios and this scenario does not address shipments to offsite storage
facilities.
Soybean oil – offsite stocks – In the example, 25,000 K lbs. of crude oil is being held at an offsite storage
location (Item 5a). The example also shows offsite stocks of once-refined oil at the end of the month
(Item 5b) at 18,000 K lbs. It is important to note that offsite storage locations are not being contacted.
It is the responsibility of the owner of the oil to report offsite stocks.

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Special Instructions for Vegetable Oil Refiners and Continuous Processors (continued)
Example 1

SECTION 1 – SOYBEANS
Soybeans

Unit of Measure

1. Soybeans – crush

May 2015
10,000,000 bushels crushed

Tons
(2,000 Pounds)

a. Soybeans crushed

500

300,000
501

b. Crude oil produced (degummed weight)
c.

110,000

1,000 lbs.
506

Onsite stocks of crude oil at the crushing facility
– on hand end of month

10,700

1,000 lbs.

2. Soybeans - cake, meal, and millfeed
Tons
(2,000 Pounds)

502

a. Cake and meal produced for animal feed
b. Cake and meal produced for edible protein
products

Tons
(2,000 Pounds)

503

Tons
(2,000 Pounds)

504

c.

Tons
(2,000 Pounds)

507

d. Stocks of cake and meal – on hand end of month

Tons
(2,000 Pounds)

508

e. Stocks of millfeed – on hand end of month

Millfeed produced

184,375
35,625
17,000
62,125
800

3. Soybean oil refining – crude (Include degummed,
blown, boiled, heat treated, and acid refined)
a. Crude oil processed in refining – (once refined
production (Question 4a) should also be reported)

5031

5032

b. Total crude sold or removed for inedible use in
processing
c.

95,000

1,000 lbs.

2,000

1,000 lbs.

Onsite stocks of crude oil at the refining facility –
on hand end of month

5030

13,000

1,000 lbs.

4. Soybean oil refining – once refined
a. Once refined production – (crude processed in
refining (Question 3a) should also be reported)

5035

5046

b. Total once refined sold or removed for edible use
in processing
c.

92,150

1,000 lbs.

79,000

1,000 lbs.
5041

Total once refined sold or removed inedible use in
processing

19,000

1,000 lbs.
5036

d. Onsite stocks of once refined oil at the refining
facility – on hand end of month

10,150

1,000 lbs.

5. Soybean oil – offsite stocks
4012

a. Crude (Include degummed, blown, boiled, heat
treated and acid refined) – on hand end of month

1,000 lbs.

b. Once Refined – on hand end of month

1,000 lbs.

25,000
4013

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18,000

Special Instructions for Vegetable Oil Refiners and Continuous Processors (continued)
Example 2

The refiner processed 95,000 K lbs. of crude, degummed oil (Item 3a) into a once refined
product (Item 4a). During the same month, 279,000 K lbs. (Item 4b), were removed for edible
use. The refiner did not produce all of the 279,000 K lbs., but instead purchased 200,000 K lbs.
from another refiner. In which case, the 200,000 K lbs. were not reported as “consumed” or
removed for edible use/inedible use. The only company reporting consumption of the
200,000 K lbs. was the refiner sending the once refined oil to the end user.
SECTION 1 – SOYBEANS
Soybeans

Unit of Measure

May 2015

3. Soybean oil refining – crude (Include degummed,
blown, boiled, heat treated, and acid refined)
a. Crude oil processed in refining – (once refined
production (Question 4a) should also be reported)

5031

5032

b. Total crude sold or removed for inedible use in
processing
c.

95,000

1,000 lbs.

2,000

1,000 lbs.

Onsite stocks of crude oil at the refining facility –
on hand end of month

5030

13,000

1,000 lbs.

4. Soybean oil refining – once refined
a. Once refined production – (crude processed in
refining (Question 3a) should also be reported)

1,000 lbs.

b. Total once refined sold or removed for edible use
in processing

1,000 lbs.

c.

5035

92,150
5046

279,000
5041

Total once refined sold or removed inedible use in
processing

19,000

1,000 lbs.
5036

d. Onsite stocks of once refined oil at the refining
facility – on hand end of month

1,000 lbs.

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10,150

Special Instructions for Firms that Import Once Refined Oils – Including coconut oil, palm oil, palm
kernel oil. See Example 3 below.
Palm oil refining – crude – If the palm oil is received as already once refined but requires re-deodorizing
to meet specifications of the customer, all items in Item 44 would remain blank (Items 44a-c).
Palm oil refining – once refined – Palm oil that was received in once refined state would be included in
Items 45b – d. As an example, 50,000 K lbs. of palm oil was received during the month and redeodorized for a food manufacturer. All the re-deodorized oil is sold meeting the edible specifications.
Palm oil – offsite stocks – Palm oil once refined held offsite which has been re-deodorized or awaiting
re-deodorization owned by the firm would be reported in Item 46b.
Example 3
44. Palm oil refining – crude
a. Crude oil processed in refining – (once refined
production (Question 45a) should also be
reported)

1,000 lbs.

b. Total crude removed for inedible use in processing

1,000 lbs.

Onsite stocks of crude oil at the refining facility –
on hand end of month

1,000 lbs.

5121

5122

c.

5120

45. Palm oil refining – once refined
a. Once refined production – (crude processed in
refining (Question 44a) should also be reported)

1,000 lbs.

b. Total once refined removed for edible use in
processing

1,000 lbs.

c.

5123

5130

50,000
5129

Total once refined removed for inedible use in
processing

1,000 lbs.
5124

d. Onsite stocks of once refined oil at the refining
facility – on hand end of month

1,000 lbs.

46. Palm oil – offsite stocks
4024

a. Crude – on hand end of month

1,000 lbs.

b. Refined – on hand end of month

1,000 lbs.

4025

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Special Instructions for Animal and Fat Renderers (Section 4 of Questionnaire)
Production – Report lard, edible tallow, inedible tallow, yellow grease, other grease feather meal, meat
and meat and bone meal, dry rendered tankage, poultry fat, poultry by-product meal, and all other
products rendered during the month.
Yellow grease – Report used cooking oil rendering in yellow grease. Yellow grease may also include
lower-quality grades of tallow.
Meat meal – Meat meal and meat and bone meal is the finely ground, dry rendered residue from
mammal tissues exclusive of hair, hoof, horn, hide trimming, blood traces as might occur unavoidably in
good factory practice.
Feather meal and poultry by products meals - Feather meal (hydrolyzed poultry feathers) is the product
resulting from the treatment under pressure of clean, un-decomposed feathers from slaughtered
poultry. Poultry by products meal consists of the ground dry rendered or wet rendered clean parts of
the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as head, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of
feathers.
Special Instructions for Producers of Fatty Acids and Glycerin
Purchased technical tallow, inedible tallow, choice white grease, etc. - Firms purchasing technical
tallow, inedible tallow, choice white grease, etc., for the production of fatty acids and glycerin, should
not include those purchases in “production” or “total sold or removed for inedible use for processing”
under technical tallow, inedible tallow, choice white grease, etc. However there may be onsite stocks or
offsite stocks for those items.
Include both crude and refined glycerin from natural and synthetic sources. Synthetic glycerin is
produced from sources other than fats and oils.

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